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! 😉

Missed all the thunderstorms last night so an easier sleep than some. Feels quite fresh and windy this morning though so I'll take that. I am just so so glad I've had this half term off I'm not sure I could have coped with working, this heat and two grumpy kids each evening after school.

@Currycats sorry to hear about the dog, they are so unpredictable. I had a golden retriever last week run 100m off lead across an open friend at DD who is 7. I turned and saw it just as it was about 10m away as DD who is a dog lover shrieked. The dog lost interest at this point and turned back but I just absolutely glared at its owner. If your dog has the capability to do that do you not think that a public field is the right place to exercise your dog off lead? They put the dog on its lead so I ignored it but maybe I should have waited for them to catch up and said something.

Morning all!

Definitely a bit cooler but still a lovely day. What a novelty to have had some heat.

We have a great stretch of self seeded Nigella along the front of the house, it has gone rampant this week. It's along a concrete path and comes back every year even when it's been weeded! The last few years all the flowers have been white, but when I saved some seeds for my daughter they bloomed in varied colours in her garden...just gorgeous.

I've got another 10 days of eye drops and it's hell on my neck tipping my head back. I've resorted to lying down for them, should have thought of that weeks ago!

@Oioiqueen it was definitely the right week to take off!

@TeaAndStrumpets glad you’ve found a more comfortable position for the eye drops but you’ll be relieved in 10 days time to be able to stop them.The Nigella seeds sound lovely.

Another hot night and hot day again today but hopefully should be a bit cooler tomorrow. I’m normally not to bad in the heat, sunshine lifts my mood, warmth helps joint pain etc but this time strangely it’s been the complete opposite and I’ve really struggled to tolerate it.
Wondering if new meds might have affected my tolerance maybe as I’m so ready for a cooler breeze!

DH and I have taken to having our morning cuppa in the garden when its cooler and the dog gets a good mooch around before it’s too hot. So that’s been a nice change to the usual cuppa in bed. Had the merlin app on too so a very relaxing start today.

Osteopath later and I absolutely cannot wait for some relief. By the evening, pain is back to almost in tears level despite the diazepam to try and relax the muscle. Can’t take painkillers other than paracetamol with that so it’s a couple of hours of trying to find a comfortable position til it kicks in. So hopefully today will make a little difference and tonight may be more comfortable.

Hope everyone can have a peaceful day and enjoy cooler weather if you have it 😊

A different market this morning, more coffee and people watching in the sunshine 😎

Bought pastries back for brunch and now I'm resting in the garden ☀️

I report in with <touch wood> a tale of some success on the dietary front. My regimen of very plain food, cutting out a lot of the OTC meds (and long-term meds with horrible side effects) and replacing with bicarb & water, seems to be helping. No fats/oils, no gluten, no dairy, low FODMAP etc.

This was yesterday:

Banana
Litre of Plenish oat 'milk'
Small bowl of chicken in broth, carrot, green beans, rice noodles.
Yakult + lactase
Activia 'gut health' berry yogurt + lactase
Water
More water

AMAZING! You know, even if you have a bad day tomorrow, you have successfully fed and nourished yourself for one whole day, which tips things in your favour. Keep up the good work!

Fab, what lovely scene.

I am so pleased you are getting to see your osteopath!

Mine is away this week but I'm booked in for Monday morning. I was going to wait until after my eye follow up next week but I am so sick of being dizzy. From experience it will take a few visits....he sorts out my sciatica too, so well worth it.

I also bought a pair of roomy trousers in a pattern my Nan would have had as 70s wallpaper! I love them ❤️

Thanks, I'm nearly a week late using my biologic jab but finally feel well enough to do it now (in terms of feeling robust enough in myself and my energy levels i.e. not so completely run down iykwim). My arthritis is a whole other story!

I have spent years feeling guilty for liking floral prints but now the dam has burst!

I must find some of these trousers you are all talking about, I just end up in pyjama bottoms around the house and was a bit embarrassed when DS brought friends round at the weekend.

Only just woke up here and ut still feels hot despite the storm last night. Our city is in a dip and I wonder if that makes it hotter.

Other DS and DH are still away at the seaside and I am sort off wishing I went too, although I also had my period (or pretend period due to HRT) this week and that would have been difficult to handle if away.

I do like to hear what you are all up to, it gets my experience in perspective and I feel less lonely in what I am dealing with.

It is also pleasant to get some ideas of things to do and I see we seem to take pleasure int he small things, like listening to birds or going to a market, when we can. Pleasure can still be found even with illness alongside it.

I am reading a book on Buddhism atm and feeling a bit philosophical I think!

I will see an old friend tomorrow, put off from the start of the week due to the heat, hopefully it will be slightly cooler then.

Have a good day everyone

Great news @MyAutumnCrow it’ must so hard to have so many intolerances.

