Stressed out over getting some place on time?

[Gena]

This is probably a lame topic, but one that's been on my mind lately. Does anyone else out there get stressed out when you have to be somewhere at a certain time - i.e., especially in the morning? I work full-time, but since having POTS, I never know what my nights are going to be like. I go through phases of sleeping well without symptoms and then having several weeks in a row where I don't sleep well at all because I wake up with low BP, heart racing, chest pain, etc. (like tonight, that's why I'm wide awake and typing this post at 2 a.m.

Co-workers can say oh, I didn't sleep very well either, the baby kept me up or I had a lot on my mind, etc. (I want to say, yeah but it's different when you're not sleeping b/c you're BP bottomed out and your dizzy and having tachycardia!!!)

Anyhoo, tomorrow, or today rather (Saturday) I have a very time-crunched day ahead of me. I have to be at a friend's baby shower at 10 am and then I have to help set up for a big fundraising gala that my hospice agency is having and then I have to rush out to the mall to find shoes to go with my dress that I'm wearing to the gala. After the gala, I have to help clean up and remove all the decorations, which means my day won't end until about one o'clock in the morning!!

I have not been sleeping well this whole week and I'd really love to skip my friend's shower so I can relax and build up my energy for the gala where I'll have to be standing in heels and running around most of the night. However, I feel obligated to push myself to be at my friends shower or whatever the appointment may be in life, but then I pay for it later. Most people don't understand how taxing it can be (b/c of the POTS) and I don't bother trying to explain, b/c I don't want to make an issue of it - and it would sound really silly to most people I think. Boy, this post is turning into a rambling novel! Bottom line is, am I the only one that has anxiety/stress over trying to be somewhere at a certain time?

[purplefocus]

Hi Gena,

Don't everythink your topics are lames. I am sure you can find someone here who has or is going thru the same thing. You aren't alone at being stressed because of trying to get to somewhere on time. This happens to me pretty much everytime. I have cancelled so much stuff just because I didn't want to deal with everything that went alone with getting there. I am trying to stop doing that and make myself. I always try to start hours prior to being there getting ready but alot of the time it seems I just don't have the energy. My husband helps tremendously with making sure I get to where I need to be, I guess you can say he is my cheerleader. Just wanted you to know you aren't alone.

Paige

[Merrill]

Hey, girlfriend, the pressure of having to buy shoes within a certain window of time would send me scrambling back to bed and reaching for the cancellation phone! Oh, Man... You HAVE got a day ahead of you ... and yes, knowing I've got a day like this would leave me sleepless for weeks in advance too. (But this is why I take 2.5 - 5 mg of ambien almost every night now--it's just enough to knock me out, and I seem to have trained myself now to stay down all the way til morning. Not formerly possible!) Maybe you can try a crumb of that instead of the klonopin? Or along with it? Since your symptoms typically hit in the night, you just need to get all the way through the night! Anyway, something to think about.

As for the rest, know that I am right there with ya -- and I'm sure you'll get lots of nods on this one. I wish there was a way for you to schedule 1/2 hour--or just a window of time without immediate time constraints--where you could lie down and possibly snooze a little when you have a full day scheduled. That always helps me considerably; I find that I CAN rally--if I get some quiet down time where I can be horizontal.

You're probably off to event # 1 by now and you won't see this til later ... but I hope the day unfolds the way the day will unfold -- and you ride it out on a wave of unexpected energy. I also hope you find a way to drink drink drink and salt salt salt and take care of yourself while you're taking care of everyone else and business too. But sometimes, doing those things DOES make you feel better in other kinds of ways.

Take care--and let us know how it went!

Merrill

PS When circumstances will allow, I give myself permission to be a little late; that's another way to deal with the stress of needing to be on time!

[opus88]

Gena, that kind of a day can wear anyone out. Add our need for downtime and our difficulties doing the routine things, and there's a very strong chance for some pretty big stress. While it could be fun once you get there, I think I can say that all of us here understand the concern over getting yourself there and then feeling ok after all the planning and rushing around. I've had my share of horrible experiences trying to get myself somewhere in spite of feeling like I could collapse, and I know I'm not the only one here with similar stories.

You could call your friend and tell her that while you would love to take part in her shower festivities, you are not feeling very well and have a huge evening ahead. Either go late to the shower (for me, that's easier than leaving early) or make arrangements to drop off a gift at another time.

Be sure to eat very well today - no cheating - and keep a bottle of water handy. Hopefully you'll find your shoes easily and have enough time to lie down before the evening's event.

I'll be sending positive energy your way. Let us know how you fared!

[Gena]

I have about 2 minutes to make a quick post and then I have to get ready to go to the shower. Whew, it's nice to know that I'm not alone in this one. I was really feeling whimpy about stressing out over this jam packed day. Opus, Merrill and Paige, thank you for all of your support and good advice. I'll try to take extra care today to drink and eat right. Pray that I find those perfect pair of shoes in record time (ya know the ones that look glamorous but are so comfortable that you could wear them all night long? - yeah right...I don't think they exist)

Anyway, I know we all have such bigger problems in life than what I'm facing today. It's just the stress of it all makes me feel so inadequate - like everyone else can do this, why can't I?

Thanks again for the words of support. I'm off to face the day. I'll check in later and let you know how it all went!

