© 2013 TSM A friend of mine was so dehydrated recently that he had to be hospitalized. After a few drained IV bags of saline, he felt recovered and was discharged for home rest. The next morning, he jumped back into his usual hectic pace. It wasn’t too long before he was back at home, feeling spent and needing more rest. Watching this chain of events reminded me of my struggle with ME/CFS and how I couldn’t understand the importance of self care.
There’s something about us Type A personalities that won’t allow us to be sick. Do we think it’s a sign of weakness? Do we view ourselves as immune? Or have we gotten away with it so often that we think it’s just an inconvenient hurdle? Whatever it is, we stubbornly refuse to let an illness slow us down. Then a cruel thing labeled ME/CFS happens to us. And the old ‘push through it’ strategy not only fails us, it makes us sicker.
An important piece of my recovery was not only acknowledging that I WAS sick, it was allowing myself to BE sick. For me, it was a tough pill to swallow. But eventually, I had to recognize that if I wanted to be fully well again, I needed to a patient for a while. Simply, I needed to be sick and be a patient. Full disclosure, it took me almost two years to finally get this through my stubborn head.
This entry marks two years since I started blogging. And I want to thank everyone who has participated and contributed to the conversation either on-line or via e-mail. It takes dedication to the long haul to get well and I’m dedicated to staying the course with you just like my supporters stuck with me during my long return to health. So are you allowing yourself to be sick? Are you acting like a patient? Please COMMENT on this blog or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them with your permission. You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net. And Guest Blogs are most welcome!
Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays. And consider being part of the conversation.
Be Well Again,
Martha
There’s something about us Type A personalities that won’t allow us to be sick. Do we think it’s a sign of weakness? Do we view ourselves as immune? Or have we gotten away with it so often that we think it’s just an inconvenient hurdle? Whatever it is, we stubbornly refuse to let an illness slow us down. Then a cruel thing labeled ME/CFS happens to us. And the old ‘push through it’ strategy not only fails us, it makes us sicker.
An important piece of my recovery was not only acknowledging that I WAS sick, it was allowing myself to BE sick. For me, it was a tough pill to swallow. But eventually, I had to recognize that if I wanted to be fully well again, I needed to a patient for a while. Simply, I needed to be sick and be a patient. Full disclosure, it took me almost two years to finally get this through my stubborn head.
This entry marks two years since I started blogging. And I want to thank everyone who has participated and contributed to the conversation either on-line or via e-mail. It takes dedication to the long haul to get well and I’m dedicated to staying the course with you just like my supporters stuck with me during my long return to health. So are you allowing yourself to be sick? Are you acting like a patient? Please COMMENT on this blog or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them with your permission. You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net. And Guest Blogs are most welcome!
Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays. And consider being part of the conversation.
Be Well Again,
Martha
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