Foodshopping Flare

Can you get someone to deliver to you? It sounds like you live in the city and they do that. It's more expensive but you wouldn't have this pain and maybe you wouldn't need to spend money on the pain pills. Even a neighbor. If you could ask someone for help. I live in the burbs and ACME or Pathmark delivers. I hate to say this, but it almost doesn't sound so bad to have to give up the car. You drove down the wrong side of the street before and it sounds like going out is really too difficult for you. I know it's freedom and getting around, but you write so often of how sick you become from doing just that.

May your pain subside sooner than later. Take it easy C.

I can't imagine the pain, I don't have that part of the illness, but it sounds horendous. Try and hang in there a little longer and maybe, just maybe this bullsh#t will be over!

I am blessed with a homemaker who shops for me twice a month and one free delivery from my Elder Council. However, they will not go to Trader Joe's for me or Whole Foods (I buy very little there, but do find specials.) And, there are things I simply need to pick up myself, since the people who shop for me are foreign and get confused: e.g. I get zuchinni's instead of cucumbers, etc.
So, I do have to go into markets. I have two problems: call me weird, but I LOVE supermarkets. Before I got sick cooking was my hobby; I was very accomplished. The other is the exhaustion that shopping brings. I would be in bed for days if I did what you did.

When I go into a market I ALWAYS do two things: take a kitchen timer and use the motorized cart. I only allow myself fifteen minutes to whiz through the store. Because I'm in the cart, I feel more comfortable asking for help unloading groceries and taking them to my car. I keep a shopping cart in my car and have the groceries put in it. I ask that items that must be refrigerated or frozen to be bagged seperately and put on top. That is the only thing I initially bring in to the house. I wish I could say I'm always disciplined and get my shopping done in fifteen minutes, but I try.

There are a couple of other things I do. T.J's doesn't have motorized carts. I made a big fuss when they opened but it's a losing battle. So I appear with a list and insist on help. And I get it. When the motorized cart isn't charged at my market, I do the same. I ALWAYS go with a list, because I shop the specials. This is easy for me because I did it before I got CFS.

I have a car, but it's very old and I won't replace it. I can get a taxi for five bucks to the market and five bucks home. If I tip the driver, he'll bring the groceries in.

When I first got sick I thought my friends would shop for me, but that didn't work out. Soon I will go to the Farmer's Mkt. where I get a discount and can get through in fifteen minutes tops. I did use a delivery service when I first got sick but they went out of business.