Ideas - alone at Christmas with long covid/chronic fatigue

[BlossomTrees24]

I wondered if the lovely Mumsnet community (especially any of you who understand long covid/chronic fatigue/ME) could give a couple of ideas for me to survive Christmas (a few days, not just Christmas Day) on my own.

We've made the decision for me to stay at home (while rest of family visit other family). This wasn't an easy decision and my family would happily stay with me, but I would be bedbound (or occasionally on the sofa) a lot of the time anyway, so we've decided it's probably better (for them & me) if they spend the few days away as was planned.

I just wondered if anyone has any thoughts on how I can make it not too awful? Since covid, I'm housebound (and have been for 18 months). DH is doing a Sainsbury’s shop on Fri for me. Anyone seen any nice things there? I don't have a huge appetite but could be nice to have a few treats.

Has anyone else got experience of this? I'm very grateful that this will be the first time I've been on my own at Christmas (and aware lots of people face every Christmas on their own). But just wondering if there's anything I can put in place now to make those days bearable?

Also, I might not read any responses today. A friend has typed this for me, as it is too exhausting to type or read lots. (My life has changed so much - I was a deputy headteacher before covid!)

@VegTrug This is about the least helpful thing for the OP you could post, really, isn’t it?

Sounds like a very sensible decision.

You'll have to judge your energy each day. If doing better, maybe some time on the sofa with a movie. If not, then just being as comfortable as you can be in bed.

Try and get some nice easy foods in with good nutrition. I'm looking forward to nice cheeses, maybe a prawn cocktail and some smoked salmon, some salad bits on the side. Some good chutney.

Audiobooks are my favourite thing. Heat pad on, in bed, curtains shut, noise cancelling earbuds in. It gives me more rest than TV or film.

Oh ,also, weirdly...do you like theatre ? I have a national theatre at home subscription. I find it easier to watch than a film. Less stimulation so less energy impact.

I have also found Facebook groups so so supportive. I'm in two for MECFS. They've been amazing for me.

Food wise - party boxes of things you can pop in the oven. Sausage rolls etc. How about some ready meals too? Something like a microwave curry?

OP is on her own!

Vegtrug this looks interesting I hope when it reports it gives some insights.,I’m in a long Covid study. it’s very hard to give the energy they need as a research participant to fill out forms. Let alone the physical stuff. Only since being ill I have new appreciation of how difficult and important it is doing this for patients.

If you're bedbound some or a lot of the time, I would have things actually in or very close to your bedroom so you don't have to expend extra energy going back and forth to the kitchen. Kettle, cups, plates, teabags, toaster, butter, bread etc upstairs.. Milk for a few cups of tea in a flask. Could you have a microwave in or just outside your bedroom for ready meals? Bin in bedroom or just outside for rubbish which can be sorted at a later date. Lots of non perishable snacks near to you - fruit, nuts, chocolate etc. Listening to podcasts or audio books sometimes takes less energy than reading or watching TV. A few Christmas decorations/ cards/ candles/ festive things to look at in your room? (I've had ME for 10 years and at my worst spent a couple of days bedbound on my own at Christmas)

Thank you so much everyone. I'm not able to respond to each post, but you've given some lovely ideas. Some ideas are really helpful things that I wouldn't have thought about. Thank you.

Thank you, especially, to those of you who are also struggling and used limited energy to share ideas.

Best wishes for a restful and healing Christmas 🎄

Sorry to ask. Is there already a long running Covid/ME/CFS support/tips/chat thread on here?

This is an excellent post. I'm sorry you're so unwell OP. Long Covid and every other condition causing fatigue is just horrible and impacts life so badly. I hope you have as enjoyable a day as you can.

It is really difficult but sounds like you have made the right choice for your health and recovery. If you can, I’d try to use this time to really focus on yourself, on hunkering down and really letting yourself rest and indulging yourself. Try to think about what you can do, rather than what you/others think you should be doing.

I have long covid and things that help me to do that include:
Making a “nest” on the sofa/in bed with lots of comforting textures (blankets, cushions etc), soft lighting, candles etc.
Re-watching comfort telly so it doesn’t matter if I don’t have the brain power to follow.
Eating simple, plain food - you could get your DH to stock up on prepared food that’s easy to make and eat.
Getting regular fresh air, even if it’s just sitting on the doorstep for a short time.
My array of Victorian invalid hobbies (knitting, crochet, journaling, reading, playing silly games on my phone - ok that’s not very Victorian…) that I can vary depending on concentration levels
Breathing, meditation, yoga - I’m in a yoga for long covid group on FB and it’s brilliant. I’m signed up to their classes and they are designed so you can even do them in bed.
Hygiene - showers are often beyond me but I find baths much more manageable. I also prioritise clean teeth and moisturiser while the birds nest in my hair!
Good luck, you’ll get through this, and hopefully 2025 will be your year.

I’m not shouting at anyone…? This is quite literally making understanding of my lifelong condition harder and therefore our lives, harder.

If the diagnosis is long covid then you don’t have CFS

Long Covid and ME/CFS are not the same condition ffs

Can you stop being so aggro. I was asking about a support thread, don’t need this thanks.

Hello OP, hope you have a restful Christmas. If you like pasta the M&S Italian ready meals 3 for £9 are really nice and super easy to eat.

I know this isn't the same but when I had covid the first time I could not stay awake for more than a few hours in the daytime, and it mashed my sleep and I'm a long term insomniac so really didn't want that bugger coming back.
So I watched the Pirates of the Caribbean films, they are full of loud music and screaming and awesome fight sequences.
Don't watch Vera all those extended shots of the long roads and seascapes and calm conversations! I slept through two before I gave up.

I'd also be interested to know the answer to this? I wouldn't often have capacity to engage in lots of chat, but it would be really helpful to have a thread where support and tips could be shared. I also have friends/family who can sometimes read/type on my behalf. (That is what is happening now!)

Some of the ideas I have been given here have been things that I wouldn't have thought about and will hopefully make things easier for me over the next few days. So a similar thread for general support/tips could be really helpful.

Thanks again to everyone who has contributed to this thread. I think some of the ideas will really help me over the coming week. (And even the ideas that are too much for me at the moment are being 'saved' for when I might be able to use them in the future.)

If there isn’t one, maybe we could start one in the New Year?