Have you ever heard of strong emotions?

[ironhat]

A friend's husband had heart attack a while ago and she says that ever since he has been very emotional saying that he cries over nothing. Well, in a week it will have been four months since I had heart failure. During the insertion of the insertion of the bi-ventricular pacemaker/ defibrillator an old (3 yr) compression injury in my middle back became terribly irritated. Things that previously worked for me- chiropractor, ice, stretching, exercise- have not worked so I had a rhizotomy performed on three nerves on each side. The process involves piercing the medial, pain sensing nerve, turning on current to your tolerance, backing off and injecting novacain before raising the current to the determined level and burning the nerve off. Sorry, this getting too long. I'll get to the point. The procedure didn't seem to work. But then, twice as long a it was to take, it did. There were two of these treatments - left and right at three levels. OK, finally the point. All of a sudden, yesterday, I hear the Hawaiian singers version of "Over the Rainbow", and I start to cry. Now, every time I think of something dear to me I start to cry. EVERYTHING! I've always been a tender hearted guy but this is way past that. Have you folks heard of this? After four months I would have thought that I had passed a point of emotion and just getting antsy to get to work. Man, I'm kinda beside myself about this. Any advise from all of you would be appreciated. You folks mean a lot to me and I don't even know you personally - respect, maybe.

As always, TIA!!

[Mr__Bill]

I'm not a Dr, nor do I play on one TV, but thinking about this....

It could be that you were in pain from the back for a very long time, even when it was relieved it was still there in a low key way and repressed by your mind. When it finally was really gone there was such a relief that everything opened up and it all comes flooding in, emotions included. It's as though no longer needing to block the pain the mind also no longer blocks the emotional highs and lows. Given a bit of time I expect that will pass. If not you may wish to consider jobbing yourself out as a paid audience member.......

I say this because on those days when the weather is just right and nothing hurts I have similar experiences as you.

Bill

[Richard in Smithville]

After going through all that, it's no wonder the emotions will start flowing. Talk to your doctor, it might be from something more. Better to ask than to guess.

[cgallery]

It is quite common for people that have gone through substantial stress to become quite emotional. I've witnessed people that have survived heart attacks laughing at the fact that they're crying.

The death of a close loved one can actually trigger that sort of response for months.

ALS patients also find themselves crying rather spontaneously, but I believe that this sort of behavior occurs later in the progression of the disease. The diagnosis is long-made before you cry at how nicely the piece of paper is folded, so I'm not saying you have ALS. BUT, it is a disease of the nervous system and you certainly suffered a great deal of stress to your nervous system, so I can imagine it being related.

So basically, I think you're relieving stress. Nuttin' wrong with that.

[LarryG]

Heard of -- no, not really. Experienced something like it -- yes. In the time since my cancer diagnosis (which came, coincidentally, six years ago today) I have found that I have a greater tendency to weep over small things that, for whatever reason, hit me harder than they ever did before 3/31/03.

It doesn't happen a whole lot so it doesn't bother me; it hasn't interfered with my normal activities. I really don't know what it's all about, but I have always assumed it has something to do with having to confront my own mortality in a more direct way than many people ever have to do. As a good friend wrote to me at the time, "We're all going to die. You're just more aware of that fact than most of us are."

As soon as I read those words, I knew he was right. And I don't regard it as a bad thing.

[RAFlorida]

Chiz, on 9-18-'01

I underwent 5 bypasses. Some said it was the stress of 9-11 a few days earlier, (I worked at the Avon Park, Fl. bombing range back then). Long store short, I went through several months that were down right fustrating because of the emotional lows. My doctor said that it happens to many that have gone through such surgery, and that it would subside. It did after a couple of months. Now I'm back to being my mean ol' self as always.
But talk to your doctor, he can be the best person to tell you what to do.

[WLee]

Definitely avoid watching the Eva Cassidy version of "Over the Rainbow" then:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUwTdqPkluY

Actually anything Eva Cassidy sings is a tear-jerker (if you know her life story).


You could look on the bright side -- your new emotionality could be extremely effective with the ladies (but use your new powers wisely...)

[ironhat]

Yea, WLee, I shut that one down pretty quickly. It's a good one. As far as the depression or the mortality components, I guess I was a little to close to the problem to see it. Good reason for asking questions. The mortality issue for me had more with missing those that I love than a fear of death. My faith is pretty solid on the hereafter so it's not a fear issue. Realization that I was close to losing all of them would feel close to the point. I'm certainly glad that I asked. If there are other inputs they are welcome. Your personal stories touched me. Thank-you!

[radhak]

Right after college, there was this girl who I want to be 'friendly' with, who said she could not connect with me because I never cried. This after she was around when I received news of the passing of a grandma who was very close to me; she was not happy with the lack of expressed emotions from me. Her parting shot was a quote too vivid for me to ever forget - "...if only you'd cry a bit, you'd get la** more often ..." !

So what I am trying to say is, that's a gift, man! Use it!

[BobSch]

Since my minor stroke last year I find myself crying or laughing uncontrollably over almost anything. Don't know why — looks like I'll have to talk to the doc at my next physical.

[cabinetman]

When I was young (younger), like in my 20's, I never really thought about checking out. I was always very athletic, participated in contact sports, raced motorcycles and cars, and just got off on dangerous living. More or less I considered myself indestructible. It wasn't until my military service that I resigned myself to the realization that my time could be up at any moment. You have to be faced with that in order to understand how permanent death can be.

Then in 2001 I found out I had a heart attack and didn't really know it, and was diagnosed with cancer. To top that off, I was losing feelings in both hands and needed CT surgery in both hands. That's not the end of it. Throw in tendonitis in both hands, hearing loss, and COPD.

I'm very fortunate to have a wonderful wife, pets, and work that I love. I notice a general degradation of my well being. I'm finding out I am destructible. Sounds trite, but I just take one day at a time and deal with the limitations as best as I can. It's not that I still have something to prove in life. I feel that I've done everything that I needed or wanted to do. What stresses me the most is the thought of those that love me carrying on without me.

I think it was Woody Allen that said something like "Death doesn't really worry me that much, I'm not frightened about it... I just don't want to be there when it happens."
.

[Ed62]

I've never had those problems, but I don't think it's really all that uncommon for people's emotions to go beserk when they are faced with things like that. I don't have anything positive to say except that I'll keep the prayers coming.

Ed

[Uncle Cracker]

I think it's not unusual for ones' body chemistry and hormones to get out of whack following physical or emotional trauma. It's not just a girl thing, either. Perhaps checking with your docs about possibly getting with an endocrinologist would be helpful.

[leehljp]

This is far more common that is noted above. As a minister visiting people in hospitals, I saw this often. It is usually some of the medicines - that affect the body in many ways. A slight harmonal imbalance due to the introduction of strong medicines, plus the medical procedure stresses themselves - trigger responses that are not common in everyday life for these folks.

I saw my dad cry for the first time in his 60's when he had a heart bypass. For some people, they are over it in a week or so, but for some it lasts a month or two - and more if they are on certain medications. I am no doctor but I did observer this behavior.

[ironhat]

Since my minor stroke last year I find myself crying or laughing uncontrollably over almost anything. Don't know why — looks like I'll have to talk to the doc at my next physical.

Like I said, saddness over those left behind at your passing but it sounds to me like you are also enjoy all the more at what you're experiencing. Heck, there's nothing wrong with laughing - although, I've been accused of not beeing sufficiently serious by the wife!