Today marks 3 weeks that I have been free of the mystery abdominal pain and I can honestly say I am surprised. Pleasantly, of course. The medication has evened out and while there are still a few annoying side effects, I will most likely stick with cymbalta.
I've seen so many good things come from this change. For example, I have been terrified for months (years!) to drive on the highway, especially alone and/or at night. Up until about a year ago I was able to use self-talk to get through the initial anxiety. Then I just couldn't do it anymore. If I knew I'd be going to Denver soon, I'd obsess over how anxious I would feel and worry about even getting into the car. It was debilitating. At times I just forced myself to get through it and I did, but not without the numbness, chest pain and racing thoughts.
Well, dear friends, I am happy to share that this weekend I drove to and from Denver without a second thought! Friday night we left before it became dark. B was really tired and I had no problem driving. The drive was flawless and I felt great! Then today I drove us home. We had wayyyyy too much fun last night and B was not even close to feeling okay to drive. I felt fine and again, managed to make it home without any anxiety or worried thoughts. I cannot even describe the comfort I'm feeling right now. This was such a huge hurdle for me to overcome and it was so much easier than I could have imagined. The last 5 weeks on meds has made such a huge difference and I am no longer feeling ashamed over it. Some people, most it seems, need this kind of help at some point in their lives. I have no idea how long this will last but I'm accepting that it could be a very long time. And I'm totally okay with that.
1 comment:
Leave some Lovin!