Keeping your spirits up

[Dufa]

I have a herniated disc that is acting up now so I have had pain and weakness in my leg for a month on top of the usual backpain. I am on sick leave but everything takes forever to do so there are so many things that need to be done now. Broken computer etc, etc. Friends posts on Facebook about hiking and walks are starting to anger me and I am afraid to bore people with my troubles. So I wonder, how to others going through this cheer themselves up?

[DISC]

It is hard to think about the future when it seems so daunting, so planning things is hard too. Looking back, you find yourself noticing how more debilitating chronic illness is. So, I only take each day as it comes. I keep as busy as possible, write to do things and as I cross them off I get a sense of achievement. It is hard to not write off the small accomplishmnets but you learn to think of them as marginal gains and realise that you have to pat yourself on the back at every step, becuase each step is hard, and others in your life don't have to manage your pain like you do. So the answer to your question, is tryng to achive something each day, no matter how small, so by the end of the day, going through the pain has been worth it!

[Rosepetal60 in reply to DISC]

So True DISC. What a great reply. I'm forever doing lists and never short of something to do. It always amazes me how new thoughts come for the next task to complete and find a way to manage it !

[Dufa in reply to DISC]

Thank you for your answer. I have a task list, but keeping an eye on what I manage to do every day rather than just failures sounds like a plan 😉 In fact, I have already taken my dog out.

[frankdobermann]

Learn a new task first of all! Think strong I had a bad herniation that caused nerve damage and constant pain even after my op to make it worse I had shoulder damage and now maybe neck damage so my ex company after 30 years decided I couldn't come back. So people say to me because they know I cant do much with my back -I can't sit long and my shoulders - I can't lift - what do I do ? It's been 18 months now and I have hardly been bored it's changed my moods completely , gone is the tired angry bitter me replaced by the man I used to be funny calm (most of the time pain can cause moods) and one who has a lust for life again. What do I do ? Well I try to learn a new skill or hobby even the more alien to me the more I enjoy it! I have recently gone into the world of the raspberry pi micro computers determined to make the things work doing what I want or practice soldering. This is all helping me while I get treatment and heal, and also now because of the micro computers I have decided to become a coder and have joined freecodecamp! All for free and at the end of 900hrs I will be able to get some work or work for myself or do whatever I want to work for me I'm getting educated about something I had no idea I could do, and at nearly gulp 50 lol I'm improving myself and worth. Have some faith in yourself and tackle a job you keep thinking I can never do that - you will find if you read learn and practice with a few fails you CAN do it! And all the time this is keeping your spirits up etc and making you more skilled at tackling things you always thought you couldnt, and best of all laugh and smile at yourself while you do it ( you may look a little looney but who cares) I wasted time originally as I was in pure agony but now it's being controlled and I know I may never go back to a work or lifestyle I am reinventing myself , and making sure life goes forward - never back, and maybe I may become re employed in something that is apt to my body pain!

Best of luck

Frank D

[Toplady in reply to frankdobermann]

Well said Frank! I'm in exactly the same place as you - now know that my pain is permanent so am, in your words, "trying to reinvent myself" I keep looking forward, not back and whilst I still have my low mood days, I keep trying to think positively. I am lucky in that I have a great husband and family so that helps enormously.

Just 'Keep going' is all the advice I can give anyone; it's a difficult road but even one step sometimes is a huge achievement so just keep going.

Lyn ❤️