The Silver Screen Oasis

All the best in finding a replacement car, the right car. I have a car and do about 150 miles a month, every now and again I think about giving it up, I walk nearly everywhere but there is the swimming baths for lessons, work, not on a commuter route and the times when it's hammering it down when it's time to get the kids to and from school. I've not been brave enough to give it up yet. I've had the same car for 10 years.

My prayers are on their way to Loserville

I'm struggling to keep up all my commitments and desperately trying to keep all the balls in the air. I'm waiting until next week to see the doctor and then hopefully I'll get a plan to move forward. For me the worst time is in the morning, since I've relapsed on days I don't work I go to bed at 10pm and get up at 7am get the kids up and ready for school, I'll come back about 9 o'clock and rest for at least an hour, then watch a movie, potter a little, have luch, rest again, potter and then go and get the kids. On the days I work, I take a sleeping tablet and go to bed at 8 at night to get up at 7 to work on reduced hours until 3. This is did yesterday and this morning I'm paying big time for it, I'm utterly exhausted. I'm probably abusing sleeping pills in my desire to keep going. I think my body is begging me to stop and rest and I'm beginning to agree but I can't drop all balls lightly and give in to not working.

Just tell me to do the sensible thing and the more I hear it from people, the easier it will be to give in and accept the rest.

Alison, Darling, giving in & accepting are not the same thing, as you well know in your heart of hearts, and I believe you've reached a critical crossroad where confusing one for the other could be disastrous to your health & your peace of mind.
I further believe that it is imperative in the next several days to sit down with your husband, your primary care physician & your several closest relations and be brutally honest about your crisis . . before you end up paying way too high a price.
You'll be little good to anyone else if you fail yourself.
Just my take on it.

If someone offers to help please take it. I heard great advice once about help from others. They said "don't ruin their joy by not letting them help."

They get the satisfaction of helping you and you get to rest. Who knows, someday you may be able to return the favor and you can use this on them.

Thanks guys. I guess I knew when I wrote it I'd reached the point when I had to start trying to look at this situation from an outsider's perspective and do the sensible thing not try to keep all balls up in the air.

My Mum has really pressing health concerns at the moment, Libby is still being investigated after having those fits, she has to take time off school to get her strength up. Hubby has work issues, he's so tired and stressed when he gets in I press on trying to get the house and kids ship shape, he is very supportive. The kids are live wires. I'm taking all the help I can get although there is a wait to see my doctor, I finally see him next week and through my private health care cover from work I'm seeing a professional and I'm going to try to find a specialist in the area of chronic fatigue.

Despite everything, I'm still really bubbly and hopeful, it might knock my energy but not my spirit, not yet anyhow.

it might knock my energy but not my spirit,

Good for you, punkin'!!!!!

Thanks Nancy, I admit to feeling low today, so tired that I go back to bed once the kids have gone to school, my Dad has been taking them to school, I've just been getting them ready. Still I buoyed myself with movies. It's amazing what a combination of Charles Boyer, Irene Dunne, Kim Novak. Luise Rainer and Spencer Tracy can do for me. I had to take breaks in between to rest, oh dear.

Alison,
What can you let go of that will help you? I don't know how dedicated of a housekeeper you are, but I recommend taking your contacts out. If you can't see it, you won't care. Is there any way you could hire an eensy bit of help? A teenager or anything?

I appreciate your friendship here so much; I am in prayer for your health and your spirits and hope that you feel the love, sister. You mean so much to so many. Do whatever you can to restore those reserves before they run out. And, in my opinion, pharmaceuticals were invented for a reason.
B

Thank you Birdy, I feel so completely part of this family here, I'm so glad tohave everyone.

I'm not an overly fussy housekeeper, I've learnt over the past months to do only what needs doing. My mother is ill so I can't enlist help there, the kids are young but old enough to pick up after themselves and set the table. The most difficult thing to drop was the cooking, I believe in good nutritious home cooked food prepared from scratch if possible and I love cooking. Nobody ever died from cooking food from a tin, packet or freezer, that's a lesson learnt. When I have the strength I try to make batches of soup and casseroles, things that aren't elaborate but are good. Thankfully sometimes the tasiest things are the most simple. My husband is a good man and supportive. I'm a doer, I can't get away from that, invariably too I'm an organiser, running a lot of the school fundraising events, all that has gone on the back burner.

I've just come back from church, my daughter and her class are being presented for their first holy communion. Please pray that they find continuing comfort and strength from their faith. It was so very touching to see them all in their best clothes singing in church.

Alison,

I found these suggestions on the internet. I hope they are helpful. Also do you know of a CFS support group? If you find a support group,
they may be able to offer suggestions too.

•Try to stop or do less of the things that seem to trigger your tiredness. For a week or two write down what you do each day. Note when you feel really tired. Then, look over this list to find out which activities tend to tire you out. An occupational therapist can help you by looking at your daily habits and suggesting changes to help you save energy. Your doctor can help you find an occupational therapist near where you live.
•At the end of the day, try thinking about how much energy you think you had that day, and how much energy you actually used that day. If you keep these two amounts of energy similar over time, you may slowly gain more strength and energy. Think about which activities are most important to you, and which activities you do not need to do as often. Make sure to tell other people in your life how much energy you can actually use each day. They can help make sure you don’t do too much. It is important to remember that energy can mean mental, emotional, or physical energy.

Thanks Brenda for looking up that information for me. I'm keeping a diary of energy and what I've done during the day. Looking back to when I suffered previously, a burst of energy one day can mean a real set back the next day.

I think that may be why you need to conserve your energy in halves. Or even thirds. But that's why you need a support groug, sweetie.

I've got my support group here

"The whiney thread"? LOL You mean we can come here and WHINE??? Love it! Let's see (where to begin)...