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Poll: What can you do on a regular basis?

What can you do on a regular basis?

  • Get out of bed

    Votes: 64 94.1%
  • Tolerate normal light and sound

    Votes: 48 70.6%
  • Watch movies / television shows

    Votes: 54 79.4%
  • Read short articles (<200 words in a sitting)

    Votes: 62 91.2%
  • Read long articles / books (>200 words in a sitting)

    Votes: 36 52.9%
  • Walk around the house

    Votes: 60 88.2%
  • Stand in the shower (5-20 min)

    Votes: 40 58.8%
  • Drive a car short distances (<20 min)

    Votes: 29 42.6%
  • Drive a car long distances (>20 min)

    Votes: 16 23.5%
  • Prepare meals (3-4 a day)

    Votes: 37 54.4%
  • Shop for groceries at a supermarket (Including carrying of bags / transportation)

    Votes: 24 35.3%
  • Walk up steps (at least a half flight)

    Votes: 43 63.2%
  • Socialize for short periods of time (<20 min)

    Votes: 42 61.8%
  • Socialize for long periods of time (>20 min)

    Votes: 17 25.0%
  • Perform mathematical calculations (on paper or in your head)

    Votes: 32 47.1%
  • Anaerobic exercise (e.g. lifting weights)

    Votes: 13 19.1%
  • Stretching exercise (e.g. yoga / pilates)

    Votes: 21 30.9%
  • Aerobic / cardiovascular exercise (e.g. jogging / swimming)

    Votes: 3 4.4%
  • Work part time (<40 hours a week)

    Votes: 12 17.6%
  • Work full time (>40 hours a week)

    Votes: 2 2.9%

  • Total voters
    68

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
Another issue the poll doesn't capture is the 'OR' factor. For example, on a good day I can make my own meals or I can briefly socialise or I can read a longer article - but not all on the same day.
Yes, good point. We can substitute activities. Or space them out. But to do something immediately followed by another something can be a big problem. Its not just about what we can do, but the timing of what we can do.
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
Get too ambitious and then crash. I’ve got a fantastic ability at that!
We also sometimes choose to crash. If we are doing something important or fun then we might "choose" to push and not pace. This can happen with appointments, or in my case in a fun computer game when I am starting to feel it but half way through a mission. Its not that I consciously choose to crash, its that I am so focused I forget it may happen or have to assume the risk because something really needs to be done.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Yes, good point. We can substitute activities. Or space them out. But to do something immediately followed by another something can be a big problem. Its not just about what we can do, but the timing of what we can do.

My experience is so completely different that this is one of the main things that led me to (years later) question if I had been wrongly diagnosed with CFS in 2013 and 2014. I can either do something, or I cannot do it, and spacing things out have no bearing on my illness. But I know I am alone on this (or at least I think I am)!
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
I don't think this was posted in a members-only forum.
It is in a public area of the forum but can be moved if the OP wishes.
Answers are anonymous in the poll meaning I can’t see who answered what. But of course it’s possible someone with access to the backend could see, so if you don’t feel comfortable don’t answer
I think it would take quite a lot of tech savvy to see who made which responses (certainly more than I have and I do have "backend access."

My footnote is similar to what others mentioned: I can do many things on the list--but not every day. So while I can drive to a doctor's appointment or drive and buy groceries, going out more than a couple times a week would be too much. Same with other things--for instance I could do some anaerobic exercise, I could only do it once a week. So "regular basis" is the wild card here.
 

Jesse2233

Senior Member
Messages
1,942
Location
Southern California
Thanks @Sushi

I think it's better to keep this public and indexable via search engines so that outsiders can see the extreme level of disability many people here have. It's an important empirical rebuttal to the psychosomatic or the "lol yea we all have CFS sometimes" characterization of this condition
 

Diwi9

Administrator
Messages
1,780
Location
USA
Thanks @Sushi

I think it's better to keep this public and indexable via search engines so that outsiders can see the extreme level of disability many people here have. It's an important empirical rebuttal to the psychosomatic or the "lol yea we all have CFS sometimes" characterization of this condition
Haha...you mean it's not just tired all of the time? I'm glad you've requested to keep this info searchable.
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
My "I get fatigued too" reply? Oh, how many times have you passed out or fallen in stairwells? Has your heart ever stopped? I have fallen hundreds of times, and my heart stopped once. So its not quite the same thing, is it?

For those who might be wondering about the heart thing, both these things are really OI, and my heart stopped during my tilt table test ... which was with my cardiologist.
 
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Wishful

Senior Member
Messages
5,684
Location
Alberta
I didn't click on 'watch tv' or 'stand in a shower' since I haven't even tried either activity in over a decade. TV stopped being worth watching, and my cabin doesn't have a shower. I expect that I could do those things, but I haven't actually proven it lately. If your poll is about what I'm fairly sure that I could do, I can change my votes.
 

ukxmrv

Senior Member
Messages
4,413
Location
London
The activities are mainly too high for me

We need to define "regular". If you mean on demand then it's a big "no". "Consistent" isn't clear enough as I may be able to get out of bed but maybe only for certain hours in the day but not every day and not when I want to get out of bed. I have no choice than to spend x number of hours in bed.

Also the time of day is important. I might be able to do one or two of the light activities on a good day but only in a window of 2 hours at night.

Maybe a none of the above option?