I think I should nominate myself. I am in the process of starting this journey. Diagnosed in Jan and on too little prednisone. Have about 70% relief-not all the way but better. The day before yesterday I had worked myself into a dither about all the things I had not gotten done--and believe me when I say this has been a learning experience for this Everready bunny. Yesterday ,armed with a list, and feeling not bad but a bit fragile I set off to accomplish them all! Yeah--stupid, set in big time! I got a few things done and bang--out of it entirely--dead tired and sore. Forced to go home--Fell on the bed and slept for two and a half hours --totally screwing up last nights sleep. Evidently thinking you can power through does not work with this dis-ease. ( yes I meant to spell it that way). Very hard for a person who has been strong and relatively healthy. I am not made to do one thing and then rest. This is hard on the mind!
Do you give out prizes for stupid?: I think I... - PMRGCAuk
Do you give out prizes for stupid?
Excuse me for being utterly frank but you have to learn this lesson.
Make up your mind that this is the way it is, at least for a time. You'll get better, faster, if you stop driving yourself into the ground.
Conversely, you can keep beating yourself to a pulp as soon as you feel a bit of energy coming on, put yourself into a flare, and are required to go back up the pred scale, which makes the entire recovery process longer and harder than it has to be.
It's your decision.
Laughing but remembering and reliving your experience too. Good luck with moderation and sensible to some they come more naturally than others and I do envy the measured approach people. Sadly I identify with the , it's sunny out and I've go to to get things done, who knows maybe I am upto it now brigade. I feel your pain all too often!
Don’t be too hard on yourself. We all do this. Sometimes sitting around watching jobs accumulate is just depressing. Sometimes we do a calculated overdoing it and then collapse. Look at Poopadoop. If we weren’t on Pred, it would just be out of the question. It’s easy to forget that there is a pretty nasty disease process going on underneath, sometimes. The real art is in pacing. Do a job and then rest and maybe do part of another job. It’s still a massive achievement. Sorry your night sleep was disrupted by your afternoon sleep. I regularly nap in the daytime and am still ready for sleep at night. It’s part of my pacing. You’ll get a rhythm going, you’ll see.
No - not stupid. Inexperienced! Over-optimistic.
We "Oldies/Aunties" who have been here since Adam was a boy have probably been there and done it. We are here now hoping to help others avoid the errors we made and when they do mess up to get through it without going mad. But until YOU experience it you won't know that we DO have a fairish idea what is going to go wrong. You have been there and got the t-shirt now. It will only be stupidity if you ignore this life lesson and do it again.
I hear you, I have set in my mind NOT to sweat any of the small stuff, get rid of all that guilt ridden stress of what you can and can not do .... all it is materialistic THINGS . Love yourself, heal and focus on you. Nothing else matters.
I also have made it a point ... with my husband and I, when I wake in the morning we both take roll call and go through whats going on in my body, and work according to that, I let my loved ones know right away when I feel 'OFF"
I tried that but frankly the cat doesn't care!
My dream is to someday be able to live with a cat and no one else... Lucky you! Lol
I am living your dream. She (Moon) hogs the bed.
I would never do that. Think there'd be a bit of one-up manship happening.... I'm married to the man who complained when I'd been in labour with our first child for going on for twenty four hours that he was coming down with a sinus attack. I think he still, after nearly three years, doesn't have a clue about PMR. When I had a broken leg pre-PMR he hadn't a clue how disabled I was. Naaah, I'm not sharing a daily checklist with him!
Exactly like my husband... No clue about PMR nor anything related... Daily he tells me to "get off the pred", he asks for my opinion and says "no" before I can answer.. Hahaha.. I tell him to stop looking for narcissistic supply from me because he ain't gonna get it. He turns me into a monster .. I used to be a sweet, loving, push over and now I have such a short fuse, I'm probably scaring him!
Well my hubby is a kind person, just oblivious. Even our younger son, the one who spends a lot of time with us (too much, I wish so much for him to have a significant other) was the one who came up with that adjective to describe his father, which I think quite perceptive of him. But I guess this is part of my journey, too. I've learned a lot about acceptance in the last four years.
I want your husband!
Hi celebrant
I am coming up to my second anniversary and as sheffieldjane intimated I am still learning and being stupid and overly optimistic in equal amounts. In fact in terms of pacing it is something I have had to do for at least 15yrs due to other mobility issues so you would think I would know better. I worked 40-60 hour weeks travelling 200miles a day for 10years overlapping my pacing period. In the end at 46 I went on sick leave and effectively retired on ill health. As i said i have other issues than PMR so dont panic!
I actually saw a psychologist for several months via the pain clinic and to keep working for 5 years I put various things in place. I always cooked enough food for a fewportions to be frozen. I tried to rest as much as possible and allocate either one "big" task - that varies vacuuming can be big- or 2 small to.medium tasks. Stop multitasking and save your energy for the good things in life. Dust doesn't get much deeper after a couple of months.
