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ME/CFS Brain Fog – Write it Down

1/29/2013

We had a light snowfall yesterday and the temperatures have stayed in the mid 30s ever since. As I look out my window today, I see a wall of thick fog hanging over the snow. In high school science class I learned that sublimation is the transformation of physical matter directly from a solid to a gas without ever becoming a liquid. So today, my fog is the result of the frozen snow skipping over water and going straight to cloud vapor. And it reminds me of the frustrating brain fog I had when I was struggling with ME/CFS.

Kind of like the snow, my brain seemed to skip over the natural fluidity of conversations - the ebb and flow of ideas exchanged with another. Or the transitional thoughts needed to get from a concern to a possible course of action. Concrete thoughts wouldn’t develop and instead slowly leaked out of my head like a balloon with a pin hole. I couldn’t remember what someone said a moment after they said it. It seemed to dissipate into the air without ever registering in my brain.

After denying the reality of my memory struggles for awhile, I finally came around and tried to cope with it. I started to write things down as I spoke with people and it helped me to keep the train of thought going. And when I was trying to think through something on my own, I also wrote it down. It felt stupid at first, but when it began it help, I appreciated the sense of accomplishment that resulted.

How are you coping with brain fog? What strategies have you developed? 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

2 Comments

ME/CFS Energy – Have a Savings Plan

1/22/2013

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I had to laugh out loud yesterday at the picture that accompanied an article I was reading about poor money habits for financial retirement planning. There was an image of a pink piggy bank and a man with a hammer sneaking up behind contemplating a robbery. The article pointed out that money needed to be regularly going into savings not out in order to retire successfully. Of course it reminded me of when I was struggling with ME/CFS and in the beginning, I would spend, spend, and spend every ounce of energy I had in order to get through a day. Then I would collapse because I had emptied myself of any reserve. After some resting I would try to do it again having never really healed or regained any reserve.

It took me many bad cycles of spend and crash before I finally started to understand the need to build up a solid reserve of energy before an activity. I had to flip the whole approach around so that first I built up my energy then I used some for a specific need. But I stopped before I was fully spent and I rested again. Overtime, the reserve built up until I had a deep well of energy to call upon when needed. But I still made sure that I continued to regulate my activity so that as I began to get well again, I maintained the energy reserve. So unlike the man with the hammer, I didn’t use up every drop of energy day to day.

Eventually my reserve was solid enough that true healing began and I was able to walk a path back to wellness. How do you manage your energy reserves? What are your strategies? 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

2 Comments

ME/CFS Mask – Reveal Yourself

1/15/2013

4 Comments

I awoke this morning to a fresh covering of sparkling powdery snow. It clung to every branch of each tree and hung in clumps on the evergreens. The snowy carpet was a brilliant white when the sun shone and it disguised every little blemish which had been visible the day before. It reminded me of when I was struggling with ME/CFS and I would bravely wear my mask of ‘I’m doing ok’ even though I was hard pressed to hold it together. I had been taught by others that they were not interested in my illness or didn’t understand it or didn’t believe that I had a real physical illness.

It drove me to not talk about it. I had come to flinch at ‘the looks’ whether they were disinterest, confusion or pity. Unfortunately, I began to only see those people and under value the people closest to me who cared and who understood. I would sometimes hide my true situation from them as well.

It’s hard to stay the course with ME/CFS and work your way back to health by watching your patterns and conserving your energy. You need a few people to be there with you. Not a crowd – just a few. When I finally revealed my true situation to a few close friends, the response was supportive and unburdening for me. I realized how hard it had been to wear the mask of ‘I’m doing ok’.

Take a risk with a trusted friend and let them know how you are truly doing. Or reach out to someone who already knows and check in. For a selective few, their support and caring can make a huge difference. Do you have support from a few friends or family? How do you let them know how important they are as you find your path back to health? 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

ME/CFS Attitude – Highs and Lows

1/8/2013

2 Comments

Like most people, post the holiday rush and glitz, I’m feeling the let down. Maybe it’s the juxtaposition of so much busyness followed by so much quiet. When I was struggling with ME/CFS, the contrast was starker. Other people went back to their normal, active lives and I went back to my forced slow recovery pace. It was a tough reality to accept.

Handling your ME/CFS attitude is key to finding a path back to wellness. It’s hard to keep yourself up and motivated when you compare yourself to the others around you. And in addition to the physical illness which you are struggling to understand and heal, you have to deal with all the negative judgments and assumptions made about you by others. And don’t forget how harsh and judgmental we can be on ourselves which is completely counter productive.

The only attitude we have control over is our own. So cut yourself some serious slack and jettison the self recrimination. And decide to ignore everyone else’s judgments. It’s a waste of precious energy fretting about it. Focus on what you CAN do to heal and recover. And let all the rest of that negative fodder go.

How do you screen out the negative attitudes of others? Of your self? 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

2 Comments

ME/CFS New Year - Take a fresh look

1/1/2013

2 Comments

It’s a hackneyed part of our culture that everyone makes New Year resolutions which we earnestly pursue for one month. Then we return to our old habitual patterns. And every year we resolve not to let that happen yet again. So here we are. For many, it’s a desire to improve one’s health. If you’re struggling with ME/CFS, the stakes and the rewards are much higher than the average person who just wants to look or feel healthier. For us, it’s about reclaiming our lives and our ability to be fully functioning and present – to be well again.

I encourage you to take a fresh look at your version of ME/CFS. Hopefully you are keeping a daily log of your activities, sleeping/resting times, symptoms and medications. Step back and take an objective look at your patterns. Look for periods of wellness. What preceded those periods? Replicate those patterns. Look for periods of ill health or crashes. What preceded those periods? Don’t repeat those patterns. Look at your symptoms. Which are the most debilitating? When do they flair up? How can you treat them in order to short circuit the flair up? Look at your sleeping patterns. How can you improve the quality of your sleep? How can you make your bedroom into your version of slumber heaven – light, sound, comfort and sleep aids. Your daily log needs to be mined for clues as you find your path back to wellness.

If you’ve made progress this year and you’ve managed to shed some of the symptoms that were masking your version of ME/CFS, awesome! As you take a fresh look, you may get a clearer view of the key or central issues which characterize your version of ME/CFS and some insight into new approaches, strategies and clues to your next steps. It was through this methodical periodic review that I eventually unraveled my version of ME/CFS and was able to be fully well again. What can you see in your ME/CFS patterns? What will you focus on in this New Year? 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

2 Comments

ME/CFS Brain Fog – Write it Down

ME/CFS Energy – Have a Savings Plan

ME/CFS Mask – Reveal Yourself

ME/CFS Attitude – Highs and Lows

ME/CFS New Year - Take a fresh look

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ME/CFS Brain Fog – Write it Down

ME/CFS Energy – Have a Savings Plan

ME/CFS Mask – Reveal Yourself

ME/CFS Attitude – Highs and Lows

ME/CFS New Year - Take a fresh look

Join Our CommunityEnter your email address tofollow this blog.

For Books, Supplements, Sleep aids and more

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