I've spent most of this weekend just resting (except for this morning when I went to coffee with a friend who will be moving to another state).
I'm feeling better now than I was a few days ago. I slept 11 hours last night and took a nap this afternoon. My body has appreciated all the sleep I've gotten since Friday night.
I'm going to make a greater effort to use less energy this week.
I have to admit to myself that I overdid it last week. At work I got up one too many times from my desk and walked around much more than usual. I also ended up doing a bit more than my share of work because we are currently shorthanded. At home I walked up and down the stairs more than usual because I kept forgetting this or that or just wanted to get on the computer.
Bad me! I should know better. After dealing with CFIDS for nearly a decade (and having been bedridden and unable to have a full-time job for two of those years), one would think that I'd know my boundaries by now. I do, but I don't always adhere to them. Though my body acts like it's 100 years old, my mind is still young and thinks young thoughts. It easily "forgets" that I can't go out and behave like a normal 30 year old.
It's the energy crashes that shock me back to reality. Bad CFIDS!
This week I'm going to conserve my energy. Period. No excuses allowed.
Based on a fellow patient's excellent suggestions, I'm going to start giving a score to my symptoms. Eventually, I'll start an actual symptom diary on some sort of spreadsheet (once I work up the mental energy to put one together). For now, I'm going to list things on my blog.
Today's Activities: coffee with friend, rest at home. Today's Symptoms: exhaustion, nausea, mild headache; active eczema on left underarm and right ankle; rash on back and abdomen healing.
Mood (10 is best): 6
Energy (10 is best): 3
Physical Discomfort (10 is worst): 4
2 comments:
I thought about you yesterday and it occurred to me you have been dealing with this a long time and I was probably 'teaching Grandma how to blow eggs'.
I'm honoured you've taken up the score idea. In fact, I think it's time for me to start doing it again. It will help me focus on priorities.
Reading between the lines I'm thinking it's your work situation that's got out of hand. In this country, if you have a disability or illness, by law your employers have to accommodate you. Is there a way you can approach them to say you are doing too much? Difficult I know.
Sorry, sounding like your Mum. I see a lot of myself in you.
Hope the recovery continues.
I have to say I laughed a bit when I read your comment. I'd never heard the term 'teaching Grandma how to blow eggs' (I had to look up its meaning).
It never hurts to have a reality check, though. Every once in a while (i.e., more often than I care to admit), I do too much.
You're definitely right about my work being too much last week. Quite a few people were out of town last week, so I had to pull my weight and then some.
Fortunately, more people are back in the office now. Today was loads better. I barely had to get up from my desk.
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