NST Awesome August

grandmanerd

Okay I'm sort of functioning now. First spend day £9 each way for taxis to and from the clinic (I was early as I gave up trying to work out the traffic flow - less because no trips to school but still heavy until after the next town because some people will be heading to Mc or Wigan). Receptionist seemed surprised by how early I was but I had a book so I was fine and I was in and out before my appointed time. 

There was a small pharmacy attached to the clinic so went in to buy some loratadine (ran out at the beginning of the week, okay for a couple of days but struggled yesterday and the day before - may not all be down to hay fever but it certainly wasn't helping). Off the shelf 14 for £6.39 (less per tablet than the 7 day box) but the pharmacist had some generic ones at 30 for £2.55. 

Nearly told the driver to drop me off at little Arseda (can no longer make it both ways but shop - my house was doable) but knew I'd end up buying more than I wanted (and probably things that are not good for me) so I resisted. Have eaten a variety of things this morning. However when DS3 came down I asked if he was ordering food and asked for diet coke to be added to the order (have done several days without and will return to not having it tomorrow). I will owe him some money for this but I got my money's worth because he gave me the wedges from their order (think it was in a deal and he knew they wouldn't eat everything) and later he came back and gave me 'mini pizza' (it's cheesy garlic bread but they put tomato base on).

Yesterday I ate cheaply but not totally healthily. I came down stairs and there was a big bowl of noodles and curry (their leftovers from the previous evening). I asked if they were going to  eat it (they rarely do) so that was lunch and when I was coming back upstairs DS3 told me they'd left spare ribs on my bureau, so that was my evening meal. I did have an orange, some raspberries and part of a raw stir fry.

Took my first hayfever tablet whilst waiting for the taxi to arrive (will bottled tap water brought from home) and I already feel much better than yesterday. I hobbled to the library and got more books yesterday and really enjoying the one I'm reading. There are workmen connecting the new e-charging pumps to the supply so the street is blocked off between my house and the library. Fortunately there's still pedestrian access but the taxi driver shouted to me and I walked through the barrier up to the point he'd had to stop. 

I have lots to do (theoretically on this week) but I left my heavy bag downstairs with DS3 and the list's in it. I'll have to cope with my book and watching the sunlight on the bricks and the wind playing with the trees.

Grateful for free food, helpful pharmacists, pleasant nurse (she'd had teacakes for breakfast rather than toast and her insulin monitor kept going off - she kept it inside her vest t-shirt).

Toni'sfriend

(I'm aware of how many things were planted in my childhood, roles assigned  - Always sensible, Never sensible, The Baby and thing like ugly, useless, stupid repeated on a daily basis)

Oh, I can definitely identify with that one! As well as you're just a girl your bothers are more important.

NSD No 3

Well, I haven't managed my daily walk yet but I will do very soon. But today I spent two hours in the sunshine tidying the plants and the porch. It's looking so much better now. Been meaning to do it for ages but just didn't have the energy so that one huge frog done plus I got some time in the fresh air.

The rascally cat wouldn't come in last night. He'd found a little black and white, furry, feline friend to play with. Came wandering back this morning, starving and happy as Larry, 

Forgot to take something out of the freezer for dinner so it's going to be pasta with a stir in sauce and parmesan. My go to easy meal

Hope you've all had a good day/ xxxx

beanielou

@Toni'sfriend.  Tea sounds perfect.

SEnding healing vibes @Shrewbie.

lcc86

Evening turtles

@Shrewbie sorry to hear your news, you sound like you are strong and time will heal but be kind to yourself 

Worked from home today, I did some yoga first thing and then logged on to my laptop by 8 - been a while since I started that early! I had a really long court report to write, started it yesterday but managed to finish it just before 4pm today, with a couple of meetings in between. Weight off my mind knowing that I got that done before the weekend! However I didn't realise quite how inactive I'd been, I only managed 991 steps by the time I logged off! Took myself for a walk to make up for it. 

Was going to go gym but still have this damned headache. Am booked on spinning tomorrow so hoping it'll go by then.

NSD number 3 today. Got a couple of small frogs ticked off the list and ready for the weekend!

f0xh0les

Today was business as usual.  I miss my work already!  I had grown ups to talk to, I made people happy, here, I am but furniture.  Boo!

However, I sorted out my budget, made a shopping list to fill in the gaps in the pantry, went shopping, and came home and made a meal plan for all of next week - on a £47 shop.  I will still need daily bread, and probably broccoli and salad veg, but  I know what I am doing, and what they are eating, and I am back on the 'fast slimming shakes' because I am feeling motivated and they were in the pantry. 

Funny how suddenly motivation hits, and how quickly it can disappear.  While it is here, I am embracing it!  

Grateful for having enough,  for not being ill,  and for the phone provider screw1ng up so our phone number has not stayed the same and so 'people' cannot ring and mither me because they do not know the number.   Every cloud has a silver lining. 

weenancyinAmerica

@Shrewbie - Hugs and take it easy with yourself.

Thrifty_Taylor

Sending hugs @Shrewbie. Hope your 80% increases to at least 99% soon, when you rediscover yourself & realise you made the best decision for you. 

Well done to others on their achievements & self care.

Up & left the house early. Had to drive to a small town to feed a cat, then to the main town to take DH for his blood test. Dropped a couple of sales items off. Took mum shopping. 

Put shopping away, then had some of yesterday's soup. Did some weeding & tidying in the garden.

Had an early tea, then went back to feed the cat & pin a girl into a dress. Once home, I did the dishes & went for a walk with DH, then we watched a programme & I did more of my rug.

