If you read any articles about chronic illnesses like autoimmune disorders, you'll notice that most therapeutic recommendations mention to pace yourself. I'm failing at this. Again.
Don't give me side-eye, Goat. I dare you to try it.
If you've read my blog at all, you've likely put together my list of maladies. My husband has his share as well: rheumatoid arthritis, anklosing spondylitis, and fibromyalgia. Our combined list of chronic conditions makes life both interesting and frustrating. Currently, we are finishing the painting of the house that we started last summer. Last summer we got the power washing, scraping, first coat, and some trim work done. However, we have scraping to do again because some paint peeled up over the past year. We also have a second coat and trim work to finish. Initially, we set getting the house painting finished by the end of June. I realize we were being ambitious, but it got our butts in gear. My husband has trimmed three windows (tape, seal, prime, and three coats of paint) as well as the accent color on one side of the eaves. I have helped paint one coat of trim and scrape about two thirds of the peeling paint. We're a team. We're getting it done. We're also dragging our asses because this is exhausting. Yet, my husband insists that we should do it rather than hire someone. I think we should hire someone so we're not exhausting ourselves. Personally, hiring someone while indeed pricey means it gets done right the first time. It's done quickly. It saves us from expending that oh so precious reserve of energy.
Actual footage of me waving good bye to my energy and
turning into a puddle of goo after working on the house.
For me, that energy has been depleted by 1pm every day for more than a week. I get more done in the morning. That's just a fact I've learned about myself. I'm more alert and productive before noon. However, being outdoors, laboring in the sun, and enduring increasing summer temperatures means I am fairly useless for the rest of the afternoon and early evening. I napped a lot last week. This week I'm vegging a lot by scrolling Facebook, but not reading anything overly important or newsworthy because I can't comprehend it. I save it until I'm more alert. I have to take a few hours to recover before I even think about writing a blog post. Today it took 3.5 hours before my foggy brain cleared enough to think through what to write. I also have started watching the Supernatural Anime series. It's somewhat unsettling; especially their interpretation of Bobby. It's wrong I say. Just wrong! Aside from that outrage, I'm not that energetic. But I digress. Back to topic.
I know, Bobby. It's a travesty. Their Bobby has yet to say any of your catchphrases.
One day I went to the store despite being wiped out after working on the house as well as recovering from a migraine. As I was standing in the checkout line, the nice woman in front of me said, "You look like you're about to fall asleep." I was, but I thought I was hiding it better than that. Apparently not. We'll get the painting done. We will. It might not be by the end of June, but by mid-July, it's likely to be done. We're going camping for a week, so that needs to be factored in to the timeline.
Good job, Raccoon! You get that figuring done.
Once that's done though, we also have the back room to demo, insulate, sheet rock, and paint. Ugh. Seriously. Paying someone would be worth it. Totally worth it.
Yes, Loki. You're worth it, too.
Remodeling and do it yourself projects take a huge toll on anyone, but on us and others with chronic conditions, it's devastating. I'm sore, achy, and exhausted. Each night I go to bed worried that between the sun and the physical exertion I might not be able to get out of bed the next day. Lupus does that. It can actually make your muscles and joints so inflamed that you literally (yes! literally) cannot get out of bed. Everything hurts so much that you just lie there and stare at the ceiling because you can't do anything else. These things need doing and my husband and I are the Autoimmune Duo. I just question sometimes if the savings and pride in your own work are worth the pain, fatigue, and anxiety.
Yes, Moose. You're right. Best to go relax at the lake for a spell.
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