Spoons! Support for those with chronic pain & fatiguing illnesses

[Grockle]

Spoon Theory here

Hi everyone! How are you all doing?

I'm feeling dreadful, my back is very painful and my legs are so weak. Every thing aches so much yet I cant seem to stop bloody doing things!
I am actually driving myself mad lol!
I have a child free day tomorrow and plan to make the most of it by doing nothing

Sounds like doing nothing is really needed gallifrey!

I am crap here too. Went to the doctor today as I feel like I have tonsillitis again. However when he looked he said my tonsils looked normal, so no ABs this time which is a relief in a way (I nearly cancelled the appt anyway). However when I started getting the telltale signs a few days back I gargled with neat corsodyl (the proper antiseptic one) which I've not tried before, so I'm wondering if, while it clearly didn't get rid of all the nasties, it actually worked a little bit? I'm now kicking myself for only doing it for 2 nights.

Doctor also said I had fluid behind my eardrum but nothing I can do about that apparently. He also told me to gargle soluble aspirin though I can't say it had the numbing effect he told me off. Still it's another weapon in my arsenal I guess.

Fell asleep for a few hours on the sofa and am now very sore. And have a really heavy period which was once again so late I was starting to think I had somehow gotten pregnant teeny bit disappointed I'm not, even though a pregnancy would be a near-disaster right now

Doctors are a bit crap really aren't they? I'm sure I have a bit notice on my medical records saying I'm a bloody hypochondriac!!

Been wondering for a while - anyone heard from smiling recently?

I want to run, walk, swim, skip, but I am stuck to the sofa with chronic fatigue. I am trying to raise some energy to get up and prepare dinner. I haven't posted on here before but have been lurking for a while. Today I am feeling so low, so exhausted, so fed up. Haven't had a diagnosis yet, keep having different blood tests, they come back slightly low blood count so GP always thinks that's the answer to my fatigue. This has been going on for 9 years on and off but think this time the GP may be taking it a bit more seriously as he wants to reduce paroxetine (for anxiety) but needs to get to bottom of fatigue. Hope this time hb is OK as I've been taking multi vitamins and vitamin B complex. Still too exhausted to even think sometimes. Just thinking about getting up to even go the toilet is tiring.

Oh blue welcome, glad to have you despite the subject, it took me 10 years to be diagnosised and its been a long couple of years getting used to it, but it is the only diagnosis that ever made sense!!!!

Ive been in bed for 4 day, and dragged myself back to work today, because i literally havent got time to be off sick atm...i stopped my amitriptyline last week and ooooooooo what a big mistake i was in agony for 4 days. pain as eased so i can manage to get about today (JUST)

Do you work, do you have kids, what meds do you take....sorry so many questions ill stop.. but welcome!!

Welcome, keekeeblue. I hate when going to the toilet becomes a major chore that you have to think about.

Hope you were able to rest today, Gallifreu.

Fuzz, I'm glad you saw the doctor.

Hope smiling is ok. I was wondering about Arbitrary as well.

I had a rest this morning, was lovely just to sit and play games on my laptop and watch Jeremy Kyle instead of Peppa Pig!
Then I went and had a mooch around the garden centre in my wheelchair and had a nice coffee in the cafe and read a magazine. Very pleasant and relaxing day with no children or screaming toddlers to look after :)

Hi Belleshelle and Grockle

Taken my son to school this morning (in the car) and my legs are like jelly and unco-ordinated so glad I didn't fall over. So exhausted today, I wake up even more tired than when I went to bed.

I had to give up work last June due to anxiety and fatigue. I only worked part time but it was just too much of a struggle juggling work, my son, and home. My DP is exceptionally understanding as his mum had ME years ago, she is also lovely. I feel such a drain on everyone and try to put on a front and push myself to do things especially at weekends, I don't want my son's (he's 9) childhood memories to be of me always saying 'sorry I'm too tired to play with you'.

Only taking paroxetine for anxiety, GP tried to reduce the quantity but the fatigue kicked in big time.

Had a very good spell at Christmas, managed a 3 mile walk on Boxing Day and a 5 mile cycle ride on New Years Day - at the moment I can't believe that was actually me!! How can I be fine for a while then feel so exhausted I can't even lift my arms???

I'm so fed up with this - I just want to be OK!! Sorry for the moan - I'm sure that are lots of people a lot worse off than I am.

Hi blue, this illness is known for taking away what we used to think was normal!!!i did a walk bank holiday monday a week later i was bed bound for 4 day!!! i hate it, today i feel really weepy, something i havent done for a long long tiime.....i think its because i have triggered a sickness alert in work so ive been referred to occupational health x

Hi kee :)

Totally understand the jelly legs thing, it is so unnerving isn't it! And the tired arms... The other day I was sitting at a bus stop and just tying my hair up gave me wobbly arms and I was out of breath from the strain of it! WTF.

