What are you up to today if you have a chronic illness Thread 8.. plodding on gently...

[MewithME]

Linky to last thread 🧵 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5506529-what-are-you-up-to-today-if-you-have-a-chronic-illness-thread-7

Let's be good and use those last posts up first. Nice to be tidy here if not in my house! 😉

Aching to go to bed. Soon.

You should go to bed and rest 🙂

Do you have to wait up for something/someone? I'm quite often in bed by 9:30.

Bed!

It takes me a while to get there!

@danglethedingle my body usually waits for me to be on my knees with PEM then hits me with IBS. Sometimes it's "only" the pain but I'm not grateful. After the IBS calms down I get a sore bladder for a few days...I suppose it's just general inflammation causing everything. I'm very bloated this week and hope I can manage without my hot water bottle if it's 30 degrees!

I've just been sent some new photos of our little granddaughter....she's finally got enough hair for a trim (16m) and she suddenly looks different. It's so weird - with a fringe she looks like my Mum as a toddler. Funny how the faces pop up down the generations.

Hi all, just catching up on posts.

Tried to go for a swim yesterday bit ended up feeling faint getting out the pool so went to the nearest cafe and ate cake, so that sort of defeated the health aspects of the swim, oh well!

Hoping for a good weekend for all

I go to bed at 9pm every day. DH is used to it, he gets to watch what he wants on the telly!

Early bedtime is a major fatigue- management technique for me.

It's rare that I'm up beyond 9pm, although I have been a fan of an early night for quite a long time.

Sorry your swimming didn't go as planned @Orangesandlemons77. I'm planning a trip with a friend to an outdoor pool tomorrow, but I only intend to get in and bob about. I'm really hoping my body behaves as it used to be one of my favourite places and make me feel really calm and lovely.

Not doing much today, had some groceries delivered, watered the garden first thing and am staying inside keeping cool. On a mission to find some nice films to watch on my week off - I watched The Duke yesterday and really enjoyed that.

Aw that’s lovely you can see your mum in her. They do look different with that first haircut don’t they? Suddenly more grown up.
My son is the absolute spitting image of his dad. Has been from day one and photos at similar ages throughout childhood are like looking at the same child. If I hadn’t given birth, I’d wonder if he was mine 😂 Yet recently I saw a photo of him and suddenly saw my eldest brother in him. He also didn’t see much of my brothers growing up so wasn’t influenced yet has the same musical interest and talent. Genetics are fascinating aren’t they!

It's so interesting to look at really old family photos, you can often spot present day characteristics even after a hundred years! It's amazing when you think of all the genes being shaken up and rearranged every generation, but still being in there. My Irish ancestors are still coming through loud and clear!

We had a very sudden loud thunderstorm last night, right overhead. I'm hiding indoors away from the heat! We're just not set up for heatwaves in this country.

Like every year I find I've got nothing to wear! I don't have a holiday wardrobe as it's years since I've been anywhere sunny. Fortunately nobody can judge my hodge podge of clothing, chosing for coolness not style. Last time it was as hot as predicted I just wafted round in a baggy cotton nightshirt!

@martha79 I've got out of the habit with films and used to be a huge cinephile. Gentle films are a nice way of relaxing. I love it in summer. I have an open plan living room and can throw the sliding doors open onto the deck and flop and watch films. It's like being a little bit outside while still resting. I like watching films set in lovely exotic sunny places when it's sunny. Not my choice today though. DS is into his sci fi now. We're going to watch the Martian later. 😊

We have been out for lunch accidentally.next door was jet washing (day 3) and I had to escape for a bit!

@TeaAndStrumpets summer fashion is great just now. I have loads of very lightweight baggy trousers. It's like wearing PJ's. I've had X2 pairs from Tu. They're really nice.

👌wonderful!

