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ME/CFS Progress –Review Your Patterns

9/26/2017

2 Comments

 
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For many, Fall is the gateway through which we return to familiar patterns after the long warm days of summer.  Hopefully, we’ve spent some time in the outdoors and had a break or two from the norm.  If you’re struggling with ME/CFS, the norm is the inability to function as a healthy person.  So the long days of summer may have only served to put an exclamation point on your disability and frustration which could have resulted in a push-relapse cycle…
 
As we return to normal patterns, it is obviously subjective.  What a typical day looks like for one ME/CFS patient, can be completely different for another.  But as each patient looks back over the past year, it would be wonderful to see improved health since last Fall and disappointing to feel worse.  Which applies to you or those you care for?  How do you get on the improved track?
 
For some, patterns are the key - unique patterns for each patient.  Specific to each patient and situation.  The key to recognizing patterns is keeping a detailed health log.  As resistant as some may be to this idea, it is a focused way to get a handle on your unique version of this wastebasket diagnosis of ME/CFS.  A patient’s memory is impaired and often useless for holding the train of thought during a conversation.  How could the same person hold a week of patterns in his/her head?  And then have the recall to see progress over a year?

 
If you are a patient and you are not keeping a daily health record, start today.  Start right now.  Get a pad of paper, a spiral notebook, the back of an envelope – just start writing down a brief summary of your day.  If you have been keeping a record, what seems to be the most valuable information in your record?  What is missing and would help to know?  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.  And Guest Blogs are most welcome!

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

Be Well Again,
Martha


2 Comments
Tim Boland
9/30/2017 08:48:10 pm

This summer has been an interesting one, Martha. I am still in Idaho but will soon be traveling back to the Seattle area, having to keep an eye on the mountain pass coming into Seattle as snow flurries in the pass can definitely put a damper on making good time.

I am doing somewhat better with my health journal. I find that in addition to watching for activities and how my day is going, I am able to share feelings there that I may not share with anyone else, but it is healing for me.

I have learned more this summer about what I need to do to not only maintain my health but to feel at my optimal best, for now, during the day time. It is easy to become down with this illness, so I am working toward relaxing my muscles when I am at rest, with the realization that more relaxed muscles for me means less pain which translates to feeling happier. I am also working on worrying and not reading really negative news, as this tend to put me into a less favorable state of mind. That, and taking a nice warm shower at bedroom, for me reading a book usually about Buddhism at bed time as being centered and calm are imo central to become well.

Reply
Martha
10/1/2017 09:04:42 am

Tim, you seem to have identified a great combination of strategies that work for you. Congrats. Keep up with that journal as it will produce more insights down the road. Safe travels back to Seattle. Thanks!

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    Hello,  I'm
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    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.

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