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OS ways and Poor Health

Earlier today I joined a very good new thread on getting back to old style ways . I managed to take it in another direction by mentioning how ill health can impact on doing everything the old style way . As this was off topic to the original post . I will be posting on the original topic but without going off in another direction :)
This seems to happen a lot of the time across the threads as many old stylers do have to cope with this problem .
Many moons ago PREPARE AT HOME began a lengthy thread on being os with health problems and there have been a couple of other threads over the years .
I am wondering if the time is right for another thread on the subject with the proviso it is not offering advice on medical subjects as that is for the professionals . We all do many things day to day to minimise fatigue and pain and though they are little things we have developed them to cope and others may not be aware of how helpful the little changes can be .
I would be interested to see if others would like to join such a thread . I am not very techie as you will gather from my rambling post :rotfl:and have never started a thread before - I hope this posts !
polly
It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.

There but for fortune go you and I.
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Comments

  • suki1964
    suki1964 Posts: 14,313
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    I personally think it's a great idea if the original thread has now been locked


    Today I was changing the bedding. Now I have a super king size bed and usually hubby helps as the mattress is just so heavy ( took 3 guys to get it up the stairs) but today I was on my own

    Seriously the mattress weighs a ton. I also have a frozen shoulder which really isn't fun but the bed needed changing and I had to cope on my own

    Took near on an hour, three broken nails and a seriously iffy back. But I got there :)

    I ended up having to lift one corner of the mattress, then step on the bed frame so the mattress was supported my my knee and thigh, then pull the mattress on that side so it rested on the foot board. The. Run round to do the other side. All that so I could fit the bottom sheet and top sheet lol

    With the duvet I managed with the help of a lot of pegs :)

    Now I know why mum has a single bed :)
  • Hello Suki . I was intending to log out earlier but could not get to do so . I had an "oh I broke the thread moment " but was about to try again when I noticed your reply . The first thread was quite a few years ago and I don't know if it ever was locked but I know all of the threads on this subject were not being posted on when I last checked .
    I have been thinking for some time that I wished someone would start one again as many on the threads have challenges but lots of useful ways and means to share which are more accessible in one thread . I just never thought I would be the one to bite the bullet !
    I hope you have a restful night in your nice clean bed and you've put your first strategy on the thread already :)
    polly
    It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.

    There but for fortune go you and I.
  • ariarnia
    ariarnia Posts: 4,225
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    edited 11 September 2016 at 10:43PM
    suki1964 wrote: »
    With the duvet I managed with the help of a lot of pegs :)

    With a duvet, if you get fatigued or you're not very strong (or just short, like me), try this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1IzS2oBBN0

    Turn your duvet cover inside out and spread it out on top of the sheets with the opening on the far side (away from you).

    Spread the duvet over the top - I put a couple of stitches in each corner to keep it in place.

    Roll up the duvet and duvet cover - working towards the opening.

    When it's all rolled up, pull the opening over the roll - like rolling together socks, and do up the buttons.

    Unroll the duvet. :cool:
    Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. Anne Lamott

    It's amazing how those with a can-do attitude and willingness to 'pitch in and work' get all the luck, isn't it?

    Please consider buying some pet food and giving it to your local food bank collection or animal charity. Animals aren't to blame for the cost of living crisis.
  • Nicki
    Nicki Posts: 8,166 Forumite
    I have to outsource a lot of homemaking and cooking now. But my tips would be

