It's around 8am here and I have been out of bed for an hour or more. I've dressed and I've taken all my pills and supplements etc. Big deal, right? Well, I've come to appreciate the simple little things that I always took for granted. Despite the fact that I will probably fall apart again before lunchtime, being able to get up early and do all the 'normal' morning stuff gives me an incredible boost and a glimpse again of how life used to be. More days like this please!
I'm surprised I have started the day so well, to be honest. Yesterday I really overdid it and had a couple of hours where my body showed its displeasure in no uncertain terms! The morning had involved a visit to the doctor for a chat about my latest blood tests and my referral to the M.E. clinic. Turns out I am in the 're-test' zone for diabetes so more blood tests are necessary. I'm trying to avoid thinking about the consequences of having diabetes on top of all the other stuff that is falling apart though and I'll cross that bridge if it comes. Stressing and worrying definitely makes my illness worse so I'm getting better at avoidance of anxious thoughts.
The visit to the doctor also allowed me to talk to him about how I'm going to manage my own treatment plan but that I'd really value consulting him once a month or so to summarise what I'm trying out and get his professional opinion on it all. I'm really lucky to have a GP that is honest with me and treats me like an intelligent human being. He was really positive about the monthly updates and hopes he can learn more about the lifecycle of the illness etc so it's all good.
I decided to try to stay out of bed once I got back home yesterday and I even pushed myself to fix a cup of tea and some sandwiches for lunch. I know that probably sounds like not much at all but my elevated heart rate and shaking muscles when I stand or sit have meant little chores like that have been mostly beyond me. Anyway, I then decided to push my luck further and sit and read after lunch. That was a bit silly really, now I know how much rest my body needs and how little it can achieve physically at the minute. Needless to say I had a really bad end to the afternoon with a migraine and a feeling that different parts of my body were shutting down. Sometimes it sounds dramatic when an M.E. sufferer says they feel like they are dying but there are times when that strange feeling does arise. It's like you can feel all your vital organs slowly giving up. Probably sounds bonkers but that's the best way I can explain it.
Thankfully, I had some dinner with my girlfriend and brightened up a little again. I managed to watch a bit of telly before falling asleep and grabbing a decent 7 hours or so rest. All in all, it was an interesting day in terms of studying how my body reacts to various things. I won't be as silly as to push myself quite as far today though. Plus I'm concious that the effects of over-exertion are often not felt for 48 or 72 hours so fingers crossed I don't crash and burn before the weekend!
Take care,
Barry
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