Okay, I feel great today! I think my body has finally adjusted to not having any real food. Not to say that I'm not getting sick of those damn shakes, but whaddaya gonna do... I doctored up my chicken broth last night with a bay leaf, some paprika, Italian seasoning and a little garlic powder and it was like delicious chicken soup without the chicken & veggies. I was calling it stuff-less soup.
My therapist taught me a breathing exercise to use in case I get nervous tomorrow (shyeah...I'm nervous NOW). I tried it while trying to get to sleep last night and it's pretty great! You breathe in for 7 seconds, then out for 8 seconds. Repeat that process 8 times, and that's a total of 2 minutes. After breathing like that for 2 full minutes, your body's relaxation response automatically kicks in, and it's much harder for your brain to make you panic when your body is physically relaxed. For any of you with anxiety issues (don't we all, sometimes?), this is a keeper! It's a dose of zen whenever you need it.
Wish me luck...I'll try to update this weekend and tell you how it went!
-Mon
omg, I have terrible anxiety!!! I do something called Biofeedback, which is basically the same thing. I concentrate on my breathing, while trying to 'warm' my hands. Like, I imagine that my hands are getting hotter and hotter, and what that does is force blood from my heart to my outer extremities. When you panic, all the blood rushes to your heart. So if you get it going the other way, you'll calm down.
ReplyDeleteAlso think of a place that you love and is relaxing. Mine is the beach. That helps too!
Good luck!!!
Good luck tomorrow! Can't wait to hear how it goes. Just keep breathing!
ReplyDeleteYou are going to ROCK this!!
ReplyDeleteYou need to send me your email!!! You know the Little Apple?!?! laurawiksten@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteSending you lots of luck for a speedy recovery!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck and big hugs!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, everyone!!! :)
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