Posted by Margi (24.64.69.110) on February 06, 2000 at 18:55:04:
In Reply to: Things pretty bad ? is it really CH - or is it surrounding effects ? posted by gary on February 06, 2000 at 16:57:16:
Wholeheartedly agree with you about the acceptance issue. Over the years, I have watched Mike fight his cycles and I have seen the Beast score points (notice I didn't say "win"?) because he would get so wound up while under attack.
He would often come to me to rub his shoulders/neck to try to settle himself down and that would sometimes help I think. He has learned how to focus and concentrate and from a bystander's viewpoint, the attacks seem less brutal and of shorter duration as a result of him learning how to stay calm. He rarely asks me to rub his shoulders now because he doesn't get to that level of frustration anymore. He has developed amazing control and I can only imagine what an impossible task this has been for him.
CH is a part of our lives, fighting it and blaming it is a total waste of time. Seems to fuel the fire if you fight it. Kinda like using bellows on a fire.
As far as triggers go....total avoidance is the only way to go. Just don't go there. Depressing thing is that as time goes on, more and more triggers are found and we end up keeping Mike in a "bubble" for the duration of the cycle. Such is CH life though - you just do what ya gotta do to fend off the Beast. We do, however, take great delight in giving him a kick in the ass when he's out the door for yet another year. The euphoria after his departure is a victory every time. We know it will be back next year, but we will have stored up a lot of strength and ammunition by then, so for now, we celebrate remission. The saying goes that there is always light at the end of the tunnel, just didn't realize there would be so many tunnels....oh well. The clear stretches in between are definitely worth it.
Cheers
Margi