Challenge Negative Thoughts

I’m working through my google list of how to fight depression and one of them is to challenge negative thoughts. With so many horrific things happening over the last couple of years, I feel like Positive Penny has changed into Negative Nickle and perhaps turned a little Loonie.

Creating a routine, exercising and trying something new is a piece of cake compared to the step of challenging negative thoughts.  When life has thrown so many difficult things at you in a short time, you begin to expect the worst.  It has been strange and hard watching my optimism disappear.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been really working to live in the moment.  Looking back is scary because of how low I felt and looking ahead can be overwhelming and cause anxiety.  I can say that I want to live in the now but it isn’t easy, and at times, not achievable.

This “challenging negative feelings” was put to the test over the last couple of days.  Our granddaughter, Sarah gave us a real scare.  She had a few dizzy spells yesterday and fell three times.  The last time was at school and she hit her head hard.  Her mom was called to the school.  Jenn started driving her to the hospital but had to stop and call an ambulance.  Sarah was immediately looked at the hospital.  She had a severe headache and her right side was not working right causing her to need support to walk.  Her blood pressure was very low and she just didn’t feel right. We were all scared and no matter how hard I tried the negative thoughts were there.

Thankfully, she was in one of the best hospitals that have so many resources.  They did blood work, checked her vitals, did an ECG, cat scan and an EEG.  They called in the pediatric team.  They examined, prodded, hydrated and medicated her.  They kept her there for the night.  Jenn stayed right beside her.  

This morning they came with the results.  They weren’t sure why she was having dizzy spells except that perhaps a viral infection may have caused it.  There was no bleeding or swelling.  The symptoms were all credited to a severe concussion.  She still can’t walk properly but they let her go home with some conditions.  She needs to take it very easy with very little screen time.  She can’t go to school on Monday and then will do half days the rest of the week and if the symptoms don’t improve they will need to take her back.

She was pretty tired by the time she got home.  I’m not use to seeing her so flat and I am very thankfully that her family were there to look after her.

So I can challenge all those negative thoughts but I feel like they won today.  Tomorrow is a new day and we are hoping for good news about Sarah and I will again try and spend Negative Nickle and get the Positive Penny for change. 🙏