Stress - It's a physical thing

Let me begin by stating the obvious: Stress is a very real, very serious thing.

Now, I'm not talking about 'My team is losing with one minute left in the game' stress, although my family can attest to the truly horrific ways I deal with that type of anxiety. I'm talking about the stress that leaves you paralyzed and borderline unable to function, the kind that wreaks havoc on your body and mind.

In the last eight months, my mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer, my brother was deployed, I gave up on the search for my dream job and took an unrelated position, my sister moved across the country, my mom suffered through eleven chemo treatments, blood clots in her lungs, and a case of the shingles, and I've dealt with my own continued health frustrations. To say I've been stressed is a bit of an understatement.

I've always considered myself a worrier, but I never knew the physical effects that stress could have on your body until the last few months. So, in order to spread some stress awareness and let other overwhelmed individuals know they aren't alone, here is a comprehensive list of the physical manifestations that my stress has taken since July:

• Stomach issues. My gut was probably the first part of my body to react to my elevated stress level. I use the phrase 'stomach issues' because it really ran the gamut, from feeling nauseous and wanting to throw up to not feeling hungry at all to being constipated for days.
• Skin problems. For the last few months, my face has looked like a pubescent teenage girl. I never thought I'd have to deal with acne again, but anxiety has consistently caused my face to break out. I also developed a short-lived rash on my cheeks (that my doctor briefly thought might even be lupus).
• Bleeding gums. This is a weird one, but my mouth hygiene has also taken a serious hit due to stress. I haven't changed my brushing habits one bit, but my gums have been bleeding and my doctor attributed it to stress.
• Mouth pain. Speaking of teeth, I went through a period where I experienced searing pain that migrated along my jaw. At first, I thought I had a horrible toothache, but quickly realized it wasn't.
• Hair loss. This one is embarrassing, but I actually stressed myself out to the point where I was losing a lot of hair. I always find hair in my brush or on my clothes, but this was another level entirely.
• Sensitivity to pain. Suddenly, I was feeling random pains all over my body, ones that I had never felt before. The doctor told me that stress weakens your immune system and makes your brain more susceptible to feeling pain.
• Heartburn. Holy cow. The worst heartburn ever. I even went to the emergency room and after hours of testing, they told me I had a severe case of heartburn called GERD. It causes extreme chest pain, persistent dry coughing, and even makes me lose my voice from time to time.
• TMJ aka jaw problems. Apparently, my anxiety makes me clench my jaw and the right side now pops whenever I open my mouth.
• Muscle pain and cramping. Along the same lines, whenever I'm stressed, my entire body tenses up. After days of tension, my muscles start cramping, causing some debilitating pain.
• Exhaustion. After I started having panic attacks, it was impossible for me to sleep through the night. I would wake up every few hours, check my phone, and never get a full night's rest. This made me miserable the next day. The anxiety also caused soaking night sweats.
• Twitching. After an MRI and an EMG, a neurologist finally diagnosed me with benign fasciculation syndrome. In other words, different parts of my body randomly twitch whenever I'm at rest. It's incredibly annoying and really used to scare me, but now I'm getting used to it. It also causes itching and other unpleasant feelings on the surface of my skin. The likely cause? Extreme stress.

These physical symptoms didn't occur over night. They were the result of months of anxiety, lots of crying, and persistent worrying. Of course, everyone's body reacts to stress differently, but I can honestly say - my experience was miserable. After weeks of panic attacks, my body actually started to shut down, unable to cope with the heightened stress level. I won't even delve into the long-term effects that chronic stress can have on your body, including elevated blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attack.

Fortunately, with the help of an antidepressant, an anti-anxiety pill, some therapy, and lots of love and support from family and friends, I can honestly say I'm feeling better now. I'm learning healthy ways to cope with my anxiety and I'm working on a post to share some methods with you. As always, I'm a work in progress and I still have some really tough days, but I'm slowly learning how to accept the tough things and remind myself of the good.

Happy Thoughts Thursday

Somehow, the weather plummeted from 60º to 30º practically overnight...and the oh-so-reliable (ha!) weatherman says it's going to stay this way. Needless to say, I need some happy thoughts to fill me with the warm fuzzies.

