Thread 6? Good grief..what are you up to today if you have chronic illness?

[MewithME]

Link to last thread. https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5475947-what-are-you-up-to-today-if-you-have-a-chronic-illness-thread-5

Hello to my chatty poorly friends and welcome to New ones....

@martha79 covid memorial day is reminding me of why I have MEcfs in the first place. Without a doubt, it was the trigger. It has changed my life irreparably and I have no time for the "it's just a cold" crowd. I think the pandemic was the most divisive event for society. My relationship with my sibling hasn't been right since. I lost my health and my relationship during the pandemic.

@Tiredandwired2 sometimes I look at my things and just don't want any of them. Could happily get rid of it all. ...but it's such an effort. We're all absolutely bogged down with stuff. DS is very sentimental so we've got all his stuff... haven't got rid of any toys. I think if and when he grows up and leaves home, I might have a late stage house glow up. With a bit of luck I might live in a proper, decorated and tidy home for a few years before I die! I'm fifty two this year and haven't managed it yet. Sigh.

I think Covid has affected so many of us in ways we never anticipated. I had Covid in December 2020, I honestly thought I would die, or worse I’d give it to the family and they’d die. I spent two weeks alone in my bedroom with dh delivering meals to the threshold and then leaving again.

i remember driving myself to the test centre and all the people in hazmat suits. It was terrifying and I was so poorly i shouldn’t have been driving but there was no choice.

the only times ive been more unwell was swine flu and a post surgical infection that had me in hospital. But neither of those lasted as long.

dh lost his uncle to Covid, he’d gone in to hospital for a uti and contracted it at the same time I was ill. It was all just awful.

I worked as a volunteer at the gp surgery when we got the covid jabs, that was wonderful. And I got jabbed and I cried.

I think you speak for a lot of people re those awful nightmare years.

Re the hospital-acquired Covid. My big brother had Parkinsons but had always been a very fit sporty person. He got a UTI and was admitted to hospital as he was rambling (his mind was pin sharp normally) He was perking up with antibiotics but caught covid on the ward. He was recovering but then he got C-difficile, then pneumonia when a feeding tube was dislodged into his lung.

I have deleted a lot of awful stuff but to sum up, by the time the hospital was done with him he was in a nursing home and died a few days later. They listed the various things he'd had in hospital and had the fucking gall to conclude he'd died of old age.

Sorry rant over!

@MewithME I think I need to let go of the quest for a decluttered house a bit because it is draining me but i'm keen to sort out a spare room in the house for autistic DS who hogs the main living room and makes it a dark den. Its been like this for 2 years now and ive had enough. Another space would be great. Although, no guarantees he will use it.

I am so sorry for all of us who have been impacted by covid. I think everyone has but I think some people don't want to talk about it and forget it happened which I find hard when my life was turned upside down with long covid. I still cant believe how many people are unaware of long covid. I have a guy here doing some work and he was saying he thought it was all a conspiracy and that long covid was made up. He did say hearing my experience he felt a bit different but it's not great is it.

It's long covid awareness day next Sunday too.

In my area some castles are due to be lit up to send the message 'still here'. I thought it was a great idea and hoping to go into the town to see it lit up blue. People with long covid have been forgotten about.

That is awful. I am so sorry. Its sad that this kind of experience is all too familiar.

Thanks I totally agree. So many families and individuals affected.

Oh decluttering! Been trying so hard for ages.

It's the wanting to find good homes for things that slows the process down! I've got rid of a lot of my clothes and I don't miss them. I got rid of a lot of DH's clothes by telling him they'd got moths, otherwise he'd argue over every single item 😆

DH is back and my 24 hours of peace is over 🤣

I worked throughout first lockdown with vulnerable young people and didn't contract covid once to my knowledge. Even when my 3 colleagues all succumbed simultaneously, I didn't. I may have been non- symptomatic, we'll never know ...

I did however develop Graves disease in early 2021, which my consultant said can be triggered by a virus. I eventually caught one of the later varieties in 2022 and the rest is history, never recovered, life thrown upside down.

I don't really like to dwell on the past, it serves me no positive purpose while I'm trying to accept my current situation and potential furlture. I didn't even know there was a long covid day - shame it coincides with mothering Sunday this year.

That does sound very suspicious @Swanhilde but how true, focus on the future is the way to go. My consultant (before Covid) suspected my ME was caused by Glandular Fever years before. When Covid came along I felt like a sitting duck, so lucky to have the vaccines.

