Baseline
Three things that make me happy:
Listening to Sabrina sing
Cutting and arranging my flowers
Coffee with Don on the deck swing on these beautiful fall mornings
I am defining my daily activity baseline as being able to perform light housekeeping duties and laundry for 30 minutes at a time including slowly walking at least 2 minutes every hour as well as my other exercises. In between those 30 minute periods of activity I rest for 5 to 10 minutes then do something sedentary for the next hour. That schedule allows me to accomplish more and I have been able to stick to it for most of the summer – between crashes anyway. However, since my last slump it seems I can only work 15 to 20 minutes at a time. That really sucks since this is the best weather of the year and I would like to do things outside. I yearn to go horseback riding again. Oh well, at least I’m still motating. Don has been busy outside building an ice-fishing shack out of parts of an old trailer. I go out to check on his progress during my hourly walks. It is delightful for me to see how tickled and proud of it he is. It has some sort of mechanism that allows him to lower it to the ice surface without removing the wheels. It also has a built-in shelf that he calls a ‘pantry,’ battery operated lights inside and tail lights so he can fish after dark. Good for him. For me, ice fishing has lost any appeal it may have once had. I accompanied Don ice fishing for just a couple of winters. That was after he bought me a down coat and electric socks for Christmas. I will admit there is nothing so delectable as walleye pike fresh from the icy water and cooked on the camp stove. I also enjoyed the little community of fishers out on the ice.
Joanna was here yesterday afternoon asking for help with her employment resume and cover letters. So far, her jerk of an employer has not appealed her unemployment determination. She was very grateful for my assistance and I relished being useful again.
Listening to Sabrina sing
Cutting and arranging my flowers
Coffee with Don on the deck swing on these beautiful fall mornings
I am defining my daily activity baseline as being able to perform light housekeeping duties and laundry for 30 minutes at a time including slowly walking at least 2 minutes every hour as well as my other exercises. In between those 30 minute periods of activity I rest for 5 to 10 minutes then do something sedentary for the next hour. That schedule allows me to accomplish more and I have been able to stick to it for most of the summer – between crashes anyway. However, since my last slump it seems I can only work 15 to 20 minutes at a time. That really sucks since this is the best weather of the year and I would like to do things outside. I yearn to go horseback riding again. Oh well, at least I’m still motating. Don has been busy outside building an ice-fishing shack out of parts of an old trailer. I go out to check on his progress during my hourly walks. It is delightful for me to see how tickled and proud of it he is. It has some sort of mechanism that allows him to lower it to the ice surface without removing the wheels. It also has a built-in shelf that he calls a ‘pantry,’ battery operated lights inside and tail lights so he can fish after dark. Good for him. For me, ice fishing has lost any appeal it may have once had. I accompanied Don ice fishing for just a couple of winters. That was after he bought me a down coat and electric socks for Christmas. I will admit there is nothing so delectable as walleye pike fresh from the icy water and cooked on the camp stove. I also enjoyed the little community of fishers out on the ice.
Joanna was here yesterday afternoon asking for help with her employment resume and cover letters. So far, her jerk of an employer has not appealed her unemployment determination. She was very grateful for my assistance and I relished being useful again.
Replies
Good for you Eweneek that you can find a baseline of activity that you can deal with! And yes, being useful feels so good. It sounds like you are still able to do a bit of stuff - allright! I use to beat myself up for feeling useless while I lay in bed for hours, but now that I don;t beat myself up, I feel better.
Ice fishing--yeah, I\'m with you on that one. I got CFS when I was 16. I remember my dad took me hunting and he made me drag the deer out of the woods. I made it a few yards before I passed out :). At the time I didn\'t know what I had, though. I\'m glad you are feeling useful again. Many blessings.
I love this journal entry, its good to see that u are being active yet modulating yourself so that u don\'t crash..Im still learning that one! :) xoxoox
Thank you for your comments. I know I may be a little, um, well...anal, about my schedule; but if I didn\'t have a schedule and a list and set the timer, I would be like a boat without a rudder and nothing would get done.
You do seem to have your pacing down to a fine art. I\'m trying to visualize what it is that your husband is building.Does it actually fit over a boat? Forgive me I\'m quite brain fogged at present.Perhaps I had better read it again tomorrow.
I have heard of electric blankets but not socks!! Guess you must plug them in and heat them up and then switch off and wear them.Hysterical!! Bye xo