Stress and arthritis
Having lived with arthritis for some years now I have become attuned to my bodies response to stress.
On Memorial Weekend I travel via motorcycle from Eureka to Chicago for my first ever Vietnam reunion. Talk about anticipatory stress! During the ride I was tailed by a west to east cold front. During the second day of riding the front caught up to me and I had to ride in very hard driving rain for about six hours of my trip, stressfull indeed.
Once there, I got to meet my old team mates. I had forgotten some names, and others I had forgotten their faces (not that we change much in 34 years, yeah right) more stress.
The reunion organizer had us scheduled for a lot activities one of which was a visit to a museum outside of Chicago called “Cantigny”. Cantigny is the former estate of John McCormic who was the owner/publisher of the Chicago Tribune until his death in 1956.
The estate is magnificant. Five miles long, by five miles wide with a palacial manor in the middle. The property is surrounded by beautiful gardens. Some formal some whimsical and others beyond description.
McCormick had no heirs so he set up a trust that would keep Cantigny beautiful and useful in perpetuity. On the grounds is a museum dedicated to the 12th Division of the Army (McCormicks old unit). The museum is amazing. It is interactive with all kinds of displays from World War I, through the current Iraq conflict.
Each display takes you through the actions that lead to each war, then you enter the war arena itself depicted as it would have appeared during the era of the war.
WWI placed you literally in the trenches with bomb sounds and machine gun fire.
WWII was unique because after you learned what caused the war you are seated on a LST which is a small troop carrier boat that landed on the beaches. While you are on the LST you hear the voice of a gruff old Sgt. telling you when you disembark to keep you head low and don’t stop advancing. We were landing on the beach in Normandy during the “D” day invasion. Then the LST’s gate drops and you are hustled onto the beach complete with tank traps, bombs bursting, machine gun and small arms fire.
Then Korea and onto Vietnam
After reading and listening to tapes about the Vietnam war you are forced to turn a corner where you have to walk through a grove of jungle trees on a beaten down pathway. I FROZE! I couldn’t go in.
After what seemed like a half an hour someone touched my shoulder and I nearly hit him. He wanted to know if I was ok? I wasn’t. More stress and fear. After nearly 45 minutes I was able to regain composure and enter the jungle and walk through what was some of the most unpleasant memories that are crammed to the back of my brain.
I left a day early so that I could travel to St. Louis and see Mike and Matt my adult sons. I was still nervous and apparently noticeably shakey to them because they kept asking if I was ok.
So, when I finally arrived home I was starting to have arthritis flareups and in general felt very bad.
I have had a couple of massages and reflexology from Martha since my trip and I am FINALLY coming out of my stress induced funk. Just remember there are ways to cope, always!
Mine is minimal stress. Eureka Springs provides minimal stress in my life. Martha takes the brunt of stress and I love her for that but worry about her well being as well.
If you are in a position to eliminate daily stress DO IT! You and your family will be better for it, and massages and other holistic modalities are a way to help you towards a less stressful life.