Self-care for Ladies of a Certain Age

 Last Wednesday, sitting in the hospital while my mom was undergoing a second surgery to immobilize her broken pelvis, I began to feel lightheaded and slightly nauseous.  I was terrified that, like my brother the day before, I was coming down with the norovirus.  Literally, terrified.  I left my sisters and headed home anticipating the nasty symptoms would descend on me swiftly.  

Fortunately, nothing.  I was tired, exhausted really, and napped off and on till dinner.  My mom, always upbeat, noted the next day that I likely just had a sinking spell.  "Not surprising," she said, "ladies of a certain age always have sinking spells."

Yesterday, back at the hospital for a long stretch, I again felt lightheaded and dizzy.   In the afternoon, my husband mentioned he often felt incredibly stressed during hospital visits. When he added, "I get lightheaded and feel uncomfortable," I realized that the symptoms I was experiencing were likely stress and anxiety-related.  

So, at least I know what's going on and what to do.  Taking care of one's self is never easy to prioritize, and during times of great stress it's even harder.  But, the walk I took in the evening yesterday was something that I can do again, and my plan to spend time with friends and family can help as well.