BTW I'm pumping in the Earol, think I'll be getting my ears done too!

Morning, decent nights sleep and feeling a little more human and more cheerful than of late. Managed a bit of pottering and tidying and a couple of loads of laundry.

Quiet afternoon as need to rest for my hospital appointment tomorrow. It’s for a heart scan so at least it’s mostly lying down in a quiet room!

So very sorry to hear all the awful Covid stories. I sometimes look back to those years in disbelief and don’t believe there’s anyone who didn’t feel the impact in some way.

I was already housebound by ME and had been for many years so in some ways I was already used to limitations so personally lockdown wasn’t much different for me but hard watching the impact on the young people in our family and the older ones too who seemed to deteriorate during that time.
I do remember the day lockdown was announced my lovely DH ordering and setting up an iPad for my mum who lived alone and handing it to her gloved/ masked up via a window so we could at least FaceTime. She often says how it kept her sane!

Going to catch up on Fridays Astrid @JewelleryCat so that’s my little spark of joy today. Have you seen it yet?

Laundry here too @TodayIsatrickyone ! How we generate so much, I've no idea.

I can understand the lockdown feeling with MEcfs. I obviously ended up with it after the pandemic. I often say/feel like I never came out of lockdown.

Still I'm not as gloomy as I sound. I'm ok enough today at least.

I've got one wash on and half way through changing sheets. Done my phone call with my mum and hoping I can see her at Easter now.

My holiday in the summer is all booked. There are things to look forward to.

Glad you’re okay enough today @MewithME Im happily taking okay enough today too!
Yes where does the laundry come from? Swear it breeds and still haven’t worked out why I have so many odd socks too!
I think having something to look forward to helps. I have my holiday in the summer too and I’m so glad we took the plunge and booked it 2 years ago.
I’m also looking forward to warmer weather and being able to sit out in the garden which tends to help pain levels for me.

Everybody's doing laundry! DH is out so I've been gathering up towels and sheets and sorting them. First load still drying but it always feels good to make a start. Yes I have no idea how we generate so much laundry but there it is! Fresh sheets just feel so lovely.

A friend rang up for a chat, another one is dropping in later so good job I bought a battenberg cake in my waitrose order!

@TodayIsatrickyone yes, I watched it on Friday and another good episode. I hope you enjoy it 🙂

@Tiredandwired2 try I-collect if you've got quite a bit to go. They collect from your doorstep, whilst I've never used them I've heard good things. Then a waste collection company for the rest.

Thanks I will look into that

Yes I did very much! I find the subtitles make me and DH properly watch it otherwise we can both get distracted by phones which isn’t great.

Afternoon all. Another beautiful day here. Shame I've been trapped inside.
Caught up with the washing this week. I can actually see the bottom of the washing basket!!!

On Wednesday dd2 is taking me for a long overdue haircut. After 7.5 months of only stepping outside for medical appointments I'm finally getting out for something nice for a few hours 🥳

Had a really lovely day at DDs wedding yesterday, but today I am wrecked.

@FuzzyPuffling I was wondering how it went. I hope your recovery is ok from it. I’m glad you were able to enjoy it.

I really felt for Astrid but don’t want to say any more because I know some people haven’t watched yet and like to save Astrid for a binge

@FuzzyPuffling Glad the wedding went well. Hope you've been able to take it easy today.

Just catching up on the thread so sorry about your brother @TeaAndStrumpets

Covid was such a surreal time. I remember saying to my kids at the time you are living in an historic moment that you one will tell your grandchildren about. Unfortunately my immune system is not very good so I seem to get it every time it rears its head again with different variants , I think I’ve had it 6 times so far.

Bed early tonight for me as in work tomorrow thankfully only for one day then off for the rest of the week! 😊

Yes I felt for Astrid too today. Trying not to give any spoilers either! 😊

Thanks, it was just bsd luck in the end, the covid was the least of his problems. A better hospital would have helped though.

Covid 6 times! That is awful. You are right about surreal and historic. People seem to have forgotten about the Spanish Flu but that was another terrible time. I was reading some diaries from just after www1 and the person mentioned he'd just been to a small village. Several people had died that week of a mystery flu but the authorities had imposed a news blackout for fear of causing a panic. They did things differently in those days!