    1. To buy any equipment which will make life easier. I bought lighter saucepans, easigrip knives and a stool for the kitchen, and use my recently acquired soup maker and my slow cooker
    2. Not to beat myself up over shortcuts. If I need to buy pre prepared veg or ready made pastry to make a nutritious meal, that's still better than ordering a pizza
    3. It's not worth making yourself ill or tired - most jobs can wait until you have some help or can be prioritised. I wouldn't be able to change a bed like Suki did, and wouldn't even try. I'd either wait for my OH to get home to do it, or I'd just put a couple of top sheets one over the fitted sheet and one under the duvet. If I overdo things I will be out of action for days afterwards so it really isn't ever worth it
    4. When you are well enough, cook double with one for the freezer for bad days but don't waste all your energy on housework. You need to enjoy the good days too, and if you can get out and have some fun, you should do
    5. I shop for almost everything on the Internet, and have a delivery pass so I can order as many grocery deliveries as I need in a week without being charged more. I also order prescriptions online, and pay all my bills over the phone or using online banking.
  • Good Morning and thank you for the posts so far .
    Suki I do like the peg idea . I confess I would not have dared try your bed making idea . A few years ago I would do anything to get a job done but I have after many years made myself stop and look at what the result would be - flare and pain .
    Earlier this year I literally hit the floor and was very unwell for quite some time . I have had to work on finding a balance between just doing things regardless or finding another way .
    I make a list at the weekend for the week ahead of the have to tasks like medical appointments etc . I then sort home tasks in order of priority . It is very hard to no longer be able to just be the person who used to do it all and this is a problem for many as it has an impact on your self esteem and feelings of self worth . It is why depression and anxiety can develop and the black dog begins to visit us .
    For the first time I have over the past few months admitted to family members that I am finding it hard to cope and can not always make the visits and days out . At first they were shocked but they are coming round to the idea that pacing myself and listening to my body is the only way .
    Ariana That is a brilliant way to manage a duvet cover - I just need the fibro brain to process the steps :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
    Nicki Such a lot of good pointers there . I use the use Good Grips potato and veg peelers but I peel as little as possible . I love mash but don't make it so often , when I do I put another saucepan or large bowl next the potato pan on the hob and drain the potatoes into a large colander or my big pan top steamer using a slotted spoon ( it took too many scalds and dropped pans before I worked that one out ! ) I use the good grips masher to mash the potatoes as the ricer is far too hard to use now . The fashion for crushed potato is to my mind the best thing ever . I can crush far easier than mash :)
    Well I have to go out soon , hope to see you later .
    Take care polly
    It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.

    There but for fortune go you and I.
  • pollyanna this is a brilliant idea for a thread! I have fibromyalgia(and possibly M.E) so I get exhausted after washing up and have to sit down for 30 mins to recover. I am still very new to all this being ill stuff but I do as much as I can sitting down. I peel veg sitting down. I iron sitting down. I try to spread out tasks eg this morning I fed the animals, then had a cup of tea, then made porridge, then sat down to eat it, then got dressed while the kids got dressed, then sat down again while they were getting washed and brushing teeth. I left the bins until after I had come back from school. The had a cup of tea. Then washed up. sat down to chop veg for soup. Stayed in the kitchen while it came to a boil. Now I'm sat at the computer desk on here and will stay here as long as I need.
    There are things I can't do. I can't manage the garden. I can't manage the hoovering at the moment-it makes my back spasm.I can use a broom if I do it slowly. I can't lift anything heavy. I have to be careful chopping things-sometimes my hands go numb so I won't even try it then.
    I can't change the sheets on any of the beds. The kids do that for me.
    I drain potatoes the same way as you do pollyanna-too many times I lost them in the sink or got hot water on me LOL.
    Debts Jan 2014 £20,108.34 :eek:

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  • LameWolf
    LameWolf Posts: 11,234
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    Thank you for "biting the bullet" and starting the thread, Pollyanna.

    Also many thanks to Ariarnia for the duvet info; it's one of the jobs I leave to Mr LW, but if he was incapacitated for any reason I'd have to find a way to manage.:o He was in hospital for 4 days a while back, and I spent the entire time wearing kaftans, those being the only garments I could put on unaided! :eek:

    I have lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and like others here, suffer greatly with pain and fatigue; thankfully Mr LW is a helpful chap who always does the tasks he's asked to without complaining :A but I do like to try and do at least some things myself!

    I have a weekly cleaning list, and we try between us to get through it, deleting tasks as they get done (it's on the computer) - anything that doesn't get done is then prioritised the following week.

    I meal-plan a few days ahead, always allowing for the possibility of swapping days around, so if I feel ghastly, instead of (for instance) Qu0rn fillets in white wine sauce, we'll have the jacket spuds and beans I'd planned for the following day, and move the fillets up a day. If that made sense. :D

    Little things like using a plastic jug to fill the kettle are helpful - an item doesn't have to be mega expensive, or labelled "for the disabled" to make life easier

    Anyways, Mr LW is just making our lunch :A so I shall shut up now; but I will watch (and hopefully contribute to) the thread with interest.
    If your dog thinks you're the best, don't seek a second opinion.;)
  • I am grateful for this thread as well :-)

    My life used to be full of little OS ways. But to cut a long story very short, a couple of years ago I had a major life change, followed by a breakdown. I suffered (and still do) with PTSD, severe anxiety and depression. My life crumbled around me and I just let go of things completely. I stopped taking care of myself or my home, it all became unmanageable to me, and I ended up homeless for a short while.

