...DEFEAT Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: ...............................................................You don't have to live with it
  • Home
  • About
    • This Site
    • Martha
  • Participate
  • Contact
    • Contact Form
    • Submissions
  • Links
  • Book
  • Further Lessons
  • Thanks

ME/CFS Focus – To the Exclusion of All Else

5/21/2013

4 Comments

 
Picture
My apologies for missing my regular blog of late – I have been in a single-minded mode.  We made the decision to move – sell and buy a home – and have been occupied with little else after our house sold quickly.  My life has been about the move and nothing else for months.  All my other normal pursuits fell away and my life became a single note – the move.  Of course I began to think about my struggle with ME/CFS and how, at first, I tried to keep juggling all the other things in my life.  But that turned out to be a waste of precious energy.  When I finally began to understand the incredibly difficult challenge of ME/CFS, I realized that I needed to focus on getting well to the exclusion of all else.

With ME/CFS, my former ‘type A’ life was totally unsustainable.  I was forced to put my life on hold. I was forced to be a patient.  I was forced to find answers to my version of ME/CFS.  I was forced to focus on ME/CFS to the exclusion of all else.  


Now, the hardest part of the move is over.  We are in our new home, digging thru boxes trying to find things.  I actually cooked a meal today.  And with ME/CFS, I finally got to a point when I could begin to bring some things back into my life - slowly and selectively.  But now with the move and back then with ME/CFS, I’m keeping my focus on the goal to the exclusion of all else.  How are you keeping your focus on getting well again?  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

4 Comments
Tim Boland
5/22/2013 03:52:47 pm

Congratulations on your new home, Martha! I know what you mean about the type A personality, which is how I behaved for years though my true nature is much more about having relaxed living and enjoying, something finally now as I approach retirement is happening in little bits.

I have a question I need help with. A very good friend on YouTube said today that she knows something is wrong with her health, she had a lot of body pain today. She works hard for her family, spends time taking visiting her mother who is becoming elderly and seems willing to help all who ask.

I have gently tried to encourage her to cut back, that she does not need to do everything, it seems very hard for her to say no to anyone, or to turn away when someone asks for help. She has been complaining of more pain and illness over the past several months.

Reply
Martha
5/23/2013 02:14:06 am

Honestly Tim, for Type A personalities, I don't think we can be coached out of the 'throw ourselves at everything' mode. For most of us, we have learned over a lifetime that we can get away with it. Our bodies and minds have somehow met the challenge of 'doing it all'. When I first came down with ME/CFS, I tried to power thru it just like I had with everything else in my life to that point. Unfortunately, it took a severe crash for me to break out of my Type A approach to everything. Maybe sharing your story and what happened to you will help your friend but I doubt it. We Type A's unfortunately need to be hit over the head to get the message. Let us know how it goes. Thanks Tim!

Reply
Grace link
5/25/2013 11:21:08 am

Hi Martha,

This post came at a perfect time for me. I have been delaying quitting my job to focus on healing. It was a perfect reminder of what I already know instinctually- that CFS needs an enormous, full attention and commitment. Your insights helped give me the fortitude to stick with my plan to stop working. I really appreciate the image you created of "adding things back" into your life at the right cadence, when the time and situation is appropriate. I have always really loved un-packing into a new space. I guess I could look at my illness as an opportunity to do that, and maybe live in a very sparse and un-cluttered world. Anyway, thank you. Please keep posting, it really gives me hope that I can recover! Best of luck in your new home :)

-Grace :)

Reply
Martha
5/25/2013 05:22:02 pm

Sometimes I think we only can hear a message when we are truly ready for it. You must be ready Grace :) I takes courage to quit your job to focus on healing. Congratulations. Please keep commenting so we know how you are doing. Thanks!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Hello,  I'm
    Martha Kilcoyne

    Welcome
     to our Community!

    After struggling with CFS for four years I am fortunate now to be fully well and making choices about how I want to live my healthy life.  One choice is to be an active part of the CFS community and to offer one voice from the fully recoverd to the dialogue.  I'm glad you're here!   For more about me, here's my Bio.

      Join Our Community
      Enter your email address to
      follow this blog.

    Join

    For Books, Supplements, Sleep aids and more

    Picture

    Archives

    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011

    Categories

    All
    Appreciation
    Attitude
    Being Positive
    Brain Fog
    Choices
    Community
    Connect
    Coping
    Data
    Diagnosis
    Doctor
    Emotions
    Energy
    First
    Food
    Funding
    Genetics
    Goals
    Gratitude
    Groups
    Guest Blog
    Gut Feelings
    Health
    Helping
    Holidays
    Hope
    Humor
    Immune Support
    Inner Voice
    Ion Channelopathy
    Irony
    Isolation
    Journal
    Log
    Mantra
    Memory
    Mind
    Negativity
    Nutrition
    Opinions
    Organizations
    Outlook
    Pace
    Participate
    Patience
    Patterns
    Personality
    Perspective
    Protocol
    Provider
    Pushing Too Hard
    Pushing Too Hard
    Record
    Recovery
    Relapses
    Research
    Resolutions
    Rest
    Sleep Depravation
    Step By Step
    Step By Step
    Strategies
    Supplements
    Support
    Take Control
    Take Control
    Thankfulness
    Vacation
    Variables
    Version

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Copyright © 2011-2012
    Triple Spiral MEDIA LLC