Fear of Sudden Change

It’s natural to worry about our health.

I began experiencing sudden severe cramping in my abdomen. Within a few minutes, my Saturday went from a relaxed day off to … what exactly? I felt nauseous. It seemed like maybe it was the flu. I had been in town the day before and maybe I caught something.

A few hours later the pain was severe enough that I looked up appendicitis and gall bladder attacks online. Nope. It was on my lower left, not my upper right. It didn’t match. It must be the flu.

Later that day my son suggested it might be norovirus and a friend nearby emailed that she had something similar. Right away my background worry lessened. I now had a time frame — one to three days. That I could manage. Isn’t it interesting how reducing uncertainty makes it feel more manageable? It still hurt. The waves of nausea came and went. I cancelled work for two days, rode it out, and now I feel better.

It’s natural to wonder and worry about our health, especially when we’re older. I thankfully have never had a life-threatening illness like cancer or heart disease or a serious chronic condition like fibromyalgia. I’m relaxed and my stress and anxiety are generally low. I walk every day with my dog and mostly I eat healthy food. I’m now in an emotionally safe environment.