What are you up to today if you have chronic illness?

[MewithME]

I do like the What are you doing today thread. But as someone with an energy limiting illness, I find myself marvelling at the level of activity that is beyond me.

Sometimes I feel sad about it even after accepting my illness for a few years now.

My week at work has been brutal and I'm feeling very weak and worn down. I am trying to find some inner peace.

This morning I managed a bath and ds helped when shopping arrived. I sat in the garden for a little while but newish neighbours were playing loud music which I found a bit stressful.

I've managed to put a wash on and made some lunch for us. I'm now in bed listening to some music festival in town floating on the breeze. There's sirens going off, so hope nothing bad has happened to anyone.

I'm going to lie down for a couple of hours. Hoping to watch a film with DS later. Pizza for dinner.

I found a nice new podcast called Shedunnit with lots of Agatha Christie in it which is up my street.

I may just lay here and listen to that for a while.

So if you have ME or LC or fibro or anything else that is a flipping funsucker of a thing to deal with, do share your little things. Our world is smaller but we are here.

I will add I know there are those worse off than I am, but not matter what we deal with, chronic illness is hard and it's hard to feel part of the world.

Wow, that's good to hear and not easy especially with chronic illness in there. Well done.

I have had some good results also but largely due to me taking weight loss meds, which it looks like I will need to titrate off (due to price increases) but I intend to keep in with the diet changes, so any tips are welcome!

I went all out on an anti inflammatory diet.
Cutting sugar out, but still eating fruit like fresh blueberries, kiwi, pineapple, the odd green banana.

Only sweet potatoes.
Only sourdough bread, a couple of slices a week.
Cottage cheese, eggs, walnuts and almonds, spinach, broccoli, carrots, salad leaves, beetroot, cucumber.
Mackeral and tuna.
No red meat or pork.
A little chicken.
Am eating cheese like parmigiana.

No tomatoes and .... white potatoes, peppers or aubergine....(nightshade vegetables.)

Look up "resistant starch"... only cold potatoes, rice, frozen bread should be eaten, doesn't spike your insulin....i am eating the above very very rarely.

Reduced alchol, trying to stay away from wine and beer, stick to tequila or gin.
Stay away from aspartame.

Eat a bit of dark chocolate.

Chair yoga and gentle exercises to help mobility.
I will eat soups duting the winter, lentil curries and bean stews.
Eat kimchi, sauerkraut, keffir yoghurt and drinks, kombucha if you like a fizzy drink.
Fermented vegetables.
Dates are great, good for your gut.

I was in absolute agony unable to drive, cook, play sport.
The difference without medication has been amazing.
Its may become dull but my lovely GP is so impressed with my numbers. She told me keep it up.
She has seen my enormous pain over the past couple of years and I am now 90%
pain free and back living my life.
I think it will help me stay as sugar free as is possible.
Green tea is great but I also enjoy a coffee.
I eat a bowl of fran flakes sometimes if I am peckish.

Hope that helps.

Well done @Greenvases that's very impressive.

Today I'm am relaxing as I had a really busy day yesterday and feeling out of sorts today. Also have quite a bit of fibro pain. Going to watch tv, jigsaw and a nap.

Morning all. @Greenvases well done. That sounds really good. I really want to try and eat better. I think you're right. Makes huge difference. I think I'll find it easier if my autistic DS ever leaves home! He doesn't eat what I eat and it's exhausting doing X2 meals so I don't eat as well as I used to because I'm too tired to do it.

I was working the last two days and I'm absolutely shattered today. I'm not even dressed yet. I have a click and collect order to get but other than that, I am going to aggressively rest today!

I may read ify brain lets me. If not I will lie down and listen to audiobook. I'm listening to a book I loved which I read years ago. I might get the actual book out to fill in the blanks from when I doze off and miss bits 😂

@BerfyTigot I like the sound of your day (but not the fibro pain bit of course) 😊

I'm in pain too today. I need to take a leaf out of @Greenvases book. Tumeric and ginger and oregano and dark chocolate and dried fruit..... That's what I remember from when I had nutritional therapy. I might get back on that !

I have had great support from friends that are super healthy.
My son's friend's mother always looks amazing and is a very busy woman. She told me she is managing fibromyalgia and arthritis, and the key to it was a strict no sugar, vegan diet.
She is 20 years with it, triggered by childhood arthritis.
She has flair ups, but manageable ones.
I have kids that will need feeding but I will be making it work so that we all share food with minimal add on's.
First time in 25 years I am putting myself first.
I have no choice.

When it comes to providing food, don't ask a question that you don't want the answer to.
This is whats on offer, eat it or don't.....that is a big change in this house which I will be maintaining.

Hope everyone has a good day. Resting up is key!

Ah sounds wise @Greenvases but I fear autistic meltdown if I went with that approach. Still he is being a bit more adventurous these days at least.

Interested on how do you manage a low/no sugar/vegan anti inflammatory diet with food cravings? I think the fatigue just makes me crave quick fixes, crave cake biscuits etc. That could be partly peri-menopause to blame too.

Well I wouldn't call what I am doing as vega, more anti inflammatory.

I was in agony and the thought that this could help drove me.
I ate lots of protein, nuts, and fruit.
Very dark chocolate is good so I had that too.
Dates are very sweet and I dipped them into peanut/cashew butter, which was very satisfying.
I think shopping and having plenty of the above in the house helped.

Pineapple is also recommended for arthritis so I ate that too, which is very sweet.
I took one day at a time.

