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How has ME/CFS messed up your holiday season?

Messages
55
Location
River Falls, WI - USA
Hello Everyone!

Thought it might be fun / entertaining to share some of the interesting ways that our disease has affected the holidays for us.

For instance:

I've been having problems being able to put in the elbow grease to clean the carpet when our cat gets sick. This year, our dear furry friend is getting a "spot carpet cleaner" from Santa!
 

merylg

Senior Member
Messages
841
Location
Sydney, NSW, Australia
Hi ArgyrosfeniX,

Great thread idea! So many things happening a book could be written! Here's one. I decided to be smart & try to buy some presents on-line. But of course, being sick with this DD I left my run a bit late. I ordered a book for my hubby, payed for it to be gift-wrapped for Christmas.

After a few days, I received an email to say it would arrive.....in JANUARY....roflol...:D

PS I then had to go to the "crazy" shops anyway...and when I got to the bookshop...the title I wanted was SOLD OUT (of course)! I then had to buy another book! Not cancelling the other purchase 'cause it must be like gold!
 

Francelle

Senior Member
Messages
444
Location
Victoria, Australia
I just came onto the 'lifestyle' section to start a similar thread, so will post here instead.

Have been trying to do a few jobs everyday to pace myself so that everything would be 'ship-shape' (in a fashion) for Christmas! Well today was dusting, wiping and doing mirrors/glass surfaces etc day....so not twenty minutes ago I am up the ladder getting sidetracked with a spider's web I saw, when I began to lose balance - not because I was over stretching but because of my regular imbalance stuff. Fortunately I got down uneventfully but took that as my cue to take a break as just prior to that event I started to feel my heart pounding and irregular....but did I obey the signals.....noooooo!

So here I am having a sit down and planning my next task!! Will I ever learn?

On Monday I cleaned our ensuite and by the afternoon on Tuesday I just had to go to bed! I was lying there feeling so frustrated as I was thinking of all the things I could be doing......so maddening! Fortunately yesterday - Wednesday, I felt good and today reasonable but as my husband said to me yesterday, "you need to pace yourself so that you are around on Christmas Day" and he's quite right but it's hard to do.
 

merylg

Senior Member
Messages
841
Location
Sydney, NSW, Australia
ArgyrosfeniX: LOL hope your furry friend appreciates the gift! :angel:

Francelle: so pleased you got safely down the ladder! eeeeek! One of our Aussie music industry icons fell off a ladder whilst trying to put up Christmas lights...he ended up with a fractured skull & broken shoulder! Hope he will be OK :eek:

Yes, I still need to clean & vacuum. Running out of time & energy. Have presents to wrap, food to buy & cook :eek:
Of course your husband is right ;) :thumbsup:

By the way...my hubby's book arrived today in time for Christmas! I told him he had better enjoy his present as it is like gold!!! His response was: "Put it on eBay" :D

I think the key is to maintain a sense of humour ;)
 

hurtingallthetimet

Senior Member
Messages
612
the best advice ive gottne from this board and another support board im on...is to do online shopping...though it is still exhuasting i can at least be in pjs..alll i usually wear in house...and i can lean chair back get somewhat comfortable...im on my medications so i have to be carefull due to memory fibro fog and medications i dont buy same thing over and over...ive done that when had a bad reaction to sleep medication...

i do miss shopping in the real world though....i use to go with a friend and loved it...loved going with my family..loved going day after Thanksgiving...i miss having a active life...these illness have taken so much from me and im sure alot of others...when i do go to the store with hubby i can at least take medicaitons that helps some but im so exhuasted after doing the smallest of things that im i crash later on as alot do...i dont live near family use to travel on a whim...drive many many miles over the weekend to spend just one or two days for thanksgviing or whatever...now i have such painic and anxietys i barely get out of house...i cant take crowds in stores either social phobias..

these illness arent just pain and exhaustion...they bring a million other illness with them..or magnifiy illlness a million times...for me its the panic social anxietys phobias paranionas memory loss...etc..etc...even doing online shopping my eyes are so very blurry and my fingers stiff...its really hard....and im so very upset from the huge weight gain im ashamed for anyone to see me anyeways...