What's on your mind today?

[Dave]

GP not willing to take any further actions until xray results availabole. Fair enough but that could be another three days.

I can see why this is so bloody awful, my instruments say that I have adequate blood oxygen, my blood pressure is normal, pulse controlled by implant so that is 60bpm unless I have been moving around.

But the bloody reptile brain (correct me if necessary, Silver) is convinced that I am suffocating. A Battle of the Brains ensues and it all gets irrational if I relax too far.

Full of energy early this morning, now it is difficult to lift my arm and tiring to type. Neck, shoulders and legs ache. Can't decide whether this or the anal fistula were worse, at least with the latter lying still on my side was a relief. With this there is far less pain but absolutely no rest position that lasts more than minutes.

Trouble is some of it mimics cardiac sympyoms. Though I assume the ECGs were OK one cannot help wonder. 20 years ago two GPs refused to accepted that I had a heart problem, blaming my symptoms on neurosis and hiatus hernia.

[hermes2015]

GP not willing to take any further actions until xray results availabole. Fair enough but that could be another three days.

I can see why this is so bloody awful, my instruments say that I have adequate blood oxygen, my blood pressure is normal, pulse controlled by implant so that is 60bpm unless I have been moving around.

But the bloody reptile brain (correct me if necessary, Silver) is convinced that I am suffocating. A Battle of the Brains ensues and it all gets irrational if I relax too far.

Full of energy early this morning, now it is difficult to lift my arm and tiring to type. Neck, shoulders and legs ache. Can't decide whether this or the anal fistula were worse, at least with the latter lying still on my side was a relief. With this there is far less pain but absolutely no rest position that lasts more than minutes.

Trouble is some of it mimics cardiac sympyoms. Though I assume the ECGs were OK one cannot help wonder. 20 years ago two GPs refused to accepted that I had a heart problem, blaming my symptoms on neurosis and hiatus hernia.

Three days is a long time to wait for X-ray results. In the meantime don't exert yourself.

[Dave]

GP not willing to take any further actions until xray results availabole. Fair enough but that could be another three days.

I can see why this is so bloody awful, my instruments say that I have adequate blood oxygen, my blood pressure is normal, pulse controlled by implant so that is 60bpm unless I have been moving around.

But the bloody reptile brain (correct me if necessary, Silver) is convinced that I am suffocating. A Battle of the Brains ensues and it all gets irrational if I relax too far.

Full of energy early this morning, now it is difficult to lift my arm and tiring to type. Neck, shoulders and legs ache. Can't decide whether this or the anal fistula were worse, at least with the latter lying still on my side was a relief. With this there is far less pain but absolutely no rest position that lasts more than minutes.

Trouble is some of it mimics cardiac sympyoms. Though I assume the ECGs were OK one cannot help wonder. 20 years ago two GPs refused to accepted that I had a heart problem, blaming my symptoms on neurosis and hiatus hernia.

Three days is a long time to wait for X-ray results. In the meantime don't exert yourself.

Normal is 7 -10 days in NHS. think that is for a specialist to review them. Radiographers are, I think, trained to spot gross problems and fast track the process. Usually within the week but weekend in the way before my GP sees them.

[xSilverPhinx]

GP not willing to take any further actions until xray results availabole. Fair enough but that could be another three days.

I can see why this is so bloody awful, my instruments say that I have adequate blood oxygen, my blood pressure is normal, pulse controlled by implant so that is 60bpm unless I have been moving around.

But the bloody reptile brain (correct me if necessary, Silver) is convinced that I am suffocating. A Battle of the Brains ensues and it all gets irrational if I relax too far.

Full of energy early this morning, now it is difficult to lift my arm and tiring to type. Neck, shoulders and legs ache. Can't decide whether this or the anal fistula were worse, at least with the latter lying still on my side was a relief. With this there is far less pain but absolutely no rest position that lasts more than minutes.

Trouble is some of it mimics cardiac sympyoms. Though I assume the ECGs were OK one cannot help wonder. 20 years ago two GPs refused to accepted that I had a heart problem, blaming my symptoms on neurosis and hiatus hernia.

I'm worried about you, Dave It may be difficult, but try to relax. When you're anxious you can find yourself in a positive feedback loop that will only exacerbate your anxiety further.

Probably don't breath into a paper bag, while hyperventilation can induce anxiety, the increase in CO2 will turn your blood slightly more acid, and may cause pH sensors in your brain to try and regulate. 

[Dave]

GP not willing to take any further actions until xray results availabole. Fair enough but that could be another three days.

I can see why this is so bloody awful, my instruments say that I have adequate blood oxygen, my blood pressure is normal, pulse controlled by implant so that is 60bpm unless I have been moving around.

But the bloody reptile brain (correct me if necessary, Silver) is convinced that I am suffocating. A Battle of the Brains ensues and it all gets irrational if I relax too far.