Last week all I did was clear out a car and make a pathetic attempt to vacuum it and clean inside and I was shattered and pulled a muscle in my back twisting with the garage vacuum. Pretend you have two broken legs once in a while. I sit to chop veg etc. You will get back to feeling better and have seen now what over exertion can do to you. Welcome to the club!!!
Hi,
If we did, we’d soon run out of prizes 🥇gold medals too!
We’ve all been there, but the art is to learn from it...it takes some longer than others, but we all eventually get there in the end.
Don’t worry about the cat! They only care for themselves anyway - that’s why we’re here 😇
Dear Celebrant, just to add to all these wise words about exercise, I've been there, getting very frustrated at not being able to whizz through everything. But PMR makes you slow down, makes you realise that the world will not end if you don't hoover every five minutes or make perfect beds. You'll get it as time goes on. This site is wonderful source of advice and comfort and a few laughs.
I think you have to learn the hard way.... I know I did!
I agree - I have done too much today and will suffer tomorrow
We've all been there!!! - pushing through does not work as we've all had to learn unfortunately!!
As a retired energizer bunny I’m learning to accept life in the slow to no go lane! Sold my business Monday, can only date in the day time since pj’s usually at 4:00 pm. Date yesterday...Wrinkle In Time and dinner at 3:00 pm. Accept me as I am or move on is my mantra!
Celebrate Celebrant!
"Retired Energizer Bunny". Love it!!!! 🐇
I sympathise with you Celebrant I too was a do everything person and cannot believe myself as I sink yet again onto the sofa . I am about to have an extension put on the house for a downstairs bedroom and there is so much clearing to be done in preparation and here am I watching Homes under the Hammer from the settee! two years since pmr and hopefully waved it goodbye but I will never be the same again. I now have hurting knees which rheumi says is not pmr but take 5 mg pred if you feel it will help. I take them but not sure they do anything for legs. However we are all very different as you will see from reading all the letters it is wonderful the information picked up. I am now being sent to the hospital gym for help to restore legs ! Well I will go of course but I am 84 and would now prefer the settee but I will never give up. Lots of good wishes and Happy Easter to all 🐣🐣🍹
Good luck perkey. I had down stairs bathroom and new kitchen so I can move down stairs eventually. A bit stressful but worth it for me. Get some people in to pack it up if you can find someone or afford it. They can box it up and if you haven't needed contents in the year following then its time to clear it.
I think I'd win 1st prize for being a slow learner.. PMRpro could attest to my clumsy mind! Once I went to the gym, after being housebound for months due to a broken pelvis, did a few machines, swam quite a few laps, then went under the water jet and the steam room and sauna.. that afternoon when I woke up from my siesta, I felt like I had been run over by a Sherman tank and was coming out of a coma.
Slow learner rings my bell! I’m struggling a little getting used to 10 mg. In my third week with neck pains and headache before taking 3 mg at 6 pm (7 mg at 5:00 am). Last week I traveled, this week I’m preparing for 12 people for the Seder, going to my mother’s for the weekend to train new housekeeper. I am thankful I have help but it’s still not PMR compatible!
There is nothing I hate more than training a new housekeeper, but you sound like a pro at organizing so it won't be a big deal for you.. .. The last one I had was older and more disabled than me, but I stuck with her till she gave up and now I'm dreading the day when I will need to find a "minder" for OH or a cleaner imposed on me by one of my kids.
I use an agency. If you don’t like the person, they replace her. I wrote a training manual so it’s easy. Also got her dinner delivered. My mom is getting a bit difficult since she’s home too much with little to do. Before August she went to the gym daily, spent more time with her boyfriend and played cards until 10:30 pm a few nights a week. Now she’s declining mentally. At 94 that’s to be expected! I’m declining too! Pred head interferes with clear thinking.
I love having help! I only want to do what I want to do and cleaning is not on my radar screen!
I say get help, be pampered and enjoy life!
My daughter is already nagging me about finding a cleaner but didn't everyone say that you had to clean/ clear up before they came? Plus, I'm very bad at letting go!!!
Me too Celebrant, because my BP suddenly rose leaving me feeling a million times better I went for it and did far too much. I'm now paying the price, sore neck & shoulders, and no energy. Do we ever learn?
Welcome to the club. I too share your pain (And frustrations!) have only recently started this "Interesting" journey. I had 5 days of Pred, felt wonderful. Who in their right mind wouldn't spend 5 hours cleaning worktops and cupboards in the kitchen Saturday followed by another 5 hours having a massive cooking and freezing session on the Sunday? Somewhat unfortunately this was followed by taking the Mon, Tue and Wed off work as my body refused to work, all very strange, if only I could see some kind of connection? 
Do you think their might be room on the stupid step for 2?
If you hadn't found us by then it wasn't really stupid - just I doubt there is a doctor who knows never mind thinks of warning the patient! Many of them really do believe that once we are on pred we are back to normal - and that pred ALWAYS makes you feel wonderful. If only...
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