What are you up to today if you have chronic illness? Thread 3

[MewithME]

Link to last thread.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5406424-what-are-you-up-to-today-if-you-have-chronic-illness-part-2

Can't believe we filled another one.

@Swanhilde how lovely you got cake afterwards 😊 Rest up now

@Swanhilde tea and cake the universal panacea!

It's such a Catch 22 about exercise isn't it? My limbs are like cooked spaghetti at the moment. When I get over this setback I'm going to try some stairs. It will be a big achievement!

Such wise words! It's exactly how it is. I wonder how to reintroduce a bit of normal life in small enough doses? I think yesterday if 10 minutes standing up was too much I should probably have rested after five...that sort of thing. The thing is, Optimistic Me thinks 10 minutes isn't long!

Yes I am going to try harder to rest. Human snakes and ladders, how true!

I perhaps sound wiser than I feel as I’m so frustrated with myself just now! It def feels like one step forward, two steps back.
I hear you with 10 mins isn’t long. I remember being told somewhere along the line, to wait til you feel stable while at rest before attempting to get back to your usual baseline. However that’s so much easier said than done and not always practical. I’d say if 10 mins is too much, then yes try 5 and see how that goes. I actually use a timer quite often as it’s so easy to think I’ll just do 5 mins and in reality, it’s more like 15 and I’ve pushed beyond my limit.
Do you use a perching stool at all? I find just perching even for a min helps a bit.

@TodayIsatrickyone I have a stool in the kitchen so I should probably use that while waiting for the kettle to boil etc. It's so tempting to carry on as normal and do too much too soon.

I think my trouble is never quite getting over one crash before pushing myself towards another one. Last year was awful, two siblings died, each after months in hospital, and the second one left a mess for the rest of us to sort out. Lots of conflict! Covid twice. So it was just relentless stress.

Moving house is unavoidable because the new house will be ready in spring. It will be wonderful to have a modern warm house so that is something I am happy about. If only I could hibernate until it's all over!

So grateful for a thread where you all understand! I find most people haven't a clue about fatigue.

Thinking of those of us with stressful things like moving house, impending surgery etc.

It was a brighter day here thankfully. Was getting quite fed up of the wet weather. Wonder if it will be back tomorrow?

Had a rubbish day, mainly been in bed for all of it. Some stressy life problems adding to it perhaps, and got some plaintive messages from MIL about not meeting up as usual (tried to ignore the guilt)

Meant to have done this activity for the course tomorrow about colouring different activities in different colours, oh well. Surely that should be understandable.

I've done housework and the school run and am knackered now. On the sofa while DH deals with food!

We are under a weather warning tomorrow for rain, it’s looking very, very wet!

Us too. Again.
Although today was nice.

@Orangesandlemons77 I hope you get top marks for your homework! Bed is the best place to be by the sound of it. I would have gone mad years ago with my MIL. She made martyrdom into an art form. Hopefully your MIL is OK in small doses.

That sounds full-on! A well earned rest.

Yep, same here.

Thanks @TeaAndStrumpets Stairs are my nemesis 😆

We are under the weather warning too - perhaps an enforced Friday off the allotment 🌧️☔🌧️☔

Oh absolutely, we love fostering but we must always put our family situation first before we can help others and not at the expense of any of our well-beings. Hard to believe we've been doing it for 5 years.

Good morning everyone, (this is probably a given but thought I'd ask) anyone dealing with mental health conditions on top of their chronic health issues? I have PTSD from a traumatic event 11yrs ago, I also have health anxiety which is connected to that event and emetophobia which I've had from childhood. Just wanted to share that anyone else suffering mentally on the thread is not alone.
Anyway, quite anxious this morning after nightmares which I get regularly. Have to take my son to CAHM's today for his EMDR treatment and take him to a Airsoft shooting range afterwards which is his reward for excellent school work.

Hope you're all okay x

@Realisation14 Sorry about the nightmares and the rest of it. It is kind of you to share because so many people suffer in silence. It's embarrassing enough to admit something like CFS/ME but I think there is even more reticence about mental health. I really sympathise with anyone suffering.
Can you explain what benefits your son gets from EMDR? I am fascinated. Anyway well done to him for being an excellent student!