Full of energy early this morning, now it is difficult to lift my arm and tiring to type. Neck, shoulders and legs ache. Can't decide whether this or the anal fistula were worse, at least with the latter lying still on my side was a relief. With this there is far less pain but absolutely no rest position that lasts more than minutes.

Trouble is some of it mimics cardiac sympyoms. Though I assume the ECGs were OK one cannot help wonder. 20 years ago two GPs refused to accepted that I had a heart problem, blaming my symptoms on neurosis and hiatus hernia.

I'm worried about you, Dave It may be difficult, but try to relax. When you're anxious you can find yourself in a positive feedback loop that will only exacerbate your anxiety further.

Probably don't breath into a paper bag, while hyperventilation can induce anxiety, the increase in CO2 will turn your blood slightly more acid, and may cause pH sensors in your brain to try and regulate.

Thought the paper bag was standard for hyperventilating. You left things hanging, Silver, is acid blood bad?  What are the effects of regulation?

Yes, it is very hard to keep calm, everything in the lower brain screams for action it seems. I can rationalise my way out of an anxiety attack, with or without shadox boxing and cursing. Have not found a strategy for panic that works. It has all relieved a bit since I had a hot choc, maybe that's the medicine? But it is the aches as much as anything, nothing releives those.

Tesco delivered early, chap brought the crate up the stairs, unloaded and went back down. I was about to ask neighbour Andy to lock the door when there was a crash. Andy had fallen, no way he could get up. Called the driver back up, big lad, he eventually got Andy's 90kg sitting on the bed. If he had not been there I would have had to call for an ambulance!

Not sure if it was chocolate, Andy's fall or exertion on stairs but I suddenly felt strong nausea,  nothing further though.

Left with just the aches at the moment, the rest come in "waves".

[xSilverPhinx]

GP not willing to take any further actions until xray results availabole. Fair enough but that could be another three days.

I can see why this is so bloody awful, my instruments say that I have adequate blood oxygen, my blood pressure is normal, pulse controlled by implant so that is 60bpm unless I have been moving around.

But the bloody reptile brain (correct me if necessary, Silver) is convinced that I am suffocating. A Battle of the Brains ensues and it all gets irrational if I relax too far.

Full of energy early this morning, now it is difficult to lift my arm and tiring to type. Neck, shoulders and legs ache. Can't decide whether this or the anal fistula were worse, at least with the latter lying still on my side was a relief. With this there is far less pain but absolutely no rest position that lasts more than minutes.

Trouble is some of it mimics cardiac sympyoms. Though I assume the ECGs were OK one cannot help wonder. 20 years ago two GPs refused to accepted that I had a heart problem, blaming my symptoms on neurosis and hiatus hernia.

I'm worried about you, Dave It may be difficult, but try to relax. When you're anxious you can find yourself in a positive feedback loop that will only exacerbate your anxiety further.

Probably don't breath into a paper bag, while hyperventilation can induce anxiety, the increase in CO2 will turn your blood slightly more acid, and may cause pH sensors in your brain to try and regulate.

Thought the paper bag was standard for hyperventilating. You left things hanging, Silver, is acid blood bad?  What are the effects of regulation?

Yes, it is very hard to keep calm, everything in the lower brain screams for action it seems. I can rationalise my way out of an anxiety attack, with or without shadox boxing and cursing. Have not found a strategy for panic that works. It has all relieved a bit since I had a hot choc, maybe that's the medicine? But it is the aches as much as anything, nothing releives those.

Tesco delivered early, chap brought the crate up the stairs, unloaded and went back down. I was about to ask neighbour Andy to lock the door when there was a crash. Andy had fallen, no way he could get up. Called the driver back up, big lad, he eventually got Andy's 90kg sitting on the bed. If he had not been there I would have had to call for an ambulance!

Not sure if it was chocolate, Andy's fall or exertion on stairs but I suddenly felt strong nausea,  nothing further though.

Left with just the aches at the moment, the rest come in "waves".

It can be dangerous to breathe into a paper bag without knowing the cause of your hyperventilation. In some cases, it can even be counter-productive. When blood becomes a little more acid it can result in acidosis, which can cause damage to cells, tissues and even organs if not fixed. One compensatory mechanism that the brain triggers when the blood is more acid than baseline is hyperventilation in order to get more O2 in and remove the excess CO2. If you don't know the cause for your hyperventilation, then it's probably best not to make your blood more acid by breathing into a bag. Generally the lungs and heart work harder to compensate, but you mentioned your heart rate is under control, so...

Did the doctors ask for a urine sample as well?

[xSilverPhinx]

Yes, it is very hard to keep calm, everything in the lower brain screams for action it seems. I can rationalise my way out of an anxiety attack, with or without shadox boxing and cursing. Have not found a strategy for panic that works. It has all relieved a bit since I had a hot choc, maybe that's the medicine? But it is the aches as much as anything, nothing releives those.