I know what you mean about feeling like you shouldn't complain if other people have things 'worse' but honestly this is a safe and non judgemental group so you can say whatever you need to :)

I went back to work today after being off since Monday, it was pretty hard but I told my manager that I'm feeling worse and explained the way simple bugs like colds/throat infections etc can make ME symptoms worse for a while even when the original bug has gone.

DH has taken DS to the park until DD has finished gym club so I have a nice quiet house for a bit and am going to read which I hardly ever 'let' myself do (a bit daft as I work in a library!)

DH has been accepted onto a free govt funded training course to get an NVQ in fitness training! Previous injury no barrier apparently. Going to make the next month rather stressful but hopefully it will give him another avenue of possible work.

No news about my nan yet though. Jump through the roof every time my phone goes.

I get jelly legs too and the arm thing! My arms were aching from washing my hair the other day.

Keekee, when I am bad, it is hard to believe that I am the same person who could easily do a 5 mile hike up a big hill.

The jelly legs is horrible - I get it from walking only a few metres - and things like hanging out the washing are a nightmare & take forever.

I had my 2nd trigger meeting & have to meet with HR... apparently one of the reasonable adjustments' work might be able to make is altering the trigger levels for me - so I need more absence before getting in trouble. ATM, I only need 2 days to get to the next level, so 4 days off sick & I will be at the stage where they seriously question my ability to do the job & they need to consider redeploying me or retiring me.

I. Can't. Stop. Eating. Mirtazipine?

Not seen smiling... hope she's ok.

My legs I walked on the beach for an hour this morning (I go very slowly so it's not a long walk!), as I try to do every week if my body allows. Normally, it makes me exhausted & my legs hurt but today I'm in agony.

Good news though: I slept ALL night! Well, from about midnight to 6.30! I was aware of shivering & woke up all sweaty & horrible but I didn't wake up a million times throughout the night.

I didn't take any meds last night... I should have done but I forgot. Maybe that's why I'm in so much pain now. I did take my morning ones though. I don't know whether to give up on my ADs - I swear they are making me eat utter crap.

How is everyone else?

Another CBT appt this morning. Lots of talk about adrenaline. Have been told to do a proper relaxation every day for a week, as well as resting. I've got an free app called "Take a break' ( not the magazine!) with relaxation exercises, and some free YouTube videos for yoga nidra. Lovely.

I'm going to get that app! It sounds good.

I forgot - I had a cleaner come today. She lives over the road & agreed to help me every now & then. My house looks amazing! £20 well spent. The problem is that now I want her every week. It is such a huge relief to have a clean home & to know that it's not put me in bed for days.

Yay for cleaners! Maybe every fortnight?

May I join you all? Have no diagnosis as yet, but blood tests threw up low iron, low thyroid and some other complications. Doc has prescribed high dose iron tablets (so now I am even more painfully constipated) and low dose thyroxine. At first I was grateful to finally have something awknowledged and some possible reason for being so slow and worn out. Now I am feeling worse. Still cold, and had a few extremely stressful days which have not helped.

welcome! Really hope the treatments start to kick in soon.

Just to clarify, yoga nidra involves lying on your back, breathing deeply, and bringing your awareness to different parts of the body...and slowly falling into a wonderful near sleep trance.

No poses to speak of.:-) I can't really handle anything like that just now.

Oh the nidra sounds wonderful! Sorry, I should explain, have not read the last few pages...someone I Met today recommended I try using the cat yoga stretches to help with my digestion! I hadn't picked up on the nidra yoga (but will give that a go too!)

Hi everyone, thank you for all your lovely kind words. It's great to come on here and realise I am not alone (although really sorry for everyone who is struggling and wish we could all be healthy

I seem to feel colder the tireder I am. Constantly wrapped in a blanket, with wheat cushion. Trying not to switch the heating on. Got thermal socks on today and leggings as well as tracky bottoms (did not go to the school looking like this )

Tried to have a day on the sofa today but couldn't leave my lovely DP to do the supermaket shop tomorrow, so battled round Tesco by myself. Wasn't too bad until had to put shopping on conveyor belt, pack bags, lift bags in car, lift bags out of car. Still haven't finished putting the shopping away and I got home at 10.30!

Thanks for listening. xxx

Get thee to tesco.com kee! :o
I couldn't manage without it.

Hello yegods, I love your name as it is a phrase my nan always uses :)

Just about made it through work, feel completely shit now. Friend coming over tonight and I really wanted to cancel but it is the last chance before her wedding. Really really dreading it as the prospect of being an exhausted bridesmaid is not pleasant. And I still need to find suitable shoes. Between this and family stuff I feel like there are so many calls on me that I just want the world to fuck off frankly

I work p/t too, blue and it has been really hard lately. Until recently I had another p/t job, but I decided to give that up as I had no energy left for my family!

Weekends used to be exhausting when the DCs were smaller, but now the weekends are my recharge time. I do work Saturdays, but I can sometimes manage some ironing or cooking on Sundays.

Years ago I used to rush around doing so much every weekend!

'yegods' is my favourite catchphrase from 'The Music Man'. Love it.

:D it reminds me of people I know who used to say it!