Not even on my worst day

So today is another day of pain, lethargy and lack of motivation. As soon as I finish this post, I am going to have a nana nap.

I once would have fought going back to bed, but these days I know I have to pace myself and rest or this fibromyalgia flare won't abate.

In accepting my fibromyalgia, I have had to cast my perfectionism aside and just concentrate on basic essentials like meals.

I refuse to give in to false guilt and that has been reinforced by my realising that as soon as I am able, my housework will be done. Besides, it will never ever get to look like these houses in the slideshow that I blogged about today- not even on my worst day. 

Today's to do list is:

1. Rest
2. Cook some devilled sausages, mash and veggies for dinner
3. Do the dishes

This is the least I can do to make sure that our home never looks like one of those.

Chronic illness: it is what it is!

So the day has started off without any appreciable spoons. However, I have purposed to do some chores in the house regardless. Simply because they have to be done.

With the last two days slack on housework, there are dishes and washing and some other chores that are shouting to be done.

My sugars are still 10.4 this morning in spite of taking the new diabetes medications for a week. So I accept that I am never going to feel really well. Fibromyalgia and angina coupled with back pain also seem to do that. So I am going to just concentrate today on the most crucial homemaking tasks: having clean dishes and cups and some clean clothes and towels.. No lists today, this is all I can manage.

So today's list of to do's are:

1. Soak and wash dishes and put away after air drying
2. Catch up on the washing and put it away after the dryer has finished
3. Cook some lamb stew in the slow cooker for dinner

Granted it's not much to do, but my body feels like it's trying to climb Mt Everest. But enough procrastination: I must push on. No fairy godmother is coming- I'm it!  

It's mundane. It's frustrating. It's tiring! But it is what it is!  It's chronic illness! 

We are it!

Tomorrow night we are having guests for dinner. I am pacing myself so as to not use all my spoons today and be unwell tomorrow.

The last couple of days I have had severe fibromyalgia and have had to push myself to get to doctors and chemists. I have let the dishes go a bit and there's about 4 loads of washing to do today. In spite of my resolve to use the dryer, the weather's been so nice today(28C) that I have hung a load of clothes out on my clothesline. 

Today is the second day of my new diabetes medication: (Forxiga). Yesterday I felt a bit nauseous on it, but today is a bit better. My sugars this morning were still high: 9.2. But I guess it will have to be at least a fortnight before I see any change.

The doctor said my magnesium levels were low but he just kept on talking about the other results... I am wondering if I should buy some magnesium tablets. Apparently cramps and muscle/joint pain can come from lack of it...

Tomorrow I plan to serve roasted chicken, potatoes and vegetables in chicken gravy. Followed by creme caramel for desert. I can prepare that tomorrow..

For today I am following the Fridays' List and my to do list looks like this:

1. Do a load of washing
2. Wash dishes, let dry and put them away
3. Cook pork chops in the slow cooker for dinner. I will serve them with Spanish rice and veg

I have run out of spoons already, so I will try to have a nana nap in order to be able to finish the days' few chores. I really don't feel like doing anything, but we Sacrificial Home Keepers can't always act the way we feel: exhausted. So, we push on because we know the Fairy God Mother isn't coming: we are it! 

Flat out in bed

So today is going to be busy for me. First thing this morning a technician from Telstra  is coming to install the NBN for us. Hopefully our connection will be faster.

When that's done, I have to go to the Post Office and request another invoice to renew our post office box. They have overcharged us on the invoice. As the post man doesn't home deliver here due to us living in a tiny country township, we must all have a PO Box. They charged us as having a mail delivery but wanting a PO Box. A lot more expensive! 

I have also to change our bed and refill the weekly pill container for our medications. I will be taking note what medications we need a prescription or a refill for at the chemist,  for the doctors' visit tomorrow.

So todays' list of to do's looks like this:

1. Change our bed
2. Finish cleaning the kitchen
3. Refill the medications
4. Do some washing but using the dryer: it is going to rain for the next 3 days
5. Sweep the vinyl floors
6. Bake a cake for afternoon tea
7. Dinner for tonight is quiche with vegies.

This is a pretty full on day for me. I will have to pace myself so as not to prolong my fibromyalgia flare, or instead of being busy flat out like a lizard drinking, I will just be flat out- in bed.

Another day in Paradise!

This morning I came into the loungeroom to find our cat Xena propped in front of the back door eyeing off the birds feeding in the bird feeder. She looked at me as if to say "I was just watching!" But she spoilt it all by immediately prancing around saying, "Out!"  yes, she talks...

As any cat owner will tell you, when you live with a cat 24/7 they get to imitate words and Xena knows, bed, food, out! She tells us "Out!" when she wants to be let out, she knows who Dad is and she even calls me "Mum!".... with the same inflection my own children used years ago! lol

My fibromyalgia flare is lessening and I have a few extra things I want to achieve today apart from following Sylvia's Saturday List. 

1. Go through our clothes and fold/hang them as per Marie Kondo
2. Cook a Shepherd's Pie with peas as side dish for tea

First, though, I am going to get dressed then fling all the windows open. Today the air quality from nearby fires yesterday has improved with rain overnight. I do love fresh air.

If I can achieve all these things, I will be happy. Not that I can stay sad in this place. No matter what comes my way, it's a nurturing place and every day is another day in Paradise! 

What I wouldn't give for a good sleep

Last night was a fizzer regarding sleeping. No matter how I positioned myself, sleep eluded me most of the night. I have woken up this morning so sore and tired that I don't know what to do with myself.

From twenty odd years of suffering from fibromyalgia, I know that today is going to be a wipe out. So I will be pacing myself and only doing the bare minimum of chores.

Yesterday I felt like this, but we had waited a week to see a new doctor and we had to go see him. He was good and seems to know his stuff. We have a few baseline blood tests to get done before we see him again next week.

We are into cooler weather with a top of 28C predicted. I have washed two loads of clothes and am too tired to hang it out. Sometimes you have to compromise when you have chronic illness. Sometimes you win, most time it does! 

I shopped online for groceries yesterday: the Woolworths delivery man is due soon... I am saving my few spoons to put the shopping away and mark it off the shopping list as received...

Things on my to do list today:

1. Put the food away
2. Cook my homemade pasta sauce in the slow cooker for spaghetti bolognaise tonight
3. Rest

That will have to do for today as I am having trouble keeping awake. What I wouldn't give for a good sleep! 

It's calling my name!

Today is a mild day weather wise. We are sitting on 20C with mild winds and no storm activity. I am sitting here wondering why I have no spoons and am lacking the energy even to have a shower.

Fibromyalgia is a mystery to me. Just as I think I have it worked out, a new or worsened flare springs me unawares, and I find myself unable to think clearly. Even my eyes have trouble focussing today, so pacing myself's not going to work.

There's much to do here as well because I have been in a flare for a few days now. I am even too tired and sore to follow any lists at all. Except Thursdays' List. All one does on Thursdays is rest. I think I will have to treat today as a Thursday. Which is the beauty of Lists: you can exchange days to accommodate how you feel....

There's a few things I must do today:

1. Cook a beef stew in the slow cooker
2. Rest

The first one is done and the second is a work in progress. I feel no false guilt anymore.  It's the only way I can get over this flare. Otherwise tomorrow will be just like today where it's all too much. 

For today, rest is my own prescription to get well. Besides, I can hear my bed: it's calling my name!