+ The Killing. I'm almost embarrassed by how quickly I binge-watched all four seasons of this amazing AMC/Netflix show. Really, it's one of the best series I've seen in some time. I love how every piece of the plot, every seemingly insignificant detail came into play and all four seasons connected seamlessly, despite delving into very different crimes. If you're even remotely into murder-mysteries or crime dramas, I highly recommend it.

+ This little girl. I mean, if it's going to be cold and icy outside, we should at least have this little girl to entertain us.



+ Ohio State Football. Look, I know it's a long shot for them to make the playoffs, but can we just bask in that great win over Michigan State on Saturday night? Can we also look to the future and imagine the Big Ten dominance that is undoubtedly going to continue for several years? Ohio State consistently has one of the best recruiting classes in the country, so I don't expect the Buckeyes to slow down anytime soon. Thank you, Urban Meyer.

Showing some Buckeye love with the Coke display. Kudos, Kroger.

+ Philly Cheesesteak. At least once a week, Wheat and I order the greatest Philly cheesesteaks from a little hole-in-the-wall place down the street. It's not even a sit-down restaurant; it's one of those seedy-looking places that you'd probably never try if someone didn't take you there first. But the food is killer - the fries are seasoned and crispy, the frozen lemonade is refreshing, and the cheesesteak is perfect.

+ "Tuesday" by I Love Makonnen ft. Drake. Switch it to Thursday and you've got my theme song for the day. Also, will Drake ever do something I don't love? Doubtful.



Is it freezing where you live?
What does 'Got your girl in the cut and she choosy' mean?
What's making YOU happy this week?

Gatlinlove.

I'm not entirely sure when it happened, but Tennessee has easily become one of my favorite vacation spots. This weekend, my friends and I reinforced that yet again with our annual fall getaway to a cabin in Gatlinburg. About half the usual crew couldn't make it this year, but we still had an awesome, relaxing time, despite missing them a lot.

Wheat and I arrived at Rocky Top 2 (how cute is that cabin name?) pretty late on Friday night, so we spent the evening settling in and catching up with friends. Saturday morning, I was absolutely blown away by the gorgeous view from our enormous porch before heading down the mountain for some blueberry pancakes. Spoiled.

After brunch, Wheat, Alex, and I decided to check out Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies downtown. I can honestly say it was worth every penny of the $30/person admission price. We spent a couple hours admiring thousands of fish, including ones we didn't know existed, and watching dive shows and feedings of the penguins and sting rays. We even got to pet horseshoe crabs, jellyfish, sting rays, and leopard sharks.

I absolutely loved the moving sidewalk that took us through shark lagoon, which included sandtiger and nurse sharks, green moray eels, sawfish, sting rays, and more. As usual, my personal highlights were the jellyfish and the penguins. We happened to be there during the penguin feeding, so we watched them hopping around and eating fish for longer than I care to admit. Each penguin had a little arm band with its name on it and I quickly decided that Norm was my favorite.

Wheat also indulged me by dressing up as a seahorse for a picture. He's the best.

After the aquarium, we recharged at the cabin before heading to Pigeon Forge for dinner at Corky's. My barbeque baked potato was truly heavenly. We finished the night with some college football (O-H!) and a glorious soak in the hot tub.

On Sunday morning, we enjoyed a late breakfast on the porch before heading downtown for some moonshine tasting. Before the crew did three different tastings, Jenn, Alex, and Sib rode the Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster, an individual, self-controlled ride that weaves throughout the trees on the steep hillside.

The moonshine tasting became a bit of a bar crawl with stops at No Way Jose's Cantina and Blaine's Grill & Bar, in addition to Ole Smoky Moonshine, Sugarlands Distilling Company, and Davy Crockett's Tennessee Whiskey. While enjoying some chips and guac at No Way Jose's, we noticed a small crowd surrounding the table next to us. Unbeknownst to us, we sat down next to Tyler and Chico from Discovery Channel's Moonshiners. Although I've never seen that show, I was pretty entertained by their heavy accents, cut-off shirts, and the fact that they already had pre-printed pictures of themselves on-hand to autograph and pass out to admiring fans.

Once everyone was sufficiently loose, we had dinner at Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria, where I ordered the world's largest chicken and onion calzone. No really, guys. It was the size of my head. We closed the trip with some games, drinks, and Sunday Night Football in the cabin, the perfect end to a wonderful weekend.

Is it Friday yet?

Why YOU Should Start Rooting for the Bengals.