[steph37822]

oops

[calypso]

Gena,

This is my life story. It was even this way pre-POTS, because I must have the "late" gene (my father was ALWAYS late everywhere he went, as are two of my sisters). It got a lot worse since the POTS hit, but at least I have an excuse now!

I have adopted the "I'll get there when I get there" mentality and don't try to kill myself being on time. The only things I bust my butt over so I am there on time are work and funerals. Everything else can wait.

I try to plan for at least a half-hour of oddities to occur that might hold me up -- sudden fatigue, tachycardia, etc. I seem to get these things before going somewhere I don't want to go. I think that is mostly mental.

You are surely not alone on this one!

Amy

[geneva]

Gena, hope your day will go alright for you. I, too, have several sleep patterns. I go weeks sleeping well and then other times where it takes more than 2 hours to fall asleep. I do all the tricks but I am still awake.

I tend to be the person that wants to arrive early so I can take that deep breath, sit in the car, and let my ANS calm down a bit. When I am going somewhere it is a big deal and I am thrilled since most of my days are spent in my house. As a reult of the excitement, the adrenaline flows, my bp shoots up and I generally feel better. The down side is that when the adrenaline leaves, I am in trouble and the next day is most unpleasant.

There is no way I could do as much as you are doing today so I am impressed! But, I have learned that for me, if I really don't feel up to doing something, I DON'T. It is hard to give ourselves permission to do this but good friends really do understand. Maybe if you find yourself in this type situation in the future you could call your friend with the shower and plan a day when just the 2 of you could get together and have a private party honoring her. She probably would understand and enjoy.

Good luck today and tonight I predict you will sleep deeply after all your activity.

REST well Gena!

[Guest tearose]

Gena, This is so real for me too!

I tend to get worked up if I think I may be late so I leave early for everything!!!

Everyone has said all I would say...drink, relax, breathe, laugh at yourself!

You are so very busy...I hope your shoes feel wonderful and you are having loads of fun!

hugs, tearose

[kristinp29]

Gena,

No, you're not the only one! I used to get so worked up about it, that I would get symptomatic and not be able to go at all. *sigh* Yeah, that was not fun! It didn't matter if it was something I was really excited about or something that I was dreading.

I didn't have time to read anyone else's replies, but I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone!

Now, I've got a paper to write....

Kristin

[Gena]

Hi all,

I made it to the baby shower, I found some pretty shoes and then made it to the gala. I was a few minutes late to all, but it was no biggie and it worked out fine. There really is no such thing as a pair of glamorous evening shoes that are comfortable. I found a pair that looked great and felt pretty good in the store. BUT --- after a only an hour of standing and running around in them at the gala, they hurt sooo bad. We didn't leave until almost midnight and my little feet are still aching today. Cruel shoes, very cruel shoes!

I am exhausted today, but I'm cleaning my house because it's a mess since I've so busy with work and planning the gala, everything has just piled up. I chased my husband and my step son out of the house so I can clean and have some peace and quiet. (They did their "chores" before they left, but, let's just say their version of "cleaning" is not my version. Anyway just wanted to say thanks to all who chimed in and let me know I'm not alone on this topic. Your words of support and encouragement were just what I needed.

I'm going to take a break now and sit on my patio and enjoy this beautiful day. Hope you all enjoy this Sunday as well.

Peace out!!

[opus88]

Hey, Gena!

Congrats on making it through the big day! Too bad about the shoes, but I'm sure they looked wonderful.

I must say, I'm impressed that you had enough energy - even though exhausted - to clean house today. So how are you feeling this evening after all that? I'm sure the relief of having this big event behind you will help in many ways. Glad you had the chance to enjoy the beautiful day. (My hubby and I walked and sat on the beach for more than an hour. Windy and slightly chilly, but still wonderful!)

[EarthMother]

No small feat! Pat yourself on the back ... you did great!!!

For me I don't spend enough time feeling good about my accomplishments, but rather begin to "worry" about the next timeline I have in front of me that I may or may not make.

Having to be somewhere at a given time is the biggest stressor I face. From meetings at work (that involve lots of people and can not be rescheduled) to school events for my kids. It is simply impossible to know what kind of POTS day it is going to be. We need one of those FIVE DAY POTS FORECASTS. Like the they have on the weather channel -- OK maybe more accurate than the weather channel.

A friend of mine wanted to drive down for a special event that was at the house of a mutual friend of our and she said to me on Monday night, will you be able to make the dinner on Friday? I told her I just didn't know and that it depended on how I felt. She said .... if I call you on Wednesday or Thursday will you know if you will be able to come? I tried as politely as I could to tell her that I may not know until I was in the car and getting off the freeway at her exit to "know" if I was going to be able to attend.

Thank you so much for sharing with us. It makes me feel not so alone in this journey.

EM

[Gena]

No small feat!  Pat yourself on the back ... you did great!!!

We need one of those FIVE DAY POTS FORECASTS.  Like the they have on the weather channel -- OK maybe more accurate than the weather channel.

EM

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Earthmother,

I love what you said about the POTS forecast. You made me laugh so hard. Boy, would that be nice to have, huh? Thanks for your reply. I'm off to work now. I had a very cloudy POTs day yesterday, but feeling better now, so hopefully a sunny, symptom free day is in the forecast!

Gena