Morning! I have depression and anxiety but nothing major.

im in hospital waiting for surgery. My heart rate is high and im hoping that afterwards it won’t be too bad. I’ve had an anti sickness tablet.

I may need all the tips for how I control my heart rate so I can go home!

Thinking of you @FurForksSake .

Long, slow deep breaths. Have you got noise cancelling headphones with you? Maybe some relaxing sounds to block out the hustle a d bustle.

I am at home today finally after a gruelling week of commuting. So glad.

I am having a few mins with a cuppa before I go to my desk. I'm listening to the sound of the heating kicking in and the quiet tick of my son's clock from the wall nextdoor. I can see the rain but just hearing the low hum of traffic in the distance.

The lights are on because it's so dark.

I can hear my tinnitus today but I will tune it out again in a while.

I think this is called mindfulness. I don't practice it as such but it's lovely to just stop and notice the small, quiet things sometimes.

My heart rate monitor is telling me this little sit and quiet is a good idea. 70 bpm now. It was over 100 before.

It was a real struggle to get out of bed today for me and for DS. He was grumpy with me for rushing him. He is the slowest eater in the world. I'm finding being his mum so exhausting just now. But then he's been very sweet and cuddly this week,I am lucky I still get cuddles from a teenager.

I am not venturing to the allotment this morning but staying cocooned in the warm and dry. Still recovering from the drs manipulations yesterday.

Will make an apple cake later from some of our many windfalls as DD will arrive at some point. DS and his GF will come over after work and we will have a house full for the evening ☺️

Hope today goes well @FurForksSake and you are home before you know it.

Morning you lovely lot!
Hope it goes smoothly today and you can get home later @FurForksSake Focus on your breath, I find slow deep breaths In through your nose, out through your mouth can make a difference to HR.

@Realisation14 thank you for sharing, the nightmares sound exhausting for you. No diagnosis here, definitely some anxiety and two fairly major traumatic experiences which have to have had some impact. Hope your son enjoys his reward.

@MewithME glad you're WFH at least today and your mindfulness moments sound lovely.
It must be challenging as a single parent with your son but that’s great he’s still affectionate. My DS ( 20’s) still gives me hugs but DD isn’t especially affectionate but she still clambers in my bed sometimes when I’m resting and we will chat about nothing. I’ll miss that so much if she does go to uni next year.

@TeaAndStrumpets hope the HR is behaving a little better today.

Finally feeling a little brighter here. Managed online parents Eve and all very positive so that’s good. DD has had some health issues lately so reassuring that she’s doing well.
I need to chat through xmas/ birthday gifts with DH and will hopefully order some things. Otherwise I shall try very hard not to overdo things so wish me luck with that one!
I did download the new Bob Mortimer book on audible so may listen to that.

@Swanhilde staying warm and dry sounds very sensible and enjoy a lovely family evening. So nice when they come back home for a bit!

@FurForksSake Best of luck for today! Others have given great tips for lowering heart rate, but I assume the medics expect it to a certain extent. Certainly lying flat and thinking about something very boring is good, although the only time I had a head MRI I just tried to remember my Christmas list.

Incidentally @MewithME the MRI was investigating tinnitus but I got discharged with hearing aids. They just made the tinnitus worse so I never wear them! I mostly blot mine out. Sometimes I think it's gone silent, then it's off again. Mine sounds like a brass band a few streets away, so I try to hear what tune they are playing!

@TodayIsatrickyone I am clean but not dressed, very little adrenaline overnight and heart rate staying below 100 after getting washed and finding a clean nightie. I am very determined to consolidate this small gain, so plan on resting as much as possible!

@Swanhilde It's so lovely when they come home for a visit. Enjoy your weekend.

Sorry I haven't had a chance to catch up with the thread but just dropping in to wish @FurForksSake all the best for today and a speedy recovery

I've done some Christmas shopping! Woo hoo! Online, as I couldn't face town, but pleased with myself nevertheless.

Hope FurForksSake is doing ok.