On Sunday, Wheat and I made a big move on the fall bucket list when we bundled up to cheer on my beloved Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Although our seats were in the upper level, we managed to nab cheap spots at center field. Our winter-like layering proved to be unnecessary, as the sun and our adrenaline kept us plenty warm throughout the game. Even more importantly, the Bengals beat the Jaguars (I know that's not saying much), 33-23, in AJ Green's first game since returning from a toe injury.

The Bengals' special teams unit blocked two punts, including one that resulted in a safety, so that made up for the weirdly close score in my book. Wheat even wore a Bengals hoodie, so this girl was brimming with hometown happiness. We closed the night with quality time with my parents, Gold Star - why can't I quit you? - and the new episode of The Walking Dead. Perfect Sunday if you ask me.

In anticipation of Cincinnati's Thursday night matchup against divisional rival the Cleveland Browns, I give you 10 Reasons Why YOU Should Root for the Bengals:

1. Our fight song. You know you love it.



2. Devon and Leah Still. They'll remind you that sports can always have a meaningful, positive impact beyond the field, court, or rink.

3. Ochocinco's antics of the past. I don't care what you say - I miss him. NSFW.



4. We've never won a Super Bowl and who doesn't love rooting for the underdog?

5. Domata Peko's awesome hair.

Via

6. The Freezer Bowl.

7. "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns 'n Roses.

8. The Ickey Shuffle...and the new Geico commercial featuring Mr. Woods.



9. Hu Dey Beer, produced in 1988 by Hudepohl Brewing Company. I have an unopened can in my room and this brave guy actually tried to drink one. Again, NSFW.



10. Because no one, absolutely no one, should wave the Terrible Towel. It's better suited for cleaning cleats. Just ask TJ Houshmandzadeh.

Via

Big Bangoween!

I must admit - it feels really good to finish Blogtober. My final post is coming at you a few days late, but better late than never, right? On another note, how is it November already? Does anyone have any tips on how to force your boyfriend to participate in No Shave November?

Wheat had a game on Friday, so I spent Halloween night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, watching the Grizzlies beat the Pacers. I actually quite like Memphis (especially Tony Allen), so I wasn't too disappointed. I was upset, however, with the snow that was falling during my walk back to the car. I don't care where you live - it should not be snowing in October. I guess it's time to start wearing a coat.

Our Halloween costumes were pretty easy this year, Sheldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory. Let's be honest: We kind of look like them already. Being the method actor he is, Wheat really got into character.

 

Is it weird if I'm already brainstorming costume ideas for next year? Hope you had a wonderful Halloween weekend, free of snow and full of Snickers!

If you don't know, now you know.

By nature, personal blogs are narcissistic endeavors, don't you think? As per #Blogtober's orders, here are some facts about me:

1// I lived in Ohio my entire life until I moved to Indianapolis two years ago. I still miss Cincinnati and my charming, little hometown.

2// In the last two years, I've been a sports clerk at the IndyStar, a communications intern at USA Football, a beat writer intern for the Cincinnati Cyclones, a freelance writer for the NCAA, and an after-school program worker. I'm currently working for the Indiana Business Research Center, an affiliate of Indiana University's Kelley School of Business.

3// Over the years, my family has had five dogs, two cats, five turtles, four hamsters, a gerbil, a bearded lizard, a rabbit, a ferret (such a vile creature), two snakes, an albino frog, several hermit crabs, and a Vietnamese potbelly pig named Porkchop. I never realized how ridiculous this was until just now.

4// I despise bananas. Even the smell of them makes me gag.

5// I've seen Dave Matthews Band 20 times in concert and have no plans to stop anytime soon.

6// Football is my favorite sport. But after falling in love with hockey at Miami University, it has become a very close second.

7// I have more nicknames than anyone I've ever met - Bibbs (and Bibbles), Brittskabibbles, Britter, Charles, Tooth, Blettany (and Blet), Brazz, BJ, Johnson, Gibralts, Honey Bear, Karate Princess, B-Rad, and more. In fact, people rarely call me Brittany.

8// I know I shouldn't, but I drink at least two sodas every single day. If I don't, I get a caffeine-withdrawal headache.

9// I was a Spanish and political science double major in college and minored in Latin American Studies. As a result, I can read and write proficiently in Spanish and carry on an awkward conversation. Speaking was always my weak point.

