Monday, I finally finished taking down all the Christmas decorations. I reorganized the book shelves, three of them. I did 2 loads of laundry. I did rest in between and often. I felt really victorious at having accomplished so much.

Tuesday, I sort of took it easy. Did some embroidery. Had my knitting class in the evening.

Wednesday, oh dear! I think Monday caught up with me. I had things that I had to to. Like an eye doctor appointment,and Wal-Mart shopping. Both of those things are an hour drive from my house. The eye doctor was easy. The chairs are comfy, he is gorgeous. I found out I have a cataract on my right eye. He said he will remove it in about a year. I am 52. Is that too young for this? Anyway, from there I went to Wal-Mart. I usually get help with the heavy items. I can't lift them into the cart let alone push the cart with them in it. But, today I couldn't find anyone, anyplace to help. I put the cat litter (40 lbs) and 2 bags of cat food (20 lbs each) in the cart. I did the rest of my shopping. By the time I got to the check out I couldn't hardly walk, even while hanging onto the cart. I asked for help unloading the cart onto the belt but no one came. I did it myself. I was crying when I finished. Fortunately, there was some one to help me out of the store. The drive home was pure H***. It hurt to just try and reach the pedals.

I still haven't put everything away. Things are still in the bags sitting on the floor in my kitchen.

Tonight my hips hurt, my legs hurt. my arms hurt. even my ribs hurt. And don't forget the neck, shoulder and arms. I don't think there is any part of me that doesn't hurt. OH wait, yes there is...that one hair to the left on my right ear, that doesn't hurt.

I have 2 vicodin on board. I will take more before bed.

I don't mean to whine but my husband just doesn't get it. I think he tunes me out. I wish I could tune myself out.

How do you know when to just say "Enough!" and don't do any more. How long does it take to figure this out?

I don't know but I have a feeling that tomorrow I will be sitting on the heating pad and knitting all day.

I am sorry this is so long. There should be a way I can add a disclaimer before I post. It seems that every time I do It is more like a novella.

Blessing to you all.

Trudy

Take things one step at a time and I hope your pain level will be at a decent level soon.

Maggie

They help a little when I ask but they are still boys (10 and 12) and busy with homework and school activities.

We live with my elderly father (he has an apartment on the lower level of the house), and it is HIS house. Every day he nags me about the condition of our living area even though I have explained a thousand times how hard it is for me to do even basic housework and keep up with it all of the time, especially when I am sick and down in bed with the pain. I am grateful for the financial assistance and having a place to live, but I constantly stress about not being able to keep up. I know my dad doesn't get it. At 76 he moves faster than I do, and with less pain. Still, he continually nags, "I just don't understand why you can't keep your area picked up and clean. Get those kids to do it, they're old enough!" Yes, dad. I am nearly 51 and being treated like a child who refuses to clean her room. Only....I am too sick, tired and hurt most of the time to keep the place as clean and picked up as he wants it. Of course he never heard of fibromyalgia, there was "no such thing" in his day, and he seems to think I'm a whiner and a lazy hypochondriac with no ambition or discipline in her life.

If he only knew what I go through each day, just getting through each day without crying, whining or complaining, and getting done what I have to get done to take care of myself and my boys. I try to tune out the criticism but it gets old. So, I don't have the nagging husband, just the cranky, critical grumpy old man to deal with.

I have decided to cut out our meager family "fun" and "entertainment" money to hire help with the cleaning twice a month. I have to take care of my health. I have discipline and behavior issues with my two boys now and will have to take them both to the family counselor. That is what their pediatrician has recommended...family counseling for us all to help to better deal with the stress of me being chronically ill and not able to keep all of the plates spinning, the efficient multi-tasking, that most mothers are able to do. On my few good days when I try to go go go so I can check everything off on my "to do" list a "normal" mom I usually pay for it for the next several days when I can't do anything.

I have a bad knee that sometimes locks up and causes me to limp.

I will admit that I over exaggerate that limp sometimes because then the males in my household can SEE that I am struggling and in pain.

Maybe I should get a cane? Males are visual creatures and they need physical proof of injury, then they finally can "get it."

That is my novel for this week Trudy! Usually I suck it up and hold everything in, just put one foot in front of the other and not complain but it does feel good to vent here where others can understand what we go through.

foggy

2cats

You really over did it, please don't try & be superwoman. It's a shame what happened at Walmart, I am so thankful there is one really close to my house now.

The people there are so nice also & some of them have disabilities. But when I need help thankfully I'm always able to find someone. I wish somebody would have helped you. I can't place items on the belt either. They need to come up with something else, like at the U-scan yourself - have a hand held one so we can do those items.

I do ask somebody to put in my car for me & then someone in the family brings in the house for me, please tell me you didn't carry that dog food in the house?

I hope you can recover soon.

Next time....DON'T LIFT IT...Tell the cashier you're disabled and CANNOT DO IT. Then, wait for someone to come do it for you!!! It's what they get paid for...let them earn it!!!

Enjoy that heating pad...hope you can relax some and get some relief as well.

May I ask you...would your husband read around on this site a little?? Maybe he would learn something and not 'tune you out'. That's horrible!! But please know...you're NOT ALONE!!!! Many, MANY fibromites have the same problem!

We're here for ya!

{{{{Fibro Hugs}}}}

leslie

It's taken me a long time to learn that lesson.

My husband is agoraphobic (fear of leaving the house), I know he would help with the shopping, etc but it requires massive amounts of drugs to just get him into see the doctor. He does unload everything. It would stay there if he didn't do that because there is no way I can carry it in the house. He won't look at the computer when it is off, "most expensive toy in the world", so I know that there is no way he will read something I point out to him. The other night I was trying to explain to him about the help I have received here and he wanted to know why I was going to this site. I told him and he said, "When did you get that?" Like I picked it up at Wal-Mart or something. Maybe I should try and return it. HMMMMM. My pain from yesterday is surprisingly slight today. The heating pad did help and so did the knitting. I have almost 1/2 a sock done.

Until coming here I guess I never took what was wrong very seriously. It was just something that happened to me when I did stuff. I am learnign that I do have to learn my body signs and stop when it is time.It must be a hard lesson.

Blessings,

Trudy

We have 2 cats now. We also take care of a colony of ferals.

1. if you can not find anyone to help you lift things into your cart. do what everyone else does(and believe me I mean everyone) go to the pharmacy where there is always people working and ask them to page someone for you.

2. Never, Never , Never lift these heavy items out of your cart. As a former cashier I can tell you 2 things

a. they have those cute little guns that are portable they can come to your cart and scan the item

b. by the end of their shift the cashiers have lifted way more of those heavy items than they ever want to lift because everyone thinks they "have" to put them on the belt.

I hope you feel better soon and I hope this info helps.