Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Support Group
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) describes a sense of exhaustion and post-exertion malaise, even when you have gotten enough rest and sleep. The disease is characterized by six months of incapacitating fatigue experienced as profound exhaustion and extremely poor stamina, and problems with concentration and short-term memory. The cause is unknown, but it is a...
Working from home today..gorgeous day here in Jamaica, but am not happy...
I started the journey toward my dream home over ten years ago. After multiple false starts and disappointments, I eventually purchased my current home 6 years ago. I purchased it partially constructed and gave myself 3 years to complete it. Got sick a year later .. talk about unforseen hurdles.
So here I am six years in and nowhere close to completion. Not only am I still faced with new construction, but because of my illness I can't stay on top of ongoing maintenance. So my home is falling apart around me.
Finished its going to be pretty big, 5000+ sq ft. I have a thing for space, I could have stopped 2 yrs ago at 3900 sq ft but decided to keep going. After working so hard for so long I want what I want and am not prepared to compromise.
Of course my illness is forcing me to compromise. My home right now is a collection of unfinished projects. I start something, I get sick and that's that for that one. Next time I'm well again I tend to go off and do something new.
My home is always dusty, almost every room has something unfinished, most rooms can be completed in a weekend, some projects are bigger. DIYing is a hobby for me. I get a huge kick out of designing a space and then bringing it to life. I love building things myself and have done almost every type of work there is to do on my home, from plumbing to tiling to carpentry, painting .. you name it.
I get frustrated when I hire a contractor and they do shoddy work, hence my tendency to attempt doing stuff myself. Of course I can't but its hard to accept and I really don't know what to do becuse I have been through dozens of contractors/tradesmen in this process and 99% of them do really shoddy work.
Take my kitchen for example .. I hired a local tradesman to do concrete countertops for me. Of course in my head I'm picturing high end finishes that are on the same level as natural stone.. What I got was a countertop that varied in width 2 inches from one side of the room to the other and was nowhere close to being level. When I saw how horrible the quality of the pour was, I asked him not to return. I ended up demolishing the countertops and replacing them with butcherblock (customized/installed by moi..thats another looong story).
I started building my kitchen cupboards myself over a year ago. Am about 90% there. Got it done across about 7 weekends spread out every 5-6 months, whenever I got a remission period.
So everday I use this unfinished kitchen, it has no floor yet ..I have a really cool idea for the floor but have to be well enough to execute it.
I also reconfigured my master bath a year ago. The addition is also without a finished floor..I haven't found a tile I like yet and am just not well enough to go shopping.
My master closet just needs someone to hang the rod up. My stairs need fixing, my plumbing is wonky..the list goes on and on
I don't have my dream living room yet. Its my latest project..two years now and counting. Hope I'm well enough to get it completed this year.
In the interim my home is always dirty and there are building materials packed up in almost every room (another long story).
I'm very sensitive to environment and HATE living like this. Sometimes I just want to hand a contactor a wad of cash and be done with it..actualyl I tried that a year ago and lost a huge chunk of cash due to poor decisions and poor quality from the contractor.
I truly don't know what to do.
Just venting .. have to get back to working now..in my messy house. I do have absolutely fantastic views though..they are my saving grace.
I started the journey toward my dream home over ten years ago. After multiple false starts and disappointments, I eventually purchased my current home 6 years ago. I purchased it partially constructed and gave myself 3 years to complete it. Got sick a year later .. talk about unforseen hurdles.
So here I am six years in and nowhere close to completion. Not only am I still faced with new construction, but because of my illness I can't stay on top of ongoing maintenance. So my home is falling apart around me.
Finished its going to be pretty big, 5000+ sq ft. I have a thing for space, I could have stopped 2 yrs ago at 3900 sq ft but decided to keep going. After working so hard for so long I want what I want and am not prepared to compromise.