(For those following the July thread, my new 'stepmum's FB profile has now disappeared. Just as we all predicted)

Grateful for watching a baby pheasant cross the road, then further along a male pheasant & murmurating Starlings, time in the garden, remembering everything I needed to do/take with me this morning

grandmanerd

Saturday 5th August 2023

This is taken from 'My Medical Musings' by Samantha Moss, but I think these questions are applicable to most of us at times
Can you have a chronic illness and a 'to do' list
How many times have you written a 'to do' list this week?
How many times have you looked at the list and felt like it was an impossible dream?
How many times have you felt useless because you've only ticked off a few items?
How many times have you looked at the list and felt that it's been taunting you? Trying to coax you into doing more than you are physically capable of.
How many times has the list been thrown into the bin in disgust and despair?

Why do we do this to ourselves?
When you live with chronic illnesses (they usually come in gangs) pacing is your most important tool for managing the condition/ pain. The minute you put an item on the 'to do' list, you are adding undue pressure and setting yourself up to fail (more so if you do not know what you will be able to do  from day to day)
Having a list helps you keep  tasks on track and is a good organisational tool
However we need to be realistic about our abilities and beware of further compromising our health.

Tips for a 'TO Do'  list that works with your condition
 It doesn't have to be huge. It can only have one item on it. Make it something you really want to do and the sense of achievement you get from crossing it off will be enormous.
Use your phone calendar (I don't really understand this one but many of you will. I have seen the utility of having everything on your phone -  contacts and other information at your fingertips, not to mention e-tickets, photos of the grandchildren etc).
Needs versus wants. I like to itemise the things I need to do (appointments, cleaning tasks, online food shop, rest time) v
what I want to do (write blog, sort out my wardrobe). Tick off the necessary tasks and go ahead with a want if you have energy left over.
Want to do list days Sometimes you just need to spend time on fun activities or just have a free day with nothing planned.
You are the 'to do' list author This is your list, you can add, delete items or change things if you need to. 
Make a list, make it short, make it fun and celebrate every time you cross something off.

gmn - A lot that is useful there but a lot that I'd do differently (something for a different day). In CBT we learnt Behavioural Activation - pencilling a mix of routine, pleasurable and necessary tasks in each day. We then had to rate them by the amount of energy they took (if eg cleaning the bathroom floor left you completely wiped out, then the starting level for that activity would be to do half the floor) and how they made you feel - whether they were draining tasks or added to your sense of well-being. If you were at a low ebb, the advice was to add lots of pleasurable activities to your day (doing anything is better than hiding under the bedclothes all day and once you start feeling better/ stronger you will be able to tackle the harder tasks. After the trial week (setting baselines) I commented that many activities were a combination - taking my morning pills didn't fill me with joy but some of them keep me alive (so a necessary task but future good - or just having any sort of future).

RESTING IS NOT LAZINESS, IT's MEDICINE (Glenn Schweitzer)

And another thing - I have Chronic Wellness (or at least that's what I'm aiming for). Midway through writing the above and searching through endless pins to find a 'best fit' I became really fed up of the phrase chronic illness (I switched to saying 'condition' part way) - it was depressing and made me feel ill. so I welcomed the phrase Chronic Wellness (there are even coaches for it, just imagine) to go with my fumble fingers and creaky knees (not arthritis) and my challenges (not problems).

Finally some Chronic Illness Humour (of the 'if you don't laugh about it, you'll cry' variety)

Doctor: You have to listen to your body. Me: Oh we're not on speaking terms

Please list any medical conditions.  Writes novel

I cannot diagnose you with this, you have reached the maximum limit of illnesses allowed.

grandmanerd

Hugs shrewbie. 

Well, I did a few things yesterday evening (I didn't plan on doing anything other than the appointment as they can wipe me out, I think the taxi was a wise decision, it cut out a lot of the stress). I assembled a meal of raw stir fry with a teaspoon on balsamic dressing, cottage cheese with added tinned pineapple, sugar snap peas and pickled cauliflower. I also drank some of the pickle juice which helped my throat and should help my stomach.

Took two bags of rubbish and two sacks of paper to the bins (luckily one of the neighbours had brought the bins back) and sat on a chair and filled a bucket with weeds. We've had a downpour this morning which I thought excluded drying washing painting or any outside work but now it's stopped and I think the sun is trying to get through the banks of grey cloud. I will have my shower and then do the CBT body scan exercise.

Grateful for food in the cupboards and the fridge, a little 'beyond the basics' thinking and my bed.   I went downstairs, have brought 3 bags back upstairs - the one from yesterday with all my essentials (purse, phone which needed charging and is now probably asleep, glasses and some of a delivery that arrived yesterday - brought part of the contents up Thursday with supplies), a paper sack to start filling but used it to carry clean clothes and a clean sheet) and one with food and drink (fizzy water, cottage cheese with lots of pineapple, baby leaves  and a variety of salad items, 2 small yoghurts, jar of pickled cauliflower, a small pot of yoghurt and mint dressing).  Started to load the washing machine but forgot to finish and set it going and forgot my ice cream. now wiped out so shower is postponed. Plugged in laptop to charge and will fish the phone out in a minute.

Have an awesome day, turtles

f0xh0les

Today the weather is awful, it is cold and wet, so I made a big pot of tomato and red pepper soup ... then doctored it with an unwanted tin of pumpkin puree, lots of cumin, and  some smoked paprika, and it was lovely.  Spent on french bread (as usual) because there was no bread in the house.     Still have about 4 big bowlfuls left, which are cooling in a big bowl and it will go and live in the fridge until lunchtime tomorrow.  Cook once, eat twice.  No more pumpkin in my house!     Definitely soup weather here.  Brrr! 11 degrees. 
Posted things that needing posting, have cleaned and cleared a corner of my bedroom, have got one quote back from Mr Builder #3. Still waiting on Mr Builder 1 and 2.