Frustrating!

I guess I'm not alone in being frustrated with what I can & can't do these days!

My ability to do energetic things has significantly decreased over the last few months, I have always been a "full-on" on the go person doing lots of things including hill walking, swimming & sport.

Now with this dreaded condition I have to think about everything I am going to do in order to pace myself!

We have a fairly big garden which I have mostly taken charge of, it includes a lot of hedges & grass which of course need trimming!

My husband is now doing a lot of it which I'm grateful for but I HATE not being able to help him as much as I would like to!

He retires in a few weeks time & I think I'm going to find it hard not to try & help him with jobs that need doing - how do others cope with that?

I feel guilty if I'm sitting & reading or on the computer.

It's not going to be an easy adjustment - for either of us!

[Hidden]

Don't feel guilty at just sitting, do what you can, when you can, that's what I have found I have to do. It does take the family a long time to come round to it, but once they do it makes life a whole lot easier. Take care.xx

[Hidden]

im with you .. big garden is a no no for me.. luckily I HAVE A SMALL one x

[sylvi]

I have a small garden and i am struggling to do even that now. I am so fed up with how my body is attacking me.xxxx

[miss]

Hi there so know how you feel. Went to London yesterday done sod all today. Its the way this illness is. Enjoy the bits you do xxx

[Hidden]

I have to give myself a good talking to every time I step foot in the garden at the moment. Not only are there 101 jobs staring me in the face that I'd be crazy to tackle, but from where we are I get a panoramic view of fit & healthy people bending, snipping, cutting, digging, carrying, climbing ladders etc. etc. Fortunately they can't see me so easily so if the pep talk doesn't work straight away I can weep & snivel until it's out of my system. I just have to get over this stage .... is that how you feel too? I suppose one approach is to do things in short, sedate bursts & gradually things will get done - that is soooo not me but I think it's going to have to be. There must be a way to adapt to this thing. Luce xx

[oldtimer]

As I've probably said several times on previous blogs, i use a kitchen timer. I set it for an hour, sometimes for half an hour if I'm really bad. I do something for an hour, then the timer goes off and I change what I'm doing (from activity to rest or vice versa).

I've found it so useful to remind myself that I need to alternate what I do - not too much gardening and not too much sitting either!

[Hidden]

Getting the balance right is so difficult - particularly as the condition can change so much from day to day.

I've recently had to get people in to do housework and gardening for me and I found it all too easy to give up completely and sit on my backside all day.

Every now and again though I find my inner strength return and I find I can do a little bit (sometimes only 5 mins) if I can then immediately sit down to relieve the spasms. I trail a little plastic chair around after me and am sure I look very bizarre plonked in the middle of my front garden bed on it.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I'm all for what works for us now rather than what others think. Anyway if they are talking and looking at what I am doing they must have very sad lives!