@Swanhilde sounds like a lovely break and the trousers sound amazing!

@TeaAndStrumpets yay for the osteopath next week. I’m so pleased you’ve been able to book in as it makes a difference slowly but surely. I know this will take a while but I felt in very safe hands last week. My neck has already felt loser, I’m hoping the shoulder might ease up a bit today.

Our morning cuppa turned into a second cuppa and a very long relax in the garden where DH and I discussed what needed to be done but decided to listen to the birds and watch the dog play instead. Eventually got too warm so came in for a shower which I’m delighted to report I’m now managing much better after a few weeks of DH needing to help with baths. So progress folks! 👏

@Orangesandlemons77 It might sound cheesy but finding pleasure in the little things is absolutely a coping strategy that helps me. I read a book when first I’ll called ‘ The endorphin effect’ I forget the author but it really encouraged that philosophy. I mean some days it feels impossible but I usually get back there eventually.

Hope you can enjoy seeing your friend tomorrow.

Edited to say I googled and think it’s ‘ The endorphin effect’ by William Bloom if anyone is interested. I was able to access some counselling through work when first diagnosed, and the counsellor who recommended the book actually also had ME.

Well thanks to another thread I have just bought a jar scraper for the unreachable bits! I mostly need it for tahini jars so obviously it will be life changing 😄

I do enjoy the really mental threads but ration my pearls of wisdom because people take themselves SO seriously they just want to be angry all the time.

Oh my gosh it’s so hot I am really struggling in the heat and ready for it to cool down just a tad!

Just trying to catch up on posts 😊 @Currycats my dogs are on the small side and I don’t allow them to jump at anyone - sometimes the barking is a little out of my control but they are told very firmly “NO” why this neighbour thinks it ok to just let you know they won’t hurt you is beyond me 🤦‍♀️I am always conscious that not everyone loves dogs!

@TeaAndStrumpets glad you have found a more comfortable position for the eye drops!

@Oioiqueen Im currently off work due to a flare and I don’t think I’d have been able to cope in work with this heat.

@TodayIsatrickyone hope the osteopath can help you 🤞

@Swanhilde Sounds a lovely plan for the afternoon 😊 my garden currently looks like a builders yard with all excess stuff from our loft conversion so nowhere to sit!

@MyAutumnCrow glad you seem to have found what’s right for you with food 😊

I do feel this is so important. Last week I was feeling so stressed by a situation that I made myself feel ill, loads of adrenaline pumping etc. At some point I thought well I've had enough of feeling like this, it won't affect anything, I should just ignore it all until it has been resolved, instead of ruining my health.

I have spent a week plugged into my audiobooks, DH has cleaned the house so I'm not stressed about that at least, and the sunshine looks lovely.

Every so often I am able to detach myself from my worries and it is wonderful. Of course eventually real life intervenes and I slip into my anxiety again but at least my poor brain has had a break!

I am amazed at loft extensions, it's like magic finding all that extra space!

Honestly it was an absolute nightmare when we were having it done, I credit the stress from it having a part in me having my first proper crash at Christmas! BUT I do really love the space it gave us so I shouldn’t really complain 😂

I can imagine! DD2's terrace house went from 3 bed 1 bath to 4 bed 2 bath and was much cheaper than moving house. The area is so nice it was a good solution.

Yes it's stressful!

That’s pretty much what we did, we are end terrace and like you said cheaper than moving.

Afternoon all, just woken up from a nap. It's a bit cooler here today (as in 20C instead of 33), thank goodness. Have sat out in the garden and read until the sun stole my shady spot. Had some nice salami, cheese and olives for lunch and a lemon San Pellegrino - felt quite like being on holiday! I'm also defrosting the freezer which doesn't feel like being on holiday but hoping I can buy some new ice cream for it once it's done.

It’s so hard to do especially in stressful situations that are out of your control as we’re all human but I guess that’s when it’s even more important!

I’m definitely my own worst enemy sometimes, I know stress makes me ill so then I’m stressing about being stressed and making symptoms worse but you're right, sometimes we have to decide to put it to one side until we can deal with it.
I did a new meditation today actually, that had you visualise writing your worries down on a large whiteboard and putting it away to deal with another time. I quite liked it!

I have temperature envy! About 28 here still. I read your post and thought… ooh 20 degrees how lovely! 😊

Actually I’ve got ice ream envy too as our freezer is too full to fit any in just now…. DH keeps shopping at the time they reduce everything and then stuffing it in the freezer! 😂

Loved that whiteboard image.

Agree I also get stressed about being stressed! Same as worrying about not getting to sleep. My darkest fears come out at night. I find getting up and having a herb tea at 1am or so will break that cycle. In colder weather (!) I let myself get a bit chilled sitting up then getting back into a warm bed is soothing.