Quilting Apnea... The Cure!

I've discovered that I suffer from a dangerous condition, quilting apnea; I hold my breath when I quilt at the longarm!  My friend Gina recently diagnosed this when we were together in a class at the AQS show in Charlotte. Gina and I were sharing a machine and quilting some feathers when I heard her telling me: "breathe, just breathe"! I laughed it off at the time. On Thursday I was quilting these long, feathered borders when I realized I had to keep stopping... just to BREATHE! She was right. The only thing I could think of to relax myself and allow breathing to happen was to sing while I quilted. One can't sing if they're not breathing, right?  I cranked up the I-pod loaded with church camp music (the only songs I could think of offhand where I knew all the words) and sang!  What a difference this made; the quilting flowed, I was breathing and my heart was happy! It was a particularly lovely afternoon on Thursday, the windows were open and a light breeze filled the space as I was quilting flowing feathers and belting out "My God Is An Awesome God" at the same time... it just doesn't get much better than that!

Life is Good!

Making Adjustments...

... for a better life. It's a new year, what better time to change things up? Let me back up and give you some history as to what precipitated the adjustments that I am making in my daily life. On the 26th of October last year I woke up with such terrific chest pressure and pain, plus shortness of breath; I was absolutely convinced that I was having a heart attack! The next few hours saw no relief after taking some aspirin; I was scared (okay, petrified!) and after a short discussion with my husband I agreed to a quick trip to the emergency department of our local hospital. I was seen immediately. After four hours on a heart monitor and a barrage of tests I was sent home with the reassurance that my heart and lungs were just fine. I was given two recommendations ( Prilosec in case I was suffering from GERD and Motrin for the chest pain) along with strict advice to see my own primary care physician as soon as possible. It was a relief to know that I wasn't having a heart attack, but I still didn't really understand what was happening. I went on a 14 day regimen of Prilosec and took Motrin as needed for pain, and over those next few weeks I began to feel better. I hoped that might be the end of the symptoms. I saw my family doctor in the meantime and he concluded a few things: 1. I did the exact right thing in going to the E.D., scary things always need to be eliminated first. 2.  he explained that the recommendations of Prilosec and Motrin were broad strokes to cover my symptoms without really getting to the bottom of the situation. He felt that I might be suffering from stress-induced Costochondritis; a harmless condition with acute  chest wall pain that could be recurring. We talked about that and the symptoms for awhile and he suggested that I go home and do some research on the condition; especially looking for the triggers associated with flare-ups. By this time I had had a second bout and was willing to figure out what I could do, if anything, to change things and get back to normal.

