I have restless leg syndrome (RLS). Had it all my life. Of course, until recently, it wasn't a "syndrome," it was just a weird, tickley-feeling thing my legs would do every once-and-awhile, usually when I'm tired.
It's so odd...you can just feel one of the episodes start to come on. My leg will be just fine, but then I'll feel a tingle, and the tingle will intensify and move up my leg, then it turns into a ripple, then a wave, and then snap! My leg jumps. The whole process takes about 3 seconds. Then it repeats about every 60 seconds. Yep, it's annoying. But not harmful.
RLS is to my leg what stress is to the rest of my body and mind. I start out calm (usually after some time off), but then my work calendar starts to fill up (tingle), tasks pile up (ripple), and un-resolved issues swell up (wave), then snap!
Unlike RLS, stress is harmful. It's down-right wicked. And even after 17 years in the business world, 13 years of marriage, and 5 years of parenting, I still don't have it figured out. I've tried lots of remedies, potions, methods and gurus, but that devil stress keeps coming back.
Amy knows the signs immediately. "You're vibrating," she says.
One good thing about it (or not): my stress tolerance levels are at an all-time high. I've noticed my ability to deal with stress (not relieve it) is kind of like building muscle. Muscle builds when you break it down and it repairs itself. That's how it's been for me. You've heard the saying: "That which does not kill me makes me stronger." It may be bullshit, but it gets me through.
No real point to this post, I guess, but writing it has helped calm me down.
