Surviving a Crash - A Look Back in Time

Couch, sweats, blanket, book & herbal tea = REST day!

I am now in my 4th week straight of being badly crashed - something that has become extremely rare for me in recent years, thanks to OI treatments and treating immune system dysfunction to prevent virally-triggered crashes. In fact, I hit an all-time low last year of being crashed and unable to function only 3% of the time all year! That's WAY down from a high of being nonfunctional 25% of the time back in 2007. So, this current, unexplained crash has hit me very hard, and I am out of practice dealing with crashes, so it's also been frustrating!

I don't have the mental energy or physical stamina to actually write an original blog post, so here are a few of my favorites on the subject of crashes from the past - enjoy!

• The Boring Sameness of Crash Days - ugh, I am really feeling this one today! I have a looong list of things that need to get done, and I am unable to do any of them. I have been reading a lot and trying to stay off the laptop (not very successfully, as you can see!), but that boring sameness is starting to get to me.
• Feed a Crash - ha ha This is a classic but still true today! For some reason when I am crashed, I want to EAT. Ironic since I am burning no calories and unable to exercise at all.
• Living the Horizontal Life - describes a situation very much like I found myself in this week where I finally stopped fighting the crash and trying to get stuff done and just gave into it and focused on really resting. Also, a nice reminder in this post not to wallow in self-pity because I still have plenty to be grateful for - even more so now, when crashes like this have become so rare.
• Need a Laugh? - my son always says that laughter is the best medicine! This week I have been getting my laugh on listening to Trevor Noah's memoir, Born a Crime, on audio, which is warm, moving, insightful, and very, very funny about his childhood in South Africa as a mixed race child. This old post features 3 links to hilarious websites that never fail to get me belly laughing - all three are still favorites of mine today!

One other thing that occurred to me reading these old blog posts is that I am SO fortunate to be able to just lie on the couch and rest when I need to now. Back in those days when I wrote most of those posts, one or both of my sons was also crashed or at least battling ME/CFS, so no matter how bad I felt, I still had to take care of them, drive them back and forth to school to catch a class or two, etc. They are in their 20's now (and one is fully recovered), so the mostly empty-nest means I can take care of myself when I need to. Something else to be grateful for!