Since we've moved to Hawaii, my brother, Dennis and I have been able to spend more time together and compare notes on our lives and our health.
We learned that we both get stress hives. I figured out in college that my hives were caused by stress. I told the nurse at the emergency center that, but she refused to believe me. I used to get hives if I ate shrimp, but even without it I could get hives if my resistance was low and I was overly agitated about something.
Now, if I see even one raised spot, I have to stop, take a nap and relax.
I discovered that I'd passed this trait on to my daughter, Tiffany and now KC gets them, too. I believe Jon also has this unfortunate irritant.
Imagine my surprise when I learned that Dennis gets them, too! He says he's learned that slowing down and taking a nap is the only way to get rid of them and it's actually been a good early warning sign to take it easy.
Dennis and I also share pre-diabetes, high cholesterol and frozen shoulders!
I overdid it in Tai Chi the other day and my left shoulder is killing me. I know it wasn't the painting because it's my left shoulder. Dennis' bursitis has had his shoulders frozen for nearly a year. So we both have a tendency toward bursitis or adhesive capsilitis (frozen shoulder). Now I found my knees can become painful...just like my brother and mom.
To my children who will be aggravated to read this post, I say, "Blame Grandma."
We learned that we both get stress hives. I figured out in college that my hives were caused by stress. I told the nurse at the emergency center that, but she refused to believe me. I used to get hives if I ate shrimp, but even without it I could get hives if my resistance was low and I was overly agitated about something.
Now, if I see even one raised spot, I have to stop, take a nap and relax.
I discovered that I'd passed this trait on to my daughter, Tiffany and now KC gets them, too. I believe Jon also has this unfortunate irritant.
Imagine my surprise when I learned that Dennis gets them, too! He says he's learned that slowing down and taking a nap is the only way to get rid of them and it's actually been a good early warning sign to take it easy.
Dennis and I also share pre-diabetes, high cholesterol and frozen shoulders!
I overdid it in Tai Chi the other day and my left shoulder is killing me. I know it wasn't the painting because it's my left shoulder. Dennis' bursitis has had his shoulders frozen for nearly a year. So we both have a tendency toward bursitis or adhesive capsilitis (frozen shoulder). Now I found my knees can become painful...just like my brother and mom.
To my children who will be aggravated to read this post, I say, "Blame Grandma."
Don't consider your hives an irritant, but an excellent early warning system. I wish my husband had had something like that to warn him - his stress led to CFS/ME and it killed the life we had; he will probably never work again and he's only 45. Keep taking the naps; your body will thank you.
ReplyDeleteI get stress hives too -- and it only adds to the stress doesn't it! I hope your shoulder feels better soon.
ReplyDelete(I love the 'to my children' note btw)
LOL
I've found that stress can lead to all kinds of surprising and bad physical things on and in the body.
ReplyDeleteWell, good that you have a few genes to blame now.
Take it easy, Kay.
Oh dear, stress does such awful things to our bodies. It's good though when we can recognise this and do something about it. I often think about the things I've passed on to my sons; it's so easy to dwell on the negative things we pass on and forget all the good things that they've inherited from us. But, like you, I try to blame the problems on the grandparents!
ReplyDeletetime to slow down and do less....
ReplyDeleteI won't even mention what ghastly things stress did to me, but I haven't been able to work for more years than I care to admit. I agree with Tilly, be glad you have a warning sign.
ReplyDeleteJust last month when I was talking to one of my brothers, I found out something I've inherited from Dad. As a result, I've given up one of my favorite things: coffee. Everything else, I inherited from Mom. LOL
I sure miss both of them. I'm so glad you still have your mom. She sounds like a wonderful person.
-- K
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel
Yep, I blame my dad for my locked up neck, and my mom for my arthritis and foot problems. Both are responsible for my hearing loss. And there's more that I won't go into. It is in the genes. I see my mother's dibilitated condition and shudder. But at least she is still aware, interested and sharp.
ReplyDeleteMy stress reward was severe headaches. After retiring, and living which very little stress, I am almost headache free for the first time in my life, from childhood on.
My siblings share some of these maladies but I seem to have inherited the bulk of them. Lucky me.
My brother and I, though both generally very healthy children of parents who died in their 50s, find we also have similiar small ailments.
ReplyDeleteI love the not to your children.
The only two times I had hives was when I took Disalcid and Bayer aspirin. I am allergic to those 2 pain killers.
ReplyDeleteNot allergic to any food, thank God. Love shrimp!
Have you tried the hot tub for your bursitis? David's painful hips and knees relaxed in the hot tub at 24 Hr Fitness and don't bother him anymore.
Don't you hate it when your kids tell you they got something bad from you? Ha! Happens to me all the time.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing what genes can do to us, or for us. I always wonder about adopted people who were blocked from their medical history. That's an important issue. We all need to know.
ReplyDeleteI get them too!! I think we can all take a lesson from our body when it tries to tell us something, don't you! Have a great weekend and relax :)!
ReplyDeletethe lesson here is 'take a nap and relax' when we're stressed. We should all do that. At least you know when you're getting stressed Kay!
ReplyDeleteThat is interesting. Sorry about your stress hives. But glad you know what to do when they come on.
ReplyDeleteYikes...so very sorry about the hives...but now you know when to slow down, take a nice long nap and relax! Stress can creep up on all of us very quickly. Everything tightens up on me when I am stressed, then I get stressed because everything hurts...on and on in a vicious cycle. I just received a DVD of Yoga for Arthritis. Maybe that will be a good place for me to start...
ReplyDeleteI think Yoga is the best option for many such problems- just 15-20 mins of very light exercises show excellent results.Both my kids are allergic to many things but after following some simple breathing exe. things have improved a lot.
ReplyDeleteThe only time I've ever had hives is when I was feeding my dog some of those jerky treats... they smelled pretty good... what the hell, what can my dog eat that I can't? so I ate one, too. In a half hour I was burning up and SUPER itchy, went to the bathroom to check the mirror and couldn't believe a human being could be that shade of red and completely unrelated to a lobster. Drank a couple gallons of water to dilute it, went to find the package which, if I remember right, said something like "may contain horsemeat, etc etc" ....hmmmmph. It went away in a couple hours, but left me with new respect for my dog's stomach.
ReplyDeleteI had a case of adhesive capsulitis coming on in one of my shoulders, quickly made it a point to go swimming as often as possible and it went away in a month or so. Keep pushing the range of motion, that's the key. Don't need strength training, just have to use it as much as possible through the widest range of movement.
walt
Yup! That's exactly right, Walt. The last time I had shoulder pain, the nurse in Chicago told me to immobilize it in a sling. I did. NOT good! That was the worst thing to do. It took 9 months of therapy to get its motion back. Sheesh! Try writing on a chalk board when you can't get your arm up.
ReplyDeleteOk this is funny...I get hives if I am too stressed and have also had bursitis in both shoulders...But they are all inflammatory processes and maybe that tendency is inherited....
ReplyDeleteI can't really think of a genetic link similar to your post and the comments. RA is hereditary, yet no one remembers anyone having it...'cept me. Although my mother and brother both get gout.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of stress hives or frozen shoulder. I imagine they can be bothersome. That was a good one, blame Grandma, lol.
ReplyDeleteI think the hives are a great early warning system Kay. Its really important to identify the family health issues and yes its always handy to be able to point the finger up the line to someone else. Its great you get to spend more time with your brother too. I love mine and dont see him nearly enough!!
ReplyDelete