Work-arounds

It was the fourth of July weekend and the fireworks display began a little earlier than planned. The opening show was four precisely timed paper wasp stings on the backside of my left ankle. Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Make that five. Ow!

No more than ten feet away was a fallen nest strewn across our wooden patio deck, felled by a wild animal the night before. I was tending to a pair of shoes filled with dirt and muck and did not see the oncoming assault from the original nest sight. Fortunately, my husband was close by in his office and heard me yelling and saw me running.

“Stay calm,” he said. We then began to engage in a series of who will remain the calmest by volleying back and forth, “OK, stay calm.” “No, you stay calm!” “Stay calm.” “You stay calm!” It took as many staying calms as the initial stings to finally calm me down.

Since I couldn’t remember when or if I had ever been stung, for safety precautions we drove to the nearest hospital, just in case I had a reaction.

FYI, driving to the hospital is a back-up plan we have developed over the years, due to my physical sensitivities and one or two unnecessary trips to the ER. “What’s that, Honey?” He says two trips. Anyways, the plan goes like this: if I’m having a reaction to something, we park in the hospital parking lot until my symptoms have abated. It’s not like we’re there every other week, this is only on occasion. If I am in need of care, we are already there. If you are a sensitive soul like I am, you have to figure out and adopt work-arounds in order to make life more manageable.

So, as we sat in the parking lot watching for any symptoms, my husband very calmly said, “You have to be very accurate with your symptoms.” In my best triage nurse voice I said, “We have an ageless female patient with very smooth skin, and a resting pulse rate of 70 beats per minute. Her pupils appear youthful with well-defined limbal rings. Primary complaint: left metatarsus in need of treatment. Something like that?”

Oddly enough, I did not feel much pain, though the marks were evident. The only true thing I could say was, “I’m feeling a little faint.” We sat in the car a brief moment longer and then proceeded to go into the hospital bypassing the ER Department and straight to the Cafeteria. Once there, my husband ordered a soda and returned with a small cup of vinegar, which I applied to each sting.

With my foot now elevated, my husband searched the internet via his phone to keep abreast of any possible symptoms I might experience. After forty-five minutes, we both agreed I was good to go, and we returned home where I immediately iced each sting while reading a good book.

Some people in life require a little more care, as in HANDLE WITH CARE. I happen to be one of them. All kidding aside, this is a subject I take very seriously.

As mentioned earlier, I have certain sensitivities that are by far greater than the average person. I was born this way and have had to learn how to properly protect and care for myself.

In other cultures, these sensitivities (gifts) would be recognized and utilized for all they are worth, and I wouldn’t have to feel so timid when asking doctors or health care professionals to please take into consideration my sensitivities.

From the time I was an infant to the present day, taking medications and supplements has always been a bit of a bugaboo, where I would end up either overly prescribed or experiencing serious side effects. Nobody ever thought to connect the dots back to a sensitive immunological makeup.

And so, I put this out there as a clarion call for all to hear, including myself. To those who are sensitive, be courteous yet firm when discussing or enforcing your limitations and boundaries to those less aware. Each step we take will make it easier for the next generation of gifted sensitives to not only thrive in this world, but to be all that we were born to be.

Our gifts are a blessing and not a burden. This is something my husband says to me on a regular basis (with perhaps the exception of today when he had to do the grocery shopping, due to my wasp stings). Learning to manage our sensitivities is no less than a sacred act. It is vital to our very existence.

This is where my girlfriends have been an invaluable and positive influence. They have taught me how to take care of myself by being strong advocates for their own health, well-being, and safety. I am deeply impressed by how well they speak up for themselves due to their own sensitivities.

It is incumbent upon us to listen to our own inner promptings when a certain procedure, test, supplement, or medication is recommended to see whether or not it feels like the right course of action. Our bodies have an innate intelligence and ability to correctly guide us. If necessary, it can be helpful to apply this useful saying when taking supplements or medications, “Start low, go slow.”

I do not wish to disrespect the medical community and its vast body of knowledge. My desire is to work in concert with well-meaning physicians. With that said, I now pass this torch on to you, to light your way to self-care.