I like the thread andreamarie - thanks
What did Dilbert say. "It's the goal of every engineer to get through his career without being blamed for a major disaster."
I'm happy to say I met my goal.
ah Jerry - the little devil notices that you say 'be blamed for' rather than 'cause' ........interesting, very interesting





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(Arte Johnson if I remember correctly)
I am now about to reveal the depths to which I've sunk
I have become a bit of tv watcher! I've watched more tv in 8 years of ME/CFS than I had in my whole previous life. And no, I rarely watch edifying programs - I like mainstream adolescent pap - NCIS, Bones........and Bill Maher and Private Life of a Masterpiece when I can
I can't stand or sit up for long - I get wiped quickly. The flatter I am, the less energy used and the more my battery can charge - ergo - lots of couch time.
My visual processing seems a bit better than my audio - I can't listen to music anymore (which I love and used to have on almost all the time.....) as it's too tiring to process, and irritating as well. And audio-books are out as well.
I can't mediatate for long as it's tiring so I do little bits. Same with visualizing chi gong, exercising etc.
I can't talk on the phone for long as processing and participating in conversations ( listen, comprehend, scan brain, develop a response, open mouth to deliver it) is much more complex that I had ever realized pre-ME/CFS
I can't read complex info so no longer get the paper daily nor do the cryptic crossword to keep my twisted brain happy. Nor get good literature. Save mystery novels for bedtime when trying to read won't take the day's energy. Do look forward to them.
I can't knit anymore but have set up the wool so that it is like looking at a piece of art to me.
Okay - will stop with what I can't do; what I do do is
I do look out the window at the clouds.
I watch formulaic, predictable tv (still can't do the news or complex shows but working on it). When I'm really crashed, golf is quite lovely. (GOLF???!!!, I"M watching GOLF???!!!!)
I do 1 minute snippets of things throughout the day - meditate, chi gong, breath exercises, mini-exercise from the couch like leg lifts, crunches, raised arms....
I try to exercise my brain as well between rests - sudoku, free cell scattered throughout the day and now want to try the MS games Jerry referred to in another thread. - thanks Jerry!
https://www.mymsmyway.com/mybraingames/index.php
I pat my dog and smile at her. Love helps a lot.
I tape all my TV so can skip through commercials and rewind if I want to try to get something I missed.
I think about food and spend the day getting up for a few minutes at a time to prep a lovely dinner. Somehow the act of nourishing myself and creating an ephemeral piece of art (my dinner) appeases some of my creative and healing instincts.
I phone or answer the phone every few days and talk with the people I love.
I take care of my herbs if I can or just look at them or smell them.
I find beauty healing or at least soothing, so focus on some in the house, outside, in my mind......
I love a lavender epsom salt bath so will try and see if I can do it that day (sometimes the heat intolerance is too much and can't do - but often worth a try).
I guess generally, I rest, am good to myself in whatever ways I can be, and have found the knack of generally not letting any negativity hang around.
oh - and for the last month, I check-in with the forum, try to digest the news if I can, and share community with quite an amazing bunch of people. This might not go over well with some of you Americans, depending on your politics, but I am reminded of the Bush statement
"like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky. ..." solely for the image it evokes for me. I have an image of glowing points of light dotted across the US, Canada, Australia, Tasmani, Ireland, Scotland , Britain, Germany.....
if