Scrambled eggs with lots of grated cheese was satisfying as were poached eggs on sour dough and spinach with a simple betnaise sauce.
Beans on sour dough toast with lots of grated cheese was another easy fix.

Bottom line is feeding yourself the foids that will help you has to become your priority.
Within a couple of weeks it is a new habit.

I love this thread because it highlights to me things that I may have forgotten/let slip. I too have been focused on an anti inflammatory diet the last couple of years but it's been hard. I cut out sugar in January and now my pots symptoms are basically non existent. I do have sugar occasionally but normally unprocessed like home baked and gluten free and notice my reaction is not as bad as it was.

I have had more pain recently after introducing ready meals two days to get through many tasks I had to do. @Greenvasesposts have made me realise this is likely the cause of my pain after being mostly pain free for months.

Its so hard to balance it all isn't it. I have a autistic DS who struggles with food too so I know how hard it is to work around that.

Hope everyone is ok. I've been having a really challenging couple of weeks and been feeling really down, overwhelmed and like I just can't go on like this but reading these posts have really helped.

I agree this thread has been helpful for me too. Thanks everyone.

It’s been really helpful for me too. First of all I feel I can say things here that I wouldn’t or couldn’t say in real life. For example I find Dp too loud - I know it’s a bit mean and for normal people standards he probably isn’t too loud - but when you have this sodding illness, too much noise is really jarring and because of that I often find him jarring (!).

Ive also found it useful reading other posts so thanks for starting this @MewithME

Aw I'm glad people have found this space useful. I have too.

I have struggled a bit with MN lately. I've been here for 15 years under various names and it's quite an angry and argumentative place lately like much of the internet. This thread reminds me that there are amazing people and support out there so thank you all for your company.

I do like the thread that inspired this, though it's full of healthy people doing normal stuff... It's good natured and nice too.

I shall make another if this fills up.

@MewithME thanks for starting this thread. It's good to hear that others have similar struggles.

Fatigue-based illnesses can be so isolating, so it's perfect. I don't always have the energy to post, but i do read all the posts.

Today I'm planning for my (grown-up) daughter's birthday next week. She's also a 'loud person' and I find her exhausting, which is an awful thing to admit.

Been interested to read about all your anti-inflammatory diets. Trouble is that for me food is such a source of pleasure/entertainment, particularly when life is on the sofa, that I find it hard to stick to restricted eating plans. And not much energy for new recipes.

After all my pontificating about being sugar free, I had friends for dinner and I had alcohol and a sugar pudding.
It was very dark chocolate melted into double cream, poured into very small cups and chilled.

Simply too delicious.
I feel achy today.
Let that be a lesson to me!

DH is restarting his diet in a few weeks which is always a nightmare and to be honest is a lot easier if I join in too. Basically cutting out carbs and sugar has worked in the past and being at home all day should be easier to manage. Agree this thread is very helpful and nice to have people going through the same issues.

I haven't been on for ages. Last time I think my family were wheeling m round Disneyland Paris in a wheelchair. The holiday wiped me out and the hot weather since we got back was a killer. It's cooler here today thank goodness so I feel a bit more like myself.

The anti-inflammatory diet sounds great. I've listened to a few podcasts about its huge health benefits for folk like me / us, but it sounds so exhausting to start. I don't have the energy to even think about it.

You can tell I'm feeling sorry for myself. Need to stop moaning and go and buy some kefir instead of hob nobs

Hey @User57713 sorry you've been struggling. Yes, I was absolutely worn out after our holiday. Still not feeling great today and supposed to be heading off to see family and friends before my annual leave runs out but I am not sure what to do for the best.

I want a hobnob now though! 😁

Evening all, hope everyone's ok. Had our Rosie deliver her pups early this morning which went smoothly but a busy few weeks ahead for us. She hid under the shed yesterday and we couldn't find her for a couple of hours which was really stressful. Still have the adrenaline running round but think I'll sleep better tonight.

Puppy piccies please @Stressybetty !

I've made it up to see my mum though feel utterly exhausted. It was a slog. Driving a long distance is just mentally exhausting. It seems to be getting worse. So many crazy drivers doing 100 mph. I am now in my PJs with tinnitus raging and will just have to ignore everyone for at least half a day.

It's my birthday Saturday. Half wishing I hadn't come tbh. Happy to see my mum but I am longing for the possibility of time to myself and/or being able to put my needs first. No idea when that time may come if ever though!

I've been a funny headspace all summer. Just worn out and sick of it all just now. I'm not even particularly depressed. Just tired and don't want to be bothered with anything at all.

@MewithMEaw, driving is rough, the level of concentration needed really takes it out of you. This summer with the heat and humidity has been neverending.

Puppy pics 😊

@Stressybetty omg so cute and so many! Momma doggo has done well. Bet she's as tired as us!

I honestly don't know how to handle family visits anymore. I am exhausted so monumental effort to get here and then I can't cope with it anyway. In bed at 8pm and my ears are ringing and everything hurts. I hate people staying with me too. I have no answers. I feel like I just want to be a hermit.

It’s horrendous when you get the ear ringing isn’t it - and no quick solution either. Hope you managed to have a restful night @MewithME

i have a SN adult son who is refusing to go to the dentist (he hasn’t been since he became an adult). He has a multitude of mental health problems in addition to some learning difficulties and I just cannot convince him. His teeth look horrendous and his breath smells but if I labour the point it just makes it worse so I’m trying to figure out how to deal with that today. He managed to get a job which quite frankly was a miracle but I’m so proud that he did - I’m just terrified that he will lose it due to his poor personal health skills. Argh!

@Stressybettybeautiful puppies!