Take-your-mind-off-it Tuesday - British Heart Fou...

British Heart Foundation

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Take-your-mind-off-it Tuesday

Sunnie2day profile image
21 Replies

The waiting is the worst. Doesn't matter what investigation/consult/procedure we're waiting for, the waiting is the worst especially if our heart health precludes taking long walks on the beach at sunset (or sunrise, my personal fav) with a loved one. We're stuck in the house on restricted activity watching the world go past through the living room window and it's just not nice.

Reading is good, box sets on DVD or catch-up are good. Jigsaw puzzles are ok if household space allows - can your housemates survive without the dinner table for a week at a time (mine can't, my husband hates knees-up).

My most successful way of coping with waiting is hobby-crafting - I sew, crochet, some knitting, embroider (needlepoint, tapestry, Madeira work), and some light woodworking (mostly standing embroidery frames and footstools - everything can be cut with a handsaw and my staple gun and tack hammers work a treat for the upholstery on the footstools).

How do you cope with the mind-numbing/anxiety-inducing waiting?

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Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day
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21 Replies
buddy2blue profile image
buddy2blue

I like doing my Diamond painting and watching Netflix and playing on my iPad

Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day in reply to buddy2blue

I've ordered a beginner Diamond Dotz kit, should be here in the next week. After reading your posts and seeing your snaps I think it's going to be a fun take-my-mind-off-it project, thank-you for introducing me to it!

buddy2blue profile image
buddy2blue in reply to Sunnie2day

I’m so pleased to hear that I hope u enjoy it as much as I do

Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day in reply to buddy2blue

I think I will, and bonus - I can see my granddaughters wanting to give it a go as well so there's something we can do together.

Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day in reply to buddy2blue

Well, the kit arrived yesterday and I'm enjoying it very much - so much I'm trawling the online sites looking for another:) Very restful and a lot of fun, thank-you!

buddy2blue profile image
buddy2blue in reply to Sunnie2day

I’m so pleased I have to pop out and pick up some meds then I’m going to do mine

Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day in reply to buddy2blue

Quick update - I LOVE this! My first one was a taster, a small autumn leaf I turned into a brooch. I splashed out on the next one and am really enjoying it - a sailboat on Golden Gate Bay. Complicated and I am loving every minute. Thank-you for inspiring me!

Hope you're feeling better and things are going along well.

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers

I stress!! Not the bestest option but I'm never able to put my mind to anything else. Husband isn't due to have his echo till next week & I'm already planning how long to wait before contacting the cardiologist for results.... I reckon 2 days is long enough!! 🤔

I stress eat 🐷😩

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply to

What's your usual go to stress food? 🤔

in reply to Lezzers

Lettuce 🥬 🤥

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply to

With or without a hairy 🐛 🤔 🤥

in reply to Lezzers

Both, what’s your stress ‘go to’ food. Or would be either to list what’s not 😂

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply to

Oh. I can't eat when I'm really stressed ☺

Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day in reply to Lezzers

I'm that way as well - stress takes my appetite away and I have to make myself eat.

Darron_12777 profile image
Darron_12777 in reply to

Could think of worse things to stress eat! Ahah

Tessie28 profile image
Tessie28

I like your ideas. It is mind numbing and scary... Getting nearer to my valve operation. Read a lot. Also packed ready to go should I get a cancellation. Some days so tired I spend in bed. No body could really prepare you for this... But like having a baby if you see what I mean. Only in unsure what to expect.

Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day in reply to Tessie28

I know exactly what you mean (waiting for Baby) - I thought my first one would never make an appearance (she was three weeks overdue). I remember sitting there with my feet up looking at this enormous bump pleading out loud for her to get on with it.

Do you do anything like knit or crochet? I find that doing something productive (or fun, I'm quite enjoying the Diamond Dotz Buddy2Blue has got me hooked on!) really helps.

I try to have something on the go I can do sitting on the sofa, something next to the bed for the bad days, and something in the day bag for waiting to see the medics.

I feel for you, stuck waiting can be hard.

Netflix and Amazon Prime for me along with lego technic and Star wars sets and wooden models such as those Rokr make. I also spent my time before my op making handmade colouring books for my girls to do while I was in hospital. It took my mind off things and gave my girls something positive to think of while I was away.

Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day in reply to

I love the colouring in books idea, what a great thing to have come up with as a help for your daughters, wow!

And another WOW about the models - I had to Google as I'd somehow missed seeing these before - WOW those are amazing! I've bookmarked the site and am going to trawl through it with an eye to buy one for my husband's birthday in May. If he likes that one (probably the steam engine) I'll put another on the list for Christmas.

Thank-you!

in reply to Sunnie2day

Thank you, my girls are only 7 & 4. They were very upset about me going into surgery so the colouring books really helped them focus on something positive which, in turn, made me feel better.

Glad you like the wooden models, I have made several. My favorite has been the puzzle treasure box. It involved making several intricate machan isms within it and was great fun to make.

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