It sounds like you're making really good progress on pacing - I also find showers exhausting and have a flannel wash most days but I found a shower board (on another thread) which helps me not to get too tired - it's a plastic board that fits snugly with adjustable rubber fixers across your bath and you can sit on it while soaping & drying yourself (search on Amazon on "Savanah bath board" - they're in different sizes eg
this one).
I wonder if you have thought about whether you have orthostatic intolerance (those of us who do struggle to take a shower because it involves standing upright for too long, plus heat) - it's not necessarily to do with feeling dizzy as many think and several of us have found with have it by doing the "poor man's tilt test" - see
this thread.
Hope this helps, happy resting!
I am feeling a little better today--the resting & pacing is working! I also went to bed earlier :sleepy:--at 10:30. My goal is to go to bed at 10:00; stop TV or movies at 9:00 and read for 1 hour to wind down (and I love to read). And instead of thinking--Oh good, now I can do more, I'm thinking I need to keep doing what I am doing and keep my activity limited to 1 hour. I'm very excited! The only thing I'm thinking of doing more of is reading in bed or on couch.
I signed up for Bruce Campbell's online class in June on lifestyle management and asked for support in pacing before then and a woman who went through the class (all three levels) has volunteered to give some online support. I love it when the universe gives me exactly what I need! In addition to the support on this site I feel I am on my way! Vicki (my pacing mentor) wrote an article about how she manages her energy bank account and in the article she mentioned the importance of sleep (which I know but need to keep working on to get & keep a consistent sleep routine). I'll try and figure out how to post the article later today.
I've been thinking of getting a seat for the shower--is the bath board removable so that I can take it out when I'm not using it & my husband can stand in the shower? If not, I'm going to look for a folding stool I can use.
I was tested with the sitting down and then standing up and taking BP test for orthostatic intolerance--but it was not with continued standing. I'll check out that thread later today.
The stool I am using in the kitchen is great help--I want to get one on wheels so I can move about without having to get up and physically move the stool. Our kitchen is very tiny but every bit of energy I can conserve to use for my healing and for other essential activity is worth it!
Today I have one 50 minute session scheduled at 2:00. My plan is to do my Migun massage bed (really helps manage & reduce my muscle pain & inflammation), have a smoothie and rest until I go. I want to get some sushi for lunch--I think instead of going to pick it up, I'll order it to be delivered to me either at my office or when I get back home.
Then I will rest the remainder of the day--watch movies & read and spend limited amounts of time on the internet. :sofa:
Talking on the phone seems to take a huge amount of my energy so I am really limiting that to very short, several minute conversations.
Has anyone figured out how to have their email formatting so that smilies are available without having to click the Go Advanced button? I thought choosing the WSISYG format on settings would do it but it hasn't.