My father has cautioned me for years about burning the candles at both ends. I knew he was right and  I gave up a few responsibilites where I could and learned to say "no"; albeit weakly and half-heartedly. I read everything that I could about Costochondritis and absorbed every associated fact, like a sponge. Still, I had two more attacks, the most recent one coming on December 20th in the car on the way back from lunch with friends. The only thing that works to treat the pain is rest, Motrin and a heat pack on my chest. I spent a full two days in bed this time. It was clear the time had come, once and for all, to take more drastic action. That evening I told my husband that I was giving up coffee from now on. That may seem trivial to you, but if you know me you would realize that this is a HUGE step. (Think: giving up quilting or sewing!) Coffee and I have been inseperable for years; actually, my entire adult life. Both of the last two attacks came after two cups of coffee. It was a start. I was worried about the inevitable caffiene withdrawal headache and decided to switch to tea, at a third the caffiene level per cup it seemed like a logical step-down. I haven't looked back and I never had even one headache as a result. Again, if you knew me you would realize this is a major lifestyle change. I told my husband that we needed to start walking for exercise again, ever since that first attack at the end of October we hadn't been walking at all; the Costochondritis was promoting a viscious cycle of inactivity that was working against me. I began sleeping in later in the mornings, an additional hour to an hour and a half... another MAJOR adjustment for me! These were three triggers that I had stumbled upon, all ones that I was guilty of pulling every single day, like a loaded gun pointed straight at my own head. Too much caffiene through coffee, not enough exercise and not enough sleep; all risk factors contributing to stress and my condition. I still needed to do something about conscious relaxation. My sister-in-law pointed me in the direction of breathwork techniques by Dr. Andrew Weil. She happened to have a copy of his CD and loaned it to me; in it there is a lecture about breathing correctly and exercises to practice relaxation through breathwork. This is a practice known by yoga experts, but it was all new to me.What did I have to lose? Breathing is free and I have to do it anyway; so, I began dedicating a few minutes each day to relaxation breathing and practicing the techniques prescribed by Dr. Weil to make every breath a more conscious and deliberate action that improves focus, general overall health and well-being. Each one of these steps is a small one (yet, some just seem very large to me!) but, combined, they do seem to be making a positive difference. I feel good, very good; this isn't something that I would have (or could have) said over the last few months. You may have noticed periods of blog absence from me and a marked reduction of comments and visits to your blogs, for that I apologize; I simply haven't been up to it. As of today, I seem to have turned a corner. I am keeping a journal now on what I eat/drink and jotting down any activity or emotional stress that could possibly promote more of the symptoms, I am quite familiar with the early onset twinges and so far being aware of those and taking corrective action ( relaxation breathing) by  has worked in averting another full-fleged attack. Keep your fingers crossed along with me. I don't know if this is the end of all of this for me or not, but one thing that I do know is that I am working to effect change and I've never felt better with the adjustments that I have made. Time will tell. I know this has been a long post, if you've hung in for all of this you're to be commended; or, maybe, you've been suffering from something similar and are interested in practicing your own preventative cure. I do firmly believe that we can be our own best health advocates by taking better care of ourselves, reading the signs posted by our own bodies and paying attention to them. After all it's our life and our life alone... and, as I keep telling you:

Life is Good!

...it really, really, is!

Space To Breathe

I  need space to breathe, it is vital for me to function properly!  Of course, breathing is vital; so is food, water and rest, I know that.  But, I have also come to learn that the way I am wired, the manner in which God made me, requires SPACE to breathe.  I think of breathing space and breathing room differently. The room required to breathe is within my body, as much area as it takes for my lungs to fill and expand; that's the literal definition for breathing room.  The more common "room to breathe" phrase is figurative; as in: "back off, I need room to breathe", when one feels boxed in or crowded.  When I proclaim that I need space to breathe the knowledge behind that statement comes from my requirement for tidiness and order.  If my desk is cluttered and my quilting projects are piling up and weighing me down, I cannot breathe;  I have lost the comfort and peace that space provides for me to make it through the day, I gasp away, one breath a a time.  Can I function in a cluttered and disorganized environment?  Yes, I can; but in the same way that someone might suffer through respiratory challenges it is a constant struggle and I find myself worn out and exhausted in no time. On days when that breathing space is compromised I feel tense, frazzled overwhelmed, and distracted, not a fun person to be around!  So, how do I go about creating that much-needed breathing space?  My challenge is an ongoing one. I began on Monday evening by cleaning off my desk, the place where I begin every day. I put away, or threw away, notes and clutter that were distractions and infiltrating my breathing space; the effect was immediate, I could exhale!  Next: my cutting table, I can only work on one project at a time so why am I looking at the pieces and debris from half a dozen UFO's that only overwhelm my senses? Much like weeding a garden, the noxious offenders were pulled and pitched.  I can, once again, take a deep breath and feel the peace that accompanies space to breathe. My challenge in the coming weeks will be to create space on my calendar, on my "to do" lists and, ultimately, in my daily routine; it is a deliberate and conscious step for me toward living "lighter" and less encumbered, which should equal space for breathing easier.  With God's help, I can thrive in that created space and be the woman that He had in mind. After all, He created me in this manner, I recognize that and gratefully request His guidance to lead me down the daily path; I've spent far too long cluttering up the way, leaving precious little space to breathe; the peace-giving space that I need!

Life is Good!