Yesterday was a month since we put Stanley down, and we both (mostly me) have been dealing with anxiety. Two weeks ago it was 80 degrees here and I was very agitated thanks to an issue with my parents in the nursing home and late in the afternoon went out to split some firewood, but I was in a big hurry, was ticked off as stated, did not drink much at all that day and about 1.5 hours into it I had a spell when I stood up after leaning over the logsplitter where I could feel my heart going "ba boom, ba boom, ba boom" in my neck, I had no chest pain nor did I feel my heart punding, so I drank some Gatorade and sat down and then finished working, and everyone that I reported it to including my cardiologist and talked to about it said "you were dehydrated". I had a treadmill stress test 1.5 years ago and it was fine. So 5 days later I went out on a day off, started early in the morning, was not ticked off, drank before, during and after and worked even longer than I did that day and I was fine, so I guess that explains that. Then about 9 days later I was at an employees appreciation luncheon, seemed fine, but all of a sudden I had this warm "rush" feeling hit me, I wasn't lightheaded, my heart didn't pound, I just felt weird for a few seconds and continued on. Deb said "maybe you should go get checked out", I couldn't get into my regular doctor so I went to an urgent care place that I have been to in the past, and told the PA all of my issues, from all I deal with with my parents in the nursing home to selling all of their things to lawyers and banks and working full time and sometime overtime, but when I told her "these latest episodes happened after we put our cat down" she said right away "it's grief", and told me that 3 years ago her husband's father died and he thought he was handling it okay but one day took himself to the ER because he told them "I'm having all sorts of weird symptoms" and it was grief. She listened to my heart and lungs and said they were fine, even checked with her supervisor who said there really wasn't much more to do, but said I probably should go to see my doctor just for a checkup, so I did that last week, bloodwork was really good except the "bad" cholesterol is high, he wanted to put me on statins but I am going to try to lose weight and stopped the "stress eating" that I was doing, and I have lost some weight already, and am taking a supplement of red yeast rice and Co Q10 and milk thistle and alpha lineolic acid that is supposed to lower it and I will go from there, my bad levels have been up for years but the "good" cholesterol and Tryglicyerides are normal, so I'll bring this down. I don't eat badly, just really turned to eating too much after supper out of stress, and had little exercise, but that is changing.
But I know that anxiety is a normal part of grieving, and this too will lessen one day. But even a month later we are still in disbelief that such an energetic cat could be lost in a few days to lung cancer, they hide it well but he seemed really good before then, he had some down days (we all do) but nothing bad or long enough to warrant a vet visit, and they told us "we wouldn't have found it back then even if you did bring him in", but this grief is really tough to handle.
I do take Holy Basil and some homeopathic remedies for grief and stress, and have Tryptophan if needed, but again I know it is a normal feeling to have after the shock of losing him plus those two weird episodes scared me too.
Wow...
But I know that anxiety is a normal part of grieving, and this too will lessen one day. But even a month later we are still in disbelief that such an energetic cat could be lost in a few days to lung cancer, they hide it well but he seemed really good before then, he had some down days (we all do) but nothing bad or long enough to warrant a vet visit, and they told us "we wouldn't have found it back then even if you did bring him in", but this grief is really tough to handle.
I do take Holy Basil and some homeopathic remedies for grief and stress, and have Tryptophan if needed, but again I know it is a normal feeling to have after the shock of losing him plus those two weird episodes scared me too.
Wow...