Saturday 16 October 2021
Comfort from my kitchen
Saturday 2 October 2021
Sometimes you have to be your own doctor!
Monday 13 September 2021
Finding beauty in a horrid day
I had trouble waking up this morning. My fibromyalgia has made me feel like I have been run over by a truck. However the day has not been a total loss.
I did a load of washing and now have to put it all away. I am not sure if I have enough spoons left for that because I also washed a whole stack of dishes and I am not sure if I have enough energy left to cook.
I am still in my PJ's. I just might need to take a nana nap or rest at "the beach" so I can recharge. We will see...
The weather has been nice today and I left the back door open and listened to the birds and the stream running. The sun was shining on the water and the birds were calling and coming down to eat the seed and watermelon I left on the back porch for them.
It's important to try to find something lovely in every day, no matter how bad our fibromyalgia is to bring a balance of goodness and beauty in an otherwise horrid day.
Sunday 5 September 2021
We are very flexible!
Saturday 4 September 2021
Sacrificial home keeping's sorted
Today I managed to finish washing the dishes- I have been doing them in short bursts as I can't stand long.
I managed to take a shower this morning and I had to rest a bit after it. But it was good! The water relieved some of my muscle pain from my fibromyalgia.
I rang my friendly housecleaner and offered her some extra money if she would regularly change both our beds each fortnight. Even though due to illness, we have separate rooms now, the beds still need changing fortnightly. I can no longer do it. She's agreed to do that, so that's a load off my mind.
We had a doctor's appointment this afternoon, but Chris didn't feel well enough to drive and I can't, so we changed to a phone consult. I got some scripts for pain relief and discussed Chris' diabetes woes. I will be giving him 34 units twice a day from today instead of the 32. Plus there's a new injection for once a week we must start tomorrow.
I will be sitting outside for a bit today as the weather is supposed to be nice. It will seem better now that the sacrificial home keeping has been sorted!
Wednesday 1 September 2021
Life is good in spite of setbacks
I am trying to keep up with my home making duties. I have to do some dishes and clean my kitchen.. My knees are paining me so much today, that I won't be able to do much more.
Fibromyalgia is back again and spoons are scarce. I am also psyching myself up to take a shower. Lucky we have a shower chair now. Funny how you don't think twice about it until chronic illness comes a'callin!
With the brain fog, I get side tracked often too. Now I ask Siri to remind me to change the loads of washing over from washer to dryer. I need to find an app to tell me I have left stuff out that should go in the fridge or that I have nuked a night time snack and find it in the microwave in the morning hahaha
I am planning on using my slow cookers a lot today. I will be slow cooking the pork chops in a sweet curry sauce with the rice. I will be making some Jewish Penicillin in another slow cooker and I will make a chow mein in the other slow cooker for tomorrow.
After that, I plan to feed the birds and watch them eat... sitting out on the porch under the apple blossoms on the neighbour's tree... it's the first day of Spring here in Australia. Life is good in spite of setbacks..
Tuesday 24 August 2021
If I get those few things done
I didn't get some things done yesterday. My spoons disappeared and I ended up taking a nana nap to ward off another fibromyalgia flare.
Waking up after a disturbed night's sleep, I realised that fibro has found me again. I have severe pain in my arms and neck as well as a newly diagnosed urinary tract infection. Hence the disturbed night's sleep.
In spite of that, I have a few things I would like to do today. I need to fold washing which is easy as I can sit and do it.
As I promised, I will make some sultana muffins for Chris as I can reach it if I sit at our breakfast bar on the high stools. Same thing for dinner prep. Just a mixed grill for tonight.
Chris is going to change my bed and I will wash the sheets and anything else in the hamper. With my pain relief making me tired, that will be enough for today and if I get those few things done, I will be very happy.
Thursday 8 July 2021
Making better use of my spoons
With limited spoons (energy), I have to be more mindful of my time on Face Book. FB is a useful tool for keeping in touch with relatives who may or may not bother to keep in touch with us. This saves on phone calls as most of Chris's family are in England.
As a chronically ill woman with constantly flaring fibromyalgia as well as other chronic illnesses, I do 15 mins of housework, then I play Candy Crush as I rest. It's a great motivator and a good reward and rest break wherein I don't have to think too much and it helps de-stress me
However, I realise that while I do 15 mins in the house, I often spend an hour or more on Candy Crush or reading memes. By the time I realise that I haven't managed to do what I planned, my spoons are gone!
I find FB often depresses me and when we had the 3 days without power recently, I felt less stressed. So for me, I have learned to use FB and not have FB use me.
Although you will find me there still, it isn't at all as many times as before. Who would have thought that an inconvenience like a power outage would actually be a blessing? It's taught me how to be making better use of my spoons!
Tuesday 6 July 2021
I am so glad it's over.
Wednesday 23 June 2021
My daily homemaking chores
So that we won't live in a pig stye, I try to keep to this schedule no matter how I feel. It is based on Sharon White's Legacy of Home blog. I often read through this to motivate me, but for really fibro brain fog days, I have highlighted the chores for quick reading. I have modified it a little for my own home...
Monday 21 June 2021
Even pleasant times are draining
Yesterday we had Chris's daughter come for his birthday which was Saturday. She brought a cake and a gift- the top fitted perfectly, but the slippers were too tight for his swollen feet.
Tomorrow we will go and exchange them as I have the docket. We were going to Kmart as Chris was given a gift voucher from my daughter, but he is feeling tired today, so we will make it another day.
Chronic illness dictates our lives now. Chris with his heart failure and me with my fibromyalgia. Spoons are dictators that seek to keep us immobile with no social outlets.
These days, we are fortunate in that people come to us. Over the years, they have realised that often it is impossible for us to leave our home to visit them- especially if there is a time-table. One just never knows how many spoons will be available on any day-not until the morning at the earliest.
I only have basic house chores today as all the washing and dishes are caught up. So that will be all I have to worry about with no spoons available today.
It's funny how even pleasant times can drain one of spoons...
Above is a picture of Chris and our grandson Lachlan who also shared his birthday with Grandpa.
Monday 31 May 2021
Kudos to us all!
- praise and honour received for an achievement."she was looking for kudos rather than profit"Similar:prestigecachetgloryhonourstatusstandingdistinctionprestigiousnessfamecelebrityreputationreputerenownnotabilityadmirationrespectesteemacclaimacclamationapplausepraisecreditapprobationtributeOpposite:obscurityinfamy
- INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICANcompliments or congratulations.plural noun: kudos"kudos to everyone who put the event together"
Anyone who manages a home whilst battling chronic pain, illness and disability will know that there is a sacrificial element: we are the most selfless and courageous of women. We Sacrificial HomeKeepers sacrifice our comfort and exert ourselves beyond limit for those we love.As a chronically ill woman, I can identify with women who are sacrificing themselves in trying to maintain normality in their home and family. I believe I am well qualified to write about chronic illness as I suffer from a myriad of health problems ranging from life-threatening to simply annoying.
These posts are written as a diary of thoughts and articles through my days as a sufferer of chronic pain and illness. If you share that journey, please feel free to read this and perhaps comment, for illness can be a very lonely and isolating experience