Quote Originally Posted by KingWheatley View Post
when I handle him I don't have him in my hands. He is either on my chest or lap and I have a blanket over us. He falls asleep frequently there and if he starts moving heading back to his tank I pick him up then and return him. He does not show any signs of stress which is why I'm being very watchful for any possible signs.
There are many types of stress that can negatively impact your snake's health that do not have readily apparent outward signs.

If your snake is having problems shedding then your husbandry is off. Your humidity is too low. It's just not a smart idea to handle him frequently until you have you environmental issues fixed. It doesn't matter if you handle him with your hands, your feet, or your butt cheeks - unless being under that blanket is providing him the proper temps and humidity he doesn't need to be there till he has a stable proper environment to get back to. I'd stop handling except for moving for cleaning until there is a proper shed under his belt.

Balls are aestivators. When they face a too arid of an environment their metabolic processes slow down. Excessive handling during that, making the snake be more active then it's primed to be is one of those stresses that you can't see - but really taxes the immune system and can leave the snake vulnerable to parasites, viral and bacterial infections. Which can kill.

Not saying that's what IS happening with your snake. Just an example of one of those stresses that you can not readily observe.

Stresses, little and big, as well as the direct effects of environmental problems (cage size, orientation, heating, lighting, feeding, humidity, etc.) can lead to illness. Thermal burns, dysregulated endocrine system, sleep deprivation, constant fear and/or insecurity, malnutrition, etc., lead to numerous illnesses and disorders. Stress itself can suppress immune function, making the body unable to naturally fight off infection or keep internal parasites under control. The more stress, or the longer that it is allowed to continue, the weaker the animal becomes and the less tolerant it is to continued stresses and other problems in its environment.

Reptiles take a long time to die. Because of their ectothermy, their cold-bloodedness, they are able to conserve energy to maintain basic body functions for a long time, long after a mammal or bird would have succumbed or have deteriorated to the point where the owner would notice. Reptiles do not die "suddenly." When someone says that, what has happened is that their reptile was sick for a long period of time but, according to the nature of wild animals (which, after all, most reptiles still are, even if they were captive bred), they hid their distress: in the wild, it is the sick and the weak who are preyed upon. Those animals most adept at suppressing signs of ill-health or injury are those that will have a chance to recover before being eaten.
http://www.anapsid.org/signs.html