Fibro Challenges Online Support Group

Mine is the way it steals time from me. I can't ever get anything accomplished (so it seems).

I like to keep my house at least presentable. But three of my seven "children" track sand in day in and day out from their playing outside. They also manage to bury stickers in my living room rug, which can't be vacuumed up. They have to be picked out by hand.

The other four shed amazing amounts of hair on my floor. I never see them shed, but I find the evidence on my floor every day. It seems I am forever sweeping, swiffering and vacuuming.

Then there's the daily responsibilities of keeping up with dishes, laundry, catboxes, running the trash down to my dumpster at the end of my long driveway and feeding myself and all of my children.

Then there's errands or doctor's appointments. It takes me on average, two hours to get ready to go anywhere. Then I have a choice of two towns to do my errands in, and neither is the town I live in. One town is 45 minutes away, and the other is an hour away.

I always try to combine my errands, both for efficiency and fuel economy. So if I have a doctor's appointment or have to go to Walmart, with the prep time, the time spent there, any other errands I can do while I'm in town, and the drive both ways, my day is nearly gone. And of course, by the time I get back, I am worn out. Sometimes, my shopping sits on my kitchen table for days - still in it's bags, waiting to be unloaded and put away.

What this results in is what I am faced with right now. Numerous projects that have been started, but are nowhere near complete, 982 unread emails, a week's worth of mail that is still unopened, bills that are sometimes late because I haven't opened my mail, and a mountain of paperwork needing to have some action taken on it. But since I don't have the time or energy to do it all, it piles up and piles up. Plus, I feel like I need to devote a certain amount of time to at least two of the groups I am involved with on MDJ.

I can deal with the pain. Mornings are really hard, but I can get through the pain most of the rest of the time. I mean, since mmy accident, I have lived in pain every day since 1985, so I'm quite used to it. But I can't catch up on projects, or paperwork, or business. And I've just accepted a role for a new show because the director pre-cast me in the role, so that will take up even more of my time.

I need more than 24 hours in each day. I need more like 48 hours a day!

What is your biggest challenge right now?

Always shaking....CFS or just Fibro..not sure, all I know is that I have been really tired. Yesterday and today haven't been too bad. But the week before I couldn't get out of bed.

Laura speaking of short term memory loss...I'm going to ask my dr. about that when I go back. I was thiking last night that I can't remember so many things since I was a kid. I mean tons of stuff. Wondering whats up with that? Is my memory that poor? It really bugs me.

I'LL HAVE TO SAY MINE IS PAIN AND FATIGUE. SO I CANT GET MUCH DONE EITHER.WHEN I GET UP IS THE WORST TIME FOR ME ALSO,AND IT ALSO TAKES ME 2 HOURS TO GET READY TO GO OUT.AND YES I TRY TO KILL AS MANY BIRDS WITH ONE STONE WHEN GOING OUT. SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE ALOT IN COMMON!!

My greatest challenge is energy and time management. I can't seem to find a balance. I too start all kinds of thing that never get finished. My house is disgraceful, and I'm not exaggerating at all. There is just not enough time in the day to get the rest my body requires and get anything else done. I will be starting classes again in a few months, and I have no idea how I'm going to do it.

Starr, Show? How exciting. What kind of show?

Yep...sounds like we all have something in common. Time and energy and not enough of either.

It's a show set in South Texas around 1977 with flashbacks to 1955. It looks like it will be a good show, but I have an awful lot of lines to learn (groan).

You can do it! Let us know how it turns out. Sounds good. So it's local theater?

No Energy, Good Lord right now I'd have to say that iss my #1 issues right now. For those who don't know I have chiari malformation andhad head surgery on Feb 17. I feel like sleeping 90% of the time. Before the surgery was almost just as bad. I feel so bad for my hubby and kids. Keeping up with the housy is very hsrd too.

Hugs,

Jemm

Poor Jenn...that must have been scary for you. Can you describe the chiari malformation? How did it affect you?

If you feel like sleeping 90% of the time, I'm guessing your body needs it...especially after head surgery not so long ago. I'm sure you feel bad for your family, but I'd bet they're feeling badly for you, too. Take your time and let yourself heal.

Yes, amommy...I was planning on taking time off from community theatre for a while to concentrate on pro again for a while, but I got pounced on, and a dear fried of mine is directing this show, so she's making me do it.

My biggest challenges are trying to accomplish things. I too feel as if I need more hours in a day. The challenge is not to beat my self up when the day runs out and I have not gotten my entire list done. I’m really struggling because I am now need to get a second job to increase the house hold income.

It is challenging right now to get things done and I am worried about getting the second job because I can only imagine what I (my pain and stress) will be like. My husband says he will go get another job but he is already super busy with his company and all the jobs they are building. I feel if I count on him I am less of a person (less independent). I am a self sufficient, strong willed person, I have been that way all my life. We have been married a year this May. I just can’t stand the thought of having to have someone else have to do things for me or make money I should be capable of making (capable if I was not sick). Yes I know that sounds crazy, I know I am beating my self up for things I should not. The challenges of getting through the day at my horrible job and the stress of morality and justice do me in and then life and the pain just are doing me in. O and this is me hard at work, here with no work just sitting around on my butt talking to you. It is hard to sit here in pain when they do not keep me busy working. To me being board at work in pain is the worst thing ever. I am looking to change full time jobs.

Life is so challenging and I pray that somehow all of us will be granted super powers to be able to get it all done. I just need the Mary Poppins power to just SNAP and it is done! O how that would be nice!

Sorry for the rambling.

Amber