Mind over Body or Waste a Mind Loose a Soul

I've always thought that the phrase "mind over body" was just something your parents, coaches, teachers, pastor, or priest, or any other adult who had influence over you might say to get you to do the thing or things that "you" needed to do.

I've heard that coaches will tell an injured player to get back on the field it's mind over body. You can do play through this. My parents have said "you can do anything you set your mind to" Even Yoda, the greatest Jedi teacher in the galaxy, says "do or do not....there is no try"

I thought I had this mind thing under control. Well that's not true. I should say I never believed that the mind had much to do with health.

One hears a lot of success stories of how people turn 50 cents into triple quadzillion million dollars. "Because they set their mind to it." Well I've tried some of these mind things and always end up poorer than I started.

Maybe I'm just lazy. My mind doesn't work that way. There are great people all through history who have done extraordinary things. "What ever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve"....Napolean Hill. There are hundreds of such quotes that can be found with a simple Google search.

Google... what mind could have dreamed of such a thing 50, 40, 30, or even 20 years ago? I guess Mr. Google if there is such a person.

Getting back to mind over body. I've been doing some research, thanks to Mr. Google, on how the mind can effect the body. You might think heart disease is linked only with physical activities but your thoughts, attitudes, and emotions are just as important. They can not only accelerate the onset of heart disease, but also get in the way of taking positive steps to improve your health.... The American Psychological Association.

You may wonder why I'm obsessing about the mind? Well... my last hospitalization had to do with my mind. Though your mind can heal it can also make you sick or make you think your sick. I am embarrassed to say the latter is what happened to me on Oct. 21 -the dreaded day of the month.

I had just finished eating dinner and was watching TV when I started having chest pain. My heart felt like a it was going to beat out of my chest. I was hyperventilating and told my wife to call 911. The strange thing is I don't remember telling her this.

Any way I was rushed once again to Pepin Heart Hospital where they did an EKG and blood tests. Because of my history I was admitted. Blood was drawn several time over 2 days and my troponins were normal. Troponins are cardiac enzymes that determine heart attack or heart damage. In the past my troponins have been elevated. This has been the only time where they have been very low or normal 0.14.

So now we're left with the embarrassing part. Did I have a cardiac event? No. Did I think I was having a cardiac event? Yes. What happened?

I had an appointment with my shrink a week after I was discharged from the hospital. When I told him what happened he very bluntly and coolly said "panic attack". I've had anxiety before but nothing like this. This was defiantly cardiac. Well ... apparently not.

Definition:
A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that develops for no apparent reason and that triggers severe physical reactions. Panic attacks can be very frightening. When panic attacks occur, you might think you're losing control, having a heart attack or even dying.

• Panic attack symptoms can include:
  Rapid heart rate
  Sweating
  Trembling
  Shortness of breath
  Hyperventilation
  Chills
  Hot flashes
  Nausea
  Abdominal cramping
  Chest pain
  Headache
  Dizziness
  Faintness
  Tightness in your throat
  Trouble swallowing
  A sense of impending death
  
  

So let me apologize to all those who were so concerned about me having another heart event. I'm fine I'm taking my medication and hopefully it won't happen again. The only thing is how do I know the difference between the panic attack and the heart attack. I guess I'll take an extra xanax and wait and see if I go into cardiac arrest. When that happens my ICD should give me a jolt.

I need to think good thoughts or the next stop will be the loony bin.

I'll leave you with this:

Think
If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't;
If you'd like to win but you think you can't,
You can almost be certain you won't.
If you think that you'll lose, you are lost,
For out in the world you will find
Success begins with a person's will;
It's all in the state of the mind.
If you think you're outclassed you are;
You've got to think high to rise.
You've just got to be sure of yourself
Before you can win the prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To a stronger or faster man;
But sooner or later the person who wins
Is the person that THINKS they can.
- Anon.

I don't know is this just sappy humbo jumbo? It would be so much easier if there was a pill...

And now a few quotes from http://despair.com/viewall.html

Adversity
That which does not kill me postpones the inevitable.

Blame
The secret to success is knowing who to blame for your failures.

Challenges
I expected times like this - but I never thought they'd be so bad, so long, and so frequent

Hey if you can't laugh at yourself then.....well uh ...what was I saying?