Oh yes I second the baggy trousers that feel like pjs! I got a cheap Stripey pair from Primark last year and they're currently my fave! I’ve progressed from being in pjs to being dressed in trousers that look like PJs 😂

DD set up our doggy paddling pool and newest dog actually loves it! Our old dogs were not that fussed whereas she was diving in and out all morning and trying to play with the hosepipe whilst it was filling. So she gave us all a chuckle this morning. Too hot for her this afternoon and she’s obviously worn herself out as she’s been snoozing all afternoon whilst I’ve been resting.

It’s way too hot for me as well. I don’t do well in humidity, I never have. Luckily, this is only for a few days before cooler temperatures again. It is a pain getting dressed in a lot of layers to go out when it’s really cold and by go out for me, it’s just to the rubbish bins at the moment but I prefer having layers than this weather

TL;DR - Food help needed please!

I like the hot weather; it helps my joints and skin! I'm still suffering from the side-effects of the unwisely prescribed Ciprofloxacin though. Tendons buggered. My guts (the whole gastrointestinal tract) are also in tatters.

So, if anyone fancies a challenge, devising me some meals that don't contain food any of the things that I can't eat without being in agony and/or horrendously toiletarily compromised to the point of exhaustion, I'd be grateful.

I can't currently eat: dairy; gluten; fats & oils; meat; pulses / legumes / beans; alliums (onions, garlic etc); acidic food; citrus fruits; lots of other fruits like apples, pears; tomatoes; fruit juice; wholewheats & whole grains; spice & pepper; tinned soup; nuts & seeds; more than one egg yolk at a time; and most OTC 'health' supplements.

I do have some lactose tablets so I'm going to try and have a Yakult every day for the probiotic bacteria. I don't smoke or vape and packed in the booze a while ago. I don't take NSAIDs. (GP surgery engagement is a whole other story.)

Today I've had a boiled egg. For later on, I have tinned tuna and white rice. DP bought me some Plenish oat milk. There's an avocado in the kitchen but I'm trepidatious. I've got to the point where eating food scares the shit out of me.

That's really tough. I know what you mean because I have very few "safe" foods and have excluded so much.

It's a shame you can't have oil because it does add in some calories. You mention tomatoes so presumably no potatoes (nightshade family). I react to green veg but am OK with watercress. I buy it by the bag full and whizz it up in the food processor with olive oil (which I see is a no, sadly.) It comes out like pesto and I freeze into discs to add to steamed rice. It is really nutritious.

Can you have white rice noodles? Is meat absolutely out of the question? Carrots are a godsend, and I'm OK with beetroot. Recently given up parsnips as they don't agree. I eat loads of home made hummus with rice cakes, and I eat lamb and pork with very little fat.

My breakfast every day is a frozen buckwheat pancake warmed up in the oven.

I mentioned (maybe on another thread) that probiotic capsules gave me the trots for 3 months straight but of course everyone's different.

Hope other people have some good ideas for you!

I can’t help with the food but maybe I can with the drink. You mentioned Yakult for the probiotics but there is a dairy free version that is good for the gut called biomel and it comes in different flavours. They do a powder, bars and gummies too which might or might not help you https://www.biomel.life

Why has my post been hidden?

And it’s now back. That’s weird. Nothing on there for it to have been hidden

@MyAutumnCrow I think you would benefit from some expert help surely? If not available via a referral to a dietician, maybe a nutritional therapist might help. I've been to one before and found it helpful. She was still in training so it was free (via local university) but she was fully supervised.

I reckon I reacted to probiotics too. I took them before and was fine/ think it helped after antibiotics. Took them more recently and I was very nauseous and tummy off.

White rice, fish? Steamed spinach? Can you eat dried fruit, that can be a good source of vitamins. Apples cooked down can be easy on the stomach? Sweet potato (obviously not roasted but it can be microwaved).

Sounds v hard work. Sorry.

Haha we had that a week or so ago. Mine was hidden and then revealed. We thought @Swanhilde had been up to something as she couldn't log in! Maybe MN are helping us feel a bit of excitement? 😄

Very odd @MewithME but I guess @Swanhilde has done something 🤣

@Swanhilde has been back in the fold with her magic kettle....thank goodness.. though I do think we may need to swap to an ice maker? ☺️🥵