Thursday, November 30, 2023

Chronic Illness Vlog: Highs and Lows


I posted a chronic illness vlog from last week, showing an honest view of my life with chronic illness. And, wow, last week was one of extremes! I went from crying on the couch, wracked with flu-like aches, to the euphoric victory of attending my 40th (!) high school reunion and the challenges of traveling to spend time with family on a long holiday weekend.

You can watch the video on Youtube or watch here:


Yes, it was one of those weeks that felt like a rollercoaster, one that jerked me from very high highs to extremely low lows, often with no transition in between. As you can see, I was feeling optimistic when I recorded the last segment on Monday this week, but--alas--that was short-lived. By Wednesday, I was back to crying on the couch, with horrible aches, hitting bottom once again. After my husband left to go to the store, I opened the refrigerator to get some water, and the bottom rack in the door pulled apart, spilling all the contents onto the floor. That did me in. I collapsed in a heap in front of the open fridge and sobbed my eyes out. It was just one of those "last straws," know what I mean? I eventually pulled myself together, put everything back in the fridge, and huddled down under the blankets on the couch to watch two old episodes of Grey's Anatomy (my happy place). My wonderful husband said, "you're not even attempting dinner tonight," and took care of it entirely. 

Today, I am feeling better emotionally, though still achy. I scheduled a phone appointment with my ME/CFS specialist for next week, so I'm hoping she has some ideas to calm down my activated immune system. In the meantime, I am resigned to staying horizontal as much as possible and listening to my body.

How was YOUR week?
How are you doing?

Please leave a comment below.

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2 comments:

Frances said...

So sorry you're having such a hard time. I was at my daughter's for 3 days seeing my 5 Yr old grandson, came back Tues morning exhausted (daughter doesnt fully get it) and have been in bed since.

Sue Jackson said...

So sorry to hear that, Frances! Those family visits are exhausting, though I'm sure you loved seeing your grandson. I hope you've been able to rest and are beginning to recover.

Sue