...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/Fibro Self Care – Be Sick Be a Patient

9/25/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture
© 2012 TSM
I flew down to Florida this week to take care of my mother after her second heart procedure.  She came through it well and was given a good prognosis which is great news for our family.  When I arrived, she was concerned that the house wasn’t ready for my visit.  I had all I could do to convince her that I was there to take care of her.  She finally relented and started being a patient.  Of course, it reminded me of myself when I was struggling with ME/CFS/Fibro.  For a long time, I fretted over the things that I wasn’t getting done, how I wasn’t contributing, how much of a slacker I was in taking care of my loved ones and my life.

When you’re struggling with a disease as cruel as ME/CFS/Fibro, the coulda shoulda wouldas can weigh heavily on your mind.  You look like you’re ok.  Some days, for a while, you might actually feel like you’re ok.  And for the most part, the people around you don’t get what you’re going through.  So your tendency is to be inconsistent in your self care.  You crash when you have to.  You push when you think you can get away with it.  And you spend many days in between trying to squeeze as much as you can out of yourself.  And what does that get you? - Chronic ME/CFS/Fibro.

It took me a long time to allow myself to be sick and to be a patient.  And even after I knew I needed to make self care my top priority, I still stumbled and struggled to justify what at times seemed to be so selfish.  But after I finally stayed true to being a patient, I began to regain my health in a significant way.

How do you stay true to managing your self care?  What strategies do you use?  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
Tim Boland
10/1/2012 05:22:38 pm

Oh speaking of self care, Martha, this week really demanded a lot of me. I am trying to phase out of my business which I tried when I first became ill and it seemed that good things happened, I was not being called upon to do too much.

Over the past year, it has been much more busy, far more than I would like. Yet I try to find time every day, especially toward the end of day, for self care. l like writing, reading and making photographs. But with the photography, as much as I want to share it, I reminded myself that I don't have to 'capture' everything, and some things ... well maybe they are there for just me to enjoy. I want to be creative when I feel I am up to it and not compelled to do it.

I also just tonight found a website for 'one minute meditation' and was a little skeptical, until I listened and also some of the testimonials. It's free (at least so far as I can see) and refreshing reminders from others who have found a path of 'less stress'

http://www.just-a-minute.org/about/

Reply
Martha
10/5/2012 10:32:46 am

Thanks Tim for the link. Sometimes one minute is just right.

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