Oh summer, why must you torture me?

July 5, 2017

It is a bright, sunny, not-too-hot day. I should be taking a walk outside. Sitting in the sun. Enjoying the weather. Instead I had to cancel plans I was looking forward to so that I can sit inside and feel lousy. Again.

I don’t know what it is about summer. I just know that it kicks my ass every year. This year is actually not as bad as usual. I have been in better health, and I assume that’s why. Instead of feeling crappy starting in March or April, I made it to June! Of course, we had an unusually cool May, but still….

But not it’s July and I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. I increased my adrenal supplement for a few days and that helped, but when I lowered it, the fatigue rushed back. I’m seeing my naturopath in the morning and I have a feeling I should raise that supplement dose for the rest of the summer. It sucks, because after many years, we had finally just lowered it a few months ago! I was so happy to lower that supplement. It’s not something I should be on permanently. The idea is to keep lowering the dose until my adrenals can do the job themselves. We want to avoid long term dependency.

So much for that.

Yesterday was a lovely day. It was sunny and not too hot – perfect swimming weather. Plus it was a holiday, so most of my neighbors were away. I had no plans at all. The perfect day to finally try out my building’s pool. But there was no way. I felt like shit. I texted my friends that I wouldn’t be joining them, and I spent all day in pajamas. I watched many hours of tv. I didn’t do the cooking I wanted to do. Or the laundry. Or the putting away of clutter. Instead I watched tv and crocheted and knitted. Thank goodness for my sedentary yarn hobbies!

Being stuck at home is nothing new. I can handle it. The hard part is that the summer is when everyone else is out and about! All winter I felt better, but no one wanted to take walks in the snow with me. And I don’t blame them. But now they’re all out doing things, and I can’t join in. I’m stuck inside. And I like being out in the sun! I love it, actually. But on the hot days it’s impossible and on the not-too-hot days I usually don’t have the energy for it.

My new apartment has a patio. I’m hoping to spend at least a few minutes sitting out there later. At least I would get some fresh air.

But taking a walk, going for a swim, or keeping my date for tonight? No go. Because even on a not-too-hot, not-too-sunny, not-too-anything-bad day like this, I still feel like crap.

Maybe one day my immune system will be able to handle summer. But not today.

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There’s no such thing as a quick swim anymore

June 26, 2017
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I wouldn’t mind being able to do this!

When I moved to a new apartment a few months back, a lot of friends were excited for me that I now had a pool. They were a lot more excited than I was.

I lived in a building in a pool once before. It was about 15 years ago. I was living in sunny Los Angeles, where pools are more common, and I was in much better health. I swam regularly during the months when I had less work (and more time.) It was lovely!

But this is not that. This is different. My new friends in the building often invite me for a quick swim. They have no idea what that really means for me.

  • Driving to the pool seems silly, but it’s 1/3 mile away, which is sometimes too far to walk, especially in the summer air.
  • If it’s too cool, no one wants to swim.
  • If it’s too hot, I can’t be outside, even in the pool.
  • If it’s too humid, I can’t be outside, even in the pool.
  • I must bring a lot of water and snacks, even for a “quick” swim, to stay hydrated and keep my strength up.
  • I will be in a lot of pain afterwards.
  • I will be in a lot of pain the next day.
  • I will be exhausted the next day.
  • I might have to cancel all of my plans for the next day so that I can rest and recover.
  • I won’t be able to cook that night, so I need to have leftovers available for dinner.
  • Obviously I can’t swim if I have plans later in the day, because I’ll need to rest.
  • I need to take extra meds if I’m going to swim, which means I have to know about swimming far enough in advance to take the meds.

There’s more, of course, but this gives folks a good idea of why swimming for me isn’t the relaxing, care-free, spontaneous, fun activity that it is for my neighbors. There are many things in our lives that get ridiculously more complicated, painful, and exhausting once chronic illness enters the picture, like grocery shopping. The big difference is that swimming is completely optional. Sure, skipping the pool hurts my social life a bit. But it helps my LIFE life a lot!

I’m not saying I won’t go swimming at all this summer. Only that the logistics have to be just right. I need to know the right people will be there so I’ll have, I need to be feeling good that day and not have other plans in the next day and a half, the weather has to be just right.

It’s not easy. But then, few things are when chronic illness is involved. So yes, I will be the “spoil sport” who skips the pool. I can live with that. Because I’ll live better for it.

2 Comments | Decisions, Educating, Expectations, Fatigue, Frustration, Isolation, Limitations, Pain, Rants, Relationships: Family & Friends & Dating & Sex, Symptoms | Permalink
Posted by chronicrants

When the best medicine is taking care of someone else

June 17, 2017

Today started out rough. I felt like I did too much on Wednesday. Thursday I did less, but probably should have stayed home to rest. By Friday I had no choice but to spend all day at home in my pajamas, watching tv and crocheting. So this morning, I was glad to feel better than yesterday, but I still didn’t feel great. And yet, I didn’t want to cancel all of my plans.

My evening plans had to be cancelled. I knew I had to get to bed early. But the afternoon plans – a friend coming over who I already cancelled on at the last minute last time – I didn’t want to cancel again. So I rallied and got dressed and waited for her to arrive, knowing it would be a quiet day and I wouldn’t have to leave my apartment.

When she came, she had the start of a migraine. Unfortunately, she had switched purses and didn’t have the over-the-counter medication that helps her. I didn’t have it either. I offered to go to the store, but she said no. So I messaged a bunch of neighbors. No luck.

I got her a cold pack for her head. I made her tea. I shut off the lights. Eventually, I insisted on going to the store for her. So much for staying home. But the funny thing was, I felt ok.

After taking the med she slowly started to feel better. I got her food and kept on eye on her, making sure she was doing ok.

I have noticed this kind of thing before. Obviously, there are times when I’m not at all able to care for someone else, or when caring for someone else will make me feel worse. But then there are other times, times like today. Times when I’m not doing great, but I’m not doing horribly either, and taking care of someone else gets me outside of my own head, distracted from my own condition, and eventually I even begin to feel better.

I feel bad my friend had a migraine. I wish that hadn’t happened. Still, it was a good reminder for me:

Sometimes the best medicine is taking care of someone else.

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I want my time back

May 25, 2017

Back in the days when I worked full time, I felt like my job ate up all of my time. And it did, in a very obvious way.

Now I feel the same way, but it’s less obvious.

I’m trying to work, to earn some money, and it’s hard. It’s also time consuming. I’m doing this part time because that’s all I can manage, but even that feels like a lot.

And then there are the doctor appointments, the daily physical therapy, the extra time spent on food preparation, and just resting. The health stuff is its own part time job.

I’m constantly doing things and when I’m not, I feel bad because I should. Right now, I should be working on my new business, running errands, and exercising. There are so many shoulds, and not enough time.

I want to believe that I would gladly put in the time if I knew it would work, but even if the business succeeds, can I still maintain this level of input? What happens if I get a dog? How would I find time for him?

I am trying so hard to constantly work and be productive during my “good” times of the day, so I can rest during the others, and in that respect I’m succeeding. I get plenty of rest. But I also feel plenty of overwhelm. I don’t know what the answer is, or if there is one. I only know that I can’t do as much as I’d like, which is still only 20% of what I used to do, and it’s frustrating.

Leave a Comment » | Expectations, Fatigue, Frustration, Job, Limitations, Pain, Rants, Unpredictable | Permalink
Posted by chronicrants

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