They say taking control of your breathing helps with anxiety and panic attacks -- take deep breaths, inhale and hold it in for a couple of seconds then slowly let it out. Are you able to do that or do feelings of suffocation make it near impossible?

[Dave]

Yes, it is very hard to keep calm, everything in the lower brain screams for action it seems. I can rationalise my way out of an anxiety attack, with or without shadox boxing and cursing. Have not found a strategy for panic that works. It has all relieved a bit since I had a hot choc, maybe that's the medicine? But it is the aches as much as anything, nothing releives those.

They say taking control of your breathing helps with anxiety and panic attacks -- take deep breaths, inhale and hold it in for a couple of seconds then slowly let it out. Are you able to do that or do feelings of suffocation make it near impossible?

I have a degree of control over my breathing and that is the sort of pattern I have been using. It's just a bloody pain whrn there are "waves" of breathlessness a couple or three minutes apart. I accept what the authorities ssy, I eon't die from it - the vitals are all OK. But it just feels thst wsy! With anxiety I can displace the "emotional energy" in some way, haven''t found that trick with panic yet.

I am keeping a closer eye on my weight, some of the symptoms match those of increasing heart failure. Still got slim ankles though!

[xSilverPhinx]

Yes, it is very hard to keep calm, everything in the lower brain screams for action it seems. I can rationalise my way out of an anxiety attack, with or without shadox boxing and cursing. Have not found a strategy for panic that works. It has all relieved a bit since I had a hot choc, maybe that's the medicine? But it is the aches as much as anything, nothing releives those.

They say taking control of your breathing helps with anxiety and panic attacks -- take deep breaths, inhale and hold it in for a couple of seconds then slowly let it out. Are you able to do that or do feelings of suffocation make it near impossible?

I have a degree of control over my breathing and that is the sort of pattern I have been using. It's just a bloody pain whrn there are "waves" of breathlessness a couple or three minutes apart. I accept what the authorities ssy, I eon't die from it - the vitals are all OK. But it just feels thst wsy! With anxiety I can displace the "emotional energy" in some way, haven''t found that trick with panic yet.

I am keeping a closer eye on my weight, some of the symptoms match those of increasing heart failure. Still got slim ankles though!

Yes, panic can be a bitch, and stress and anxiety are definitely among the modern world's greatest evils. 

[xSilverPhinx]

You know the good old top-down party control D&D-based RPGs for PC, from the mid-nineties-to-mid-noughties? Like Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights? Well, they may be making a bit of a comeback. I've got my hands on Divinity - Original sin 2 and so far (End of act one) I find it to be both beautifully crafted and true to that particular style of game.

I'm pleased to see the sub-genre returning and reinventing itself in new worlds and stories. Even more pleased am I to see that controls of such a game need not be clunky on consoles. Yes, they take getting used to, but the overall control scheme is... Effective, if not as efficient as a keyboard and mouse would have been. I think that it's kind of an important development, because many within the gaming community think console gaming hurts PC gaming, often citing Westwood games and the like as examples of how and why. I won't go into that debate here and now, but maybe PC and console gaming can coexist even in genres and play styles where they originally did not, and maybe there is hope for base building strategy genre's return as well. (The genre is neither dead nor dying, in my opinion - it's just becoming more "niche." Still, I've spent many hours happily conquering the galaxy in Endless Space 2, for example, so there are modern turn-based strategy gems out there.)

I haven't played a real game in years. Just the occasional Audiosurf, and Mah Jong. 

I feel like playing Age of Empires 2 again, that was a good game.

[jumbojak]

Get better Dave. Whatever you have to do.

[Dave]

Get better Dave. Whatever you have to do.

Not a lot I can do myself, except avoiding other than normal sources of emotional stress. That includes getting stressed over the stress caused by the condition! External, objective danger etc still does not affect me.

But, comming up to 6am and no symptoms so far, usually started by now. Quite relaxed.

[Tank]

Get better Dave. Whatever you have to do.

Not a lot I can do myself, except avoiding other than normal sources of emotional stress. That includes getting stressed over the stress caused by the condition! External, objective danger etc still does not affect me.

But, comming up to 6am and no symptoms so far, usually started by now. Quite relaxed.

Good to hear.

[Dave]

Get better Dave. Whatever you have to do.

Not a lot I can do myself, except avoiding other than normal sources of emotional stress. That includes getting stressed over the stress caused by the condition! External, objective danger etc still does not affect me.

But, comming up to 6am and no symptoms so far, usually started by now. Quite relaxed.

Good to hear.

Thanks, 0700 and all's still well. Might even get the washing up done today.

Might.

[Dave]

Washing-up (almost completely) finished. None of previous symptoms but feel a tad depressed/tired now - mind working but just don't want to do anything.

But gotta get off ass and washed and shaved 'cos my beard is itching something rotten!