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© 2011 TSM
Before I was sick with ME/CFS, the holidays were a blur of activities in addition to the normal work and family commitments.  A Healthy person struggled to get it all done.

Then I went through four holiday seasons under the constraints of ME/CFS.  For two of them, I was bedridden for most of each day.  As is often the norm for ME/CFS sufferers, I was pretty hard on myself.  All I could think of were the special holiday things that my kids and family weren’t enjoying because of me.  But I couldn’t do anything about it.  So those holidays passed with me needlessly feeling down.

Then came a holiday season when I was feeling stronger – not fully well but better.  And of course, true to form, I wanted to make up for the ‘lost holidays’.  Ha!  Lessons can be tough to learn.  Gratefully, I had people around me and a voice in my own head that said, “Do what you enjoy and let the rest go.”

Now that I am fully well, our holidays are still scaled down and we all like it that way.  It’s more like a delightful sampling of what the season offers than a forced and frenzied banquet.  We don’t do every activity every year.  We switch it out.  Our gift giving is mostly donations to charities, Yankee Swaps (even with family) and special consumables (wine, soup mixes, teas, etc).  We haven’t sent cards in years.  I’m thinking I might send an e-card this year.  Maybe…

How do you get through this season without straining your energy limits and pushing yourself into relapses?  What do you happily forego from the holiday hustle and bustle list?  Please COMMENT or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them.  You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net.

Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays.  And consider being part of the conversation.

Be Well Again,

Martha
 


Comments

Lois
12/13/2011 5:06pm

Parties are the worst. Everybody standing around the drink/coffee table chatting away. After about 5 minutes I start to get light headed and can feel a “crash” coming on. Most people can’t comprehend how standing for a few minutes can drain every bit of energy out of me. Sometimes I can sit on the arm of the sofa. Sometimes I take refuge in the bathroom, put my head between my legs and breath deeply but that doesn’t help much.

How do others handle parties?

Lois

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Martha
12/28/2011 5:46pm

Parties are challenging. If it was family, I made sure I had a quiet place to rest between the main events. For friends, I sometimes phoned in. It was hardest when I was feeling better but friends just didn't understand how exhausted I still was. For them I looked fine...

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