    I have a little HA flat now, and I really don't want to let things slide again. It is difficult though. At the moment I just do what I can, when I can. I don't have much to offer in the way of practical advice, but I will pass on a list my counsellor and I made together. We made it as a list with bullet points, but to me one point logically flows to the next if you see what I mean.
    • Don't compare how you live to how other people do. Your lives and circumstances are unlikely to be the same, and anyway, it's not a competition.
    • If it is acceptable to you (even if not ideal) that is enough.
    • Don't be your own worst critic. Your success or failure as a human being does not rest on how perfect your home is or how often you cook from scratch.
    • There are very few household tasks that can't be postponed, and lots can be put off indefinitely, if needs be.
    • Focus on what you DO manage, not what you don't. Keep a 'done' list rather than a 'to do' list if you need to
    • Don't be afraid to ask for help, nor to accept it if it is offered.
    • If people want to judge but not help, you can safely ignore them. This includes your own internal 'voice'.

    I know this probably is more applicable to mental health than physical, and possibly only to me personally, but I am putting it out there in case anyone else finds it useful. My counsellor made and talked through it together, and it sounds crazy but I have it in my journal right next to my list of regular household tasks. I find it helpful to have them written down in black and white, and I read them when it all feels too much. Especially as I know that I am by far my own worst critic.
  • katkin
    katkin Posts: 1,020
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    Really pleased you started this thread Polly. Thank you, it's greatly appreciated x

    I was diagnosed, though their still not sure with fibo earlier this year. Got doloxeitine (sp?) for it and it really helps with the nerve pain. Not so much with the osteoarthritis... I've just to get on and live with this as see they it as the lest of my Heath issues. This is topped off with cocodamols and lamatrogine for my mood disorder. They thought I was bipolar for years but I have an erratic mood cycling, it can be quick. Then I have long episodes of depression on top that make me completely unfuntional.

    The tips already posted are great. I like to keep things minimal and basic, organised and focus on priorities like my work, feeding us, keeping on top of the budget, and having a "functional home" etc.

    Chronic fatigue and pain is hard to ope with. I'm ok at dealing with the mood disorder but it has an impact.

    Gosh talk about too much info...oops!

    Being old school / style is my saviour. Couldn't think of any better to live my life and thinking / attitude.

    Menu planning is a must as is minimal, quick shopping. I can pick up a months storable basics at aldi in 20 mins. Cannot cope with huge supermarkets now! I'm about 10 mins for fresh top ups every 10 days or so.

    Ironing doesn't matter. But I've learned a lot from the Kon Marie thread and apply it. It makes life easy.

    If I'm exhausted I don't do it. Usually hubby 2nd marriage) does it. I'm happy to let the place go and do a bit more later when I have more energy.

    Tin openers are a nightmare - I tend to buy ring pulls lol

    My balance is awful, so I drop, break and bump into things a lot. I'm uber clumsy so I forgive myself, replace at charity shops for quality bits. I broke all my pretty ikea wine glasses recently and found 6 70s retro steel ones in a boat jumble for £2. I'm not going to break them.

    You learn to live with bruises, bumps and knocks , my hubby calls me affectionately Captain Chaos haha. Between that and the breakages lol

    Thank you all so much for your posts and advice. I'm sure as we go along we'll come up with many more :cool:
  • LameWolf
    LameWolf Posts: 11,234
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    Larumbelle well done on getting your life back together - I can empathise, as I also have depression (been on anti-d's for 44 years now - and no that's not finger-stutter, it is forty-four), general anxiety disorder and social phobia. And I am, like you, my own worst critic. I think you have to say "If it was my best pal, would I criticise him/her like I'm doing to myself?"
    And I loathe having to ask for help.

    Thanks for sharing your list; I for one think it's extremely helpful. :o
    If your dog thinks you're the best, don't seek a second opinion.;)
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