Of course my illness is forcing me to compromise. My home right now is a collection of unfinished projects. I start something, I get sick and that's that for that one. Next time I'm well again I tend to go off and do something new.
My home is always dusty, almost every room has something unfinished, most rooms can be completed in a weekend, some projects are bigger. DIYing is a hobby for me. I get a huge kick out of designing a space and then bringing it to life. I love building things myself and have done almost every type of work there is to do on my home, from plumbing to tiling to carpentry, painting .. you name it.
I get frustrated when I hire a contractor and they do shoddy work, hence my tendency to attempt doing stuff myself. Of course I can't but its hard to accept and I really don't know what to do becuse I have been through dozens of contractors/tradesmen in this process and 99% of them do really shoddy work.
Take my kitchen for example .. I hired a local tradesman to do concrete countertops for me. Of course in my head I'm picturing high end finishes that are on the same level as natural stone.. What I got was a countertop that varied in width 2 inches from one side of the room to the other and was nowhere close to being level. When I saw how horrible the quality of the pour was, I asked him not to return. I ended up demolishing the countertops and replacing them with butcherblock (customized/installed by moi..thats another looong story).
I started building my kitchen cupboards myself over a year ago. Am about 90% there. Got it done across about 7 weekends spread out every 5-6 months, whenever I got a remission period.
So everday I use this unfinished kitchen, it has no floor yet ..I have a really cool idea for the floor but have to be well enough to execute it.
I also reconfigured my master bath a year ago. The addition is also without a finished floor..I haven't found a tile I like yet and am just not well enough to go shopping.
My master closet just needs someone to hang the rod up. My stairs need fixing, my plumbing is wonky..the list goes on and on
I don't have my dream living room yet. Its my latest project..two years now and counting. Hope I'm well enough to get it completed this year.
In the interim my home is always dirty and there are building materials packed up in almost every room (another long story).
I'm very sensitive to environment and HATE living like this. Sometimes I just want to hand a contactor a wad of cash and be done with it..actualyl I tried that a year ago and lost a huge chunk of cash due to poor decisions and poor quality from the contractor.
I truly don't know what to do.
Just venting .. have to get back to working now..in my messy house. I do have absolutely fantastic views though..they are my saving grace.
I never got past the concrete slab with contractors. The footer wasn't poured right, the batter boards were in the wrong place, the slab came out like a big soup bowl...high on the sides and low in the middle.
I wound up doing it all myself...nearly ran myself into the ground after following the advice of a doctor who told me my blood work was fine, so I was good to work long hours, do heavy work, etc. I got really, really sick after I finally finished two years later. Then I lost the business and it was all for nothing.
So I'm not too happy with shoddy contractors and ignorant doctors.
I read your vent. I hear ya! It's all just too much work for someone with CFS/ME. Truely, it is.
Like you, I became ill AFTER we bought our home. Bought a big one, and now I am unable to care for it, look after it, clean it, repair it....and I have a hubby! He can't keep up with it either. We have painting, and a zillion other things we had planned on doing to this house, that will simply never get done. Both of us became disabled within three years of the purchase.
We've been fortunate to have not had too much trouble with contractors doing work for us. We've had some bad eggs, and had to sue one guy for installing a faulty heating system...but we all have to take some chances...sometimes!
We get it. We can't keep this house! It's just too much. We have it up for sale after 11 years of loving it and struggling to keep it in good shape.
I would pay the contractor to come and do the building....the big stuff, like the floor. I would leave the DIYing for the little things that can be done at your leisure. If we could afford it, that's what we would have done with many of the projects we have had to take on that were next to impossible for us, and nothing but stress.
This is a hard decision. I'm sorry you are going through this, but I can totally relate. You're not giving in to the illness by getting people who are qualified to come and do the big stuff. Don't beat yourself up!! Do what you can. Get some help for the heavy duty stuff that is weighing on your head!!! It's ok! OK? ok!!
Best wishes. Big hugs!