Shopping Strategies for ME/CFS

I undertook a big shopping expedition today to Target and Trader Joe's. The two stores are about a 25 minute drive away from us, so I only get up there once every 6-8 weeks or so. This time, I hadn't been since before Christmas, so we were out of everything! This was a BIG stock-up day. I also usually manage the local grocery store once a week.

I know that not everyone with ME/CFS can manage any kind of shopping - ever - but for those who have good days and bad days, like me, here are some of my strategies for shopping, to minimize the payback the next day:

Treat Orthostatic Intolerance. Long before you leave for the store, focus on treating OI. If you can stabilize your blood pressure and heart rate, then you can minimize post-exertional crashes and dramatically improve your quality of life. Some approaches to try:

• Learn how heart rate affects post-exertional crashes and use a heart rate monitor to monitor your own heart rate.
• Ingest HUGE amounts of salt and fluids - way more than you think you need - in order to increase blood volume and help to stabilize BP and HR. Just adding extra salt to your food isn't enough. Take salt tablets, use sea salt on everything, drink sodium-enhanced drinks like Gatorade or V-8 juice (before buying any kind of "electroyte drink" or drink mix, check the label to make sure it contains a lot of sodium - many don't).
• Try medications to help stabilize BP and HR, like Florinef, midodrine, and beta blockers. I couldn't go grocery shopping without crashing until I started beta blockers - now I go almost every week with no problem. They reduce my heart rate to more normal levels, so I can be active without crashing.

When you go shopping:

We're Going To Pump You Up!

• Pump up your blood volume before you go. I usually drink a 12-ounce can of V-8 juice before I go to the store and also carry my ever-present water bottle (which can also be filled with high-sodium electrolyte drink mix). Remember Hans and Franz from Saturday Night Live? "We're Going to Pump You Up." That's your new motto. And yes, this means I have to stop and use the restroom in every store I go to!
• Wear your heart rate monitor. I don't always do this now because I know that with beta blockers, I can manage grocery shopping without crashing, but I wore it today because I haven't been doing well lately. Set the alarm for your AT (see this post to estimate it), and listen to it - when it beeps, stop and rest, crouching or sitting if you can or at least putting one foot up on the bottom of the cart and breathing slowly and deeply until your HR comes back down.
• Commit to Slow Shopping. This was my motto today! I'm hoping to start a new trend. This is probably the hardest thing of all for me because I am naturally a fast person. Today, I consciously moved slowly and deliberately - be the ultimate Zen shopper.
• Avoid lifting your arms too much. I know from using my heart rate monitor that raising my arms over my head raises my heart rate. I was fine most of the time in Target until I went into the dressing room to try on a pajama top - I pulled my shirt over my head and beep, beep, beep!
• Let someone else bag. Again, moving your arms, lifting things - it all raises your heart rate. Choose a checkout lane with a bagger or let a store employee know that you need one.
• Ask for help taking your purchases to the car. I was amazed to find that the grocery stores in Oklahoma (where we used to visit my in-laws) do this automatically! It's more self-serve here on the East Coast, but you can always ask for someone to help you - let them help put the bags in the car.
• Ask someone at home to help bring your purchases into the house. When I first started wearing a heart rate monitor, I was amazed to find that pushing a heavy grocery cart didn't raise my heart rate too much, but carrying even light bags into the house did. Carrying stuff really raises your heart rate dramatically, so get some help. I bring in the frozen/refrigerated stuff myself and leave the rest in the car for when my husband and son get home. If you live alone, ask a neighbor or friend. Sometimes, I shop with a friend - we get to spend time together and she can help me.

So, those are my shopping tips. Do you have any others? What works for you?

Remember - Slow Shopping!