10// Thanks to my parents, I've traveled to England, France, Italy, Canada, Costa Rica, Belize, the Virgin Islands, Panama, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Peru.

11// I took piano lessons for several years as a kid and still regret quitting. To this day, playing the piano is one of my favorite ways to unwind, but I don't have one in Indy.

12// I have no piercings (not even my ears) and no tattoos. I'm pretty sure it will stay that way.

13// I didn't wear jeans until 2011. In other words, I went through all of high school and college without wearing a single pair of jeans. I totally regret that now.

14// I was home-schooled in first grade and loved every second of it. My mom was the greatest teacher I ever had and I got to hang out with my little sister and brother all day.

15// I love Old Navy $1 flip-flops and own a pair in almost every color. If I'm not wearing those, I'm probably wearing my Chucks.

When pumpkin carving became a chore...

Last night, we finally got around to carving our pumpkins and I just have to ask: When did carving pumpkins become such a stressful, frustrating task? I think the answer might be when I started carving something other than a simple jack-o-lantern face with triangle eyes and a couple crooked teeth. I know I'm a perfectionist, but the excessive amount of anxiety and frustration that has built up the last two years is just ridiculous.

Last year's masterpieces. Rick Grimes and Orioles baseball.

At any rate, we carved away, huffing and puffing between downs of the Redskins-Cowboys game. I still really enjoy scooping the guts out of the pumpkin, but the actual carving part? It's for the birds. Between the two of us, we somehow managed to destroy three carving knives...and by destroy, I mean totally break in half. After I finished my Bengal pumpkin, I helped Wheat with his Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, but when the third knife broke, we threw in the towel. That is why the marshmallow man doesn't have hands, a torso, or legs. Sorry we're not sorry.

I'm not proud of the eyes on that tiger.

Next year, I think I might revert back to my tried-and-true jack-o-lantern face, in hopes of avoiding an actual Halloween massacre.
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We're slowly nearing the end of #Blogtober and I must admit - it will be a relief. It's tough to prepare a post you don't hate every single day. I'll probably hate today's post, but only because it brings back horrible memories.

Unfortunately, I have a multitude of humiliating moments to choose from for this prompt. In fact, my absolute most embarrassing memory is so mortifying that it will stay safely tucked away in the recesses of my mind, in hopes that one day, it will vanish completely. Instead, I'll share another gem with you, the time I took a tumble at Niagara Falls.

When I was about 14, my family took a nice vacation to Niagara Falls. It was our first time in the area, so we did all the typical tourist things, but spent most of our time admiring the falls. The first day was really cold, like the kind of cold you imagine when you think of Upper New York and Canada. Being the ultra-prepared travelers we are, we had all packed ridiculously huge snowsuits for the occasion. So, we stuffed ourselves into the puffy parkas and pants and waddled our way toward the falls.

The first challenge? An icy staircase leading down to the viewing area. The second challenge? I really had to pee, but didn't want to peel myself out of the seemingly endless layers of clothes I was wearing. By now, you know where this is heading. I took a couple steps down, slipped on the ice, and bounced on my well-padded butt all the way to the bottom of the staircase.

My supportive family laughed hysterically, causing me to laugh, and as I sat at the bottom of the stairs, I peed my pants. I couldn't help it. My initial reaction was to pretend nothing happened, but when I noticed the snow around me turn yellow, I had to confess. The best part? My family refused to trek back to the hotel in the snow, so I walked around for several hours with soaking wet pee pants that gradually began to freeze due to the low temperature.

It's really nothing short of a miracle that I eventually found a boyfriend.

When can I move to Nashville?

You know those weekends where you cram so much into 72 hours that by the time Monday rolls around, you feel like you need another couple days to recover? Thanks to a wonderful whirlwind trip to Nashville, that happened this weekend and I'm still recovering from the food coma and lack of sleep.

Since Friday night was wasted on the drive to Tennessee, we hit the ground running on Saturday morning. First, we ventured over to Wheat's old place of employment, Grand Old Golf and GoKarts, so he could catch up with the owner, who is also a close family friend. After a quick lunch at the Opry Mills mall, we went to Chuck's Sno Cones to take advantage of the end-of-season, half-price sno cones. These things weren't so much sno cones as they were gargantuan dessert towers. Wheat ordered the Titan, a mixture of blueberry and cherry with vanilla ice cream layered throughout and I chose the Bride and Groom, wedding cake and red velvet with vanilla ice cream. Unreal.

