Watty's Awakening

greenbee

I did a lot of reading on ME/CFS when I was diagnosed with long covid. And diet is a huge factor in helping with it - I can tell the difference when I eat properly (which requires effort, as it involves real food and proper ingredients and lots of veg, pulse, and fermented foods) and when I don't (crisps, wine, and ice-cream aren't a particularly helpful meal - who would have guessed? 🤣). I also use a app called Visible, which works with a (specific) HR monitor to help me with pacing. I often ignore it, but at least I know I'm ignoring it. I also use it to help with symptom tracking and understanding how those symptoms relate to fatigue (some are causes, some are effects).

beanielou

Will also join you in the exhausted carriage. One of the big bugbears of my life.

Cherryfudge

I can identify with this too - I wonder how much our bodies keep carrying when we aren't consciously aware of it. Personally, I recently discovered that hyper vigilance was sleeping but easily woken. I think it's dozed off again for now.

Keep taking care of yourselves ladies (and any gentlemen reading this). And thanks @WelshmansDaughter for the heads up, it's one I'd like to investigate when the current busy season is over.

greent

Another candidate for the exhaustion train here - I ended up paying for private blood tests back in Feb and used the results (v low Vit D, low ferritin & B12) to get GP to run a battery of tests - 5 vials of blood later my Vit D came back with needing prescription strength Vit D for 2 months and then a daily high dose supplement. I'm slightly better now, but can still nap as soon as I get in from work and then still go to bed at 10pm… sigh… I can feel myself feeling so tired on the drive home from work (ie: as soon as I don't need to be 'on it') - thankfully, it's only 10 mins to home. Then I sit down and my eyes close…

WelshmansDaughter

This week's reading was from a website, Illuminated Thinking. It is a useful discussion for identifying when you may be in one state or the other. It also covers grounding techniques.

I will also be re-reading Flourishing by Maureen Gaffney this week. It is a chunky book but I did find it helpful for thinking about how to proceed.

Watty1

Thanks for the recommendations @WelshmansDaughter I have just ordered the book.

There must be something endemic about our lives for so many of us to be so exhausted for sure.

Watty1

Because I have been feeling so rubbish I haven't been washing Charming Cob's legs with the shampoo that should stop mites and I have had a hunch he has them so I called the vet yesterday making it very clear what I was phoning for. (There is an injection he can be given which will kill them, then another in two weeks time to kill any that have hatched in the two week period and that is it). I prefer to go the natural route but I've just been feeling so ill this was "a fix" . Vet turned up early, I apologised CC was not in and waiting and went to catch him. First thing vet said was he did not have the injection solution and the practice was out of stock. So I asked if there was an alternative - and he said no. I asked why he had not rung and he said he needed to see the horse. I was furious, I did not need to pay a vet to call in, there is nothing wrong with CC. Vet made a comment about clipping his legs and I pointed out CC has very pink skin and the reason he is not clipped is because in this sun he would get sunburn. Vet made a comment about there being no shade in my field. So I pointed out there was plenty of shade under the trees, the horses choose not to use it. By now I was very irritable.

Vet then said CC has a very thick coat and I should blood test for a problem that affects older horses. I scowled, CC was blood tested for this a couple of years ago, it was negative - and - by now extremely irritated - I asked when the best time to test was. I actually already knew the answer, it was a set up. And he said September/October. "bloody pointless testing now then isn't it?" I said. "well I am here" he said. "pointlessly" I replied.

He offered me steroid cream. And where am I supposed to put that I said? Over the red spots he said. Hmmm there is a lot of leg to cover, a lot of hair, and there are no visible red spots so the cream is also pointless. Ah but when you clip them you will see the red spots. "For ff sake I said, I am not clipping because he will get sunburn, I will cut the floof before shampooing but I do not need a vet visit for that"

Sensing by now that I was very irritated he left saying that the practice would do a reduced call out when the actual solution was in stock - no I said, I do not want a reduced call out, I want a FREE visit. You should not be here.

The practice has invoiced me £70 for that pointless visit. I have written so say I want a confirmation my next call out will be FREE before I pay rather than the reduced one mentioned in the email.

It was hot yesterday, I was irritable, overworked and cross. A £70 vet bill did nothing to improve my temper. Sadly there are no other really good equine vet practices in the area or I would simply refuse to pay. I think I am sharing this here because I know you are all so careful with spends that you will share my outrage!

beanielou

That’s absolutely outrageous.

rtandon27

How utterly vile! You are so right to demand a free visit. Would it be an option to do two half price visits if their billing system does not support the first option?

Slinky

How bloody annoying. I must say you handled it far better than I would!