As you know, I have had fibromyalgia for over 24 years. It never gets better, but by careful planning of my life, I find I can most times live a balanced life.
There are occasions in life that are unavoidable. Sometimes it is of a medical nature like the time I simply had to stir my stumps and get to hospital for my heart stents. It was literally a matter of life or death. No choices about postponing because of a flare- it just had to be done.
Sometimes it is something we have looked forward to and simply can't miss- like our 10am wedding in Melbourne 22 years ago. You may wake up like a train has hit you, but you have to go or life as you want to live it, would take a turn for the worse. As I said, there are occasions in life that are unavoidable. And sometimes, it's worth the anguish!
Living with fibromyalgia is very tricky. One does not know how one will feel on any particular day, and often accepting an invitation to a social occasion or keeping a medical appointment is always on a tentative basis. It depends largely on how intense one's pain is at the moment.
Planning to live with fibromyalgia is very necessary and as seen, it is not for the faint of heart. It is necessary to plan and plot moments in our life to allow certain events to unfold.
If I know I have a special event tomorrow, I will plan my menu for the next couple of days to include slow cooker or easy to prepare meals, or I will cook ahead if I have sufficient energy. Or do frozen TV dinners. Housework is set on the back burner for a few days, with me focusing mainly on just doing a load of washing if necessary- and even so, I will use the dryer to save spoons.
As we Fibromites know, after a day out, the next day or two (or three) can bring on a fibro flare and we will be trying to recover and will not be fit for much activity for those days. So we have to plan ahead to include rest.
If we take care to include days of rest after a day out, we should be able to incorporate days out when needed and in so doing, we will be able to feel that we are actually living and not simply enduring or existing.
Medical matters must be attended to look after our health and happy occasions must be attended in order to make memories. If we fail to plan to live, we will always feel that we are on the inside of the window looking out as life passes us by.
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12
Because it's invisible, people don't realise all these things. I rarely talk about it. I just live to suit myself and not worry if I have to cancel appointments, or nights/days out. Although sometimes I get anxious coming up to an event because like you say, you just don't know how you're going to feel from one day to the next.
ReplyDeleteYes, fibro is very unpredictable. Thanks for sharing a cuppa with me today, Gloria.
ReplyDeleteOh, my - I could only Comment as “Anonymous,” but you know me as Grammy Blick. Must be a software quirk. Anyway - God provides for our needs, even our physical ones: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) Another good verse is: “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22) Then God provides the answer to our question “Why didn’t I get what I asked for?” Because we aren’t asking to glorify God within His will. James explains so well: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” (James 4:3) There are steps to fully understand: “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (Psalms 37:4) When we are delighted by God, our desire is to do His will, and He provides our needs. He keeps His promises, always.
ReplyDeleteThose are wonderful verses- thanks Phyllis. He always keeps His promises- true \0/
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