Next, we decided to check out the famous Opryland Hotel since we were already in the area. Piece of advice: Self-parking at the hotel costs $21, which is way too expensive for this cheapskate. Instead, park across the street at The Inn at Opryland and walk over. It's a little bit of a walk, but there are sidewalks and precious Christmas decorations (already?!) on the pristine white picket fences.

The hotel is absolutely gorgeous, of course. We spent a couple hours, admiring the beautiful lobbies and getting lost among the plants, waterfalls, restaurants, shops, and pumpkins. Actually, the hotel appeared to be having an identity crisis, stuck midway between fall and Christmas decor. True to form, Wheat tracked down an arcade inside the building and he beat me in Fast and Furious racing while I dominated in Guitar Hero.

After the hotel, we stumbled across Willie Nelson's general store, which included a hilarious Willie Nelson fortune teller, and Cooter's Place, a store and museum filled with all things Dukes of Hazzard. They even had replica cars, so I took pictures of Cooter's Tow Truck and the General Lee.

Next, we ventured downtown for some more exploring. We stopped at the Farmer's Market and wandered through row after row of fall produce. The market also has an amazing botanical garden filled with flowers and other garden trinkets for sale. I indulged in not-so-brief fantasies about moving to the area and filling my yard with treasures from the market.

Connected to the Farmer's Market is the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. I instantly fell in love with the amazing view of the Capitol building from the amphitheater. Pair that with the beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows of the changing leaves, the fountains, and a huge state map of Tennessee and I was in tourist/photographer heaven.

Fortunately, we had wonderful plans to pry me away from the park: tickets for the Penguins and Predators game at Bridgestone Arena! Much to my surprise, it was James Neal bobblehead night and I might have unleashed a primal scream when I received mine. Oops. We arrived early enough to watch warm-ups, so I staked out a spot on the glass and took a million pictures of my favorite guys. Pascal Dupuis banged against the glass and shot the puck directly at us to show his appreciation for the support.

The game was everything a Pens fan could want - a 3-0 victory, a shutout for Fleury, and goals from Sid, Geno, and Dupuis. With his third-period tally, Dupuis registered his 400th career point and it was awesome to be there for it. I also woofed down some delicious barbeque nachos, so I was in hockey paradise.

After the game, Wheat and I braved the crowds on Broadway, stopping at a crowded sports bar to watch the Tennessee/Alabama and Ohio State/Penn State games.

On Sunday, we filled our morning the best way I know how in Nashville with breakfast at the Pancake Pantry. Despite the warm temperatures, I chose to relish in all things fall and ordered the amazing sweet potato pancakes with cinnamon cream syrup. Wheat went with his favorite, the Georgia Peach. Guys, I know you're sick of it, but I really can't tell you enough how delicious these things are.

After breakfast, we took a driving tour of the city, stopping in Centennial Park and driving along Music Row. We stopped to check out RCA Studio B, where Elvis and many other famous artists recorded hit singles, including Dolly Parton's "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You." We also saw the studio where Nashvillian Meghan Trainor recorded "All About that Bass."

In an effort to stretch our legs before the drive home, we walked around Belmont University's amazing campus. The Belmont Mansion, complete with its gazebos, fountains, and lions, was breathtaking and I could not get over the amazing flowers all over the place. There were students everywhere, lying in the grass, hanging out with friends, and studying. Can you imagine going to school here?

Of course, we closed the trip with a quick stop at Las Paletas for popsicles. Duh. I tried the pineapple berry and Wheat sampled blueberry chocolate chip.

I refuse to speak about the ridiculous traffic and construction we encountered on the way home, but we found time to watch The Walking Dead before bed. Is anyone else really loving this season?!
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Today's #Blogtober prompt? Things You're Superstitious About.

Honestly, I don't think I'm very superstitious. I rely on reason and don't really think quirky personal habits will affect the outcome of things. I do, however, tend to wear a team shirt when my favorite teams are playing. For good luck, you know...

I do have one bizarre superstition that I follow very closely. Whenever I board a plane, I kiss my fist and tap it on the wall of the aircraft while walking down the aisle. I'm not really sure when I started this, but I've done it as long as I can remember. I have a newly-developed fear of flying, so it helps reassure me that we'll land safely. So weird.

Do you have any superstitions?