Overdoing It: Need to Pace Myself for Better Health

Well, yesterday I had my Ma come down and help me run a couple of errands (this whole can't drive business is killing me). Ma was great, I got all my errands run and felt great. I also had my TPN and hydration supplies delivered. Ma made me tacos and stuffed peppers for the week. I never finished last week's food she prepared, so this week I froze some of it.

I did so much I was absolutely exhausted last night, slept like a rock except the 2 times I had to get up for overnight empty.

What I'm trying to say is I did WAY too much and had a massive headache and body aches. I need to space out my chores and errands or I'm not going to get better.

My friend and caretaker returns tomorrow and I'm looking forward to his visit (it's open-ended). He knows how and when to tell me to sit down and relax and that things can wait. So hopefully once he arrives, I'll get the ants out of my pants!

Thanks for listening, today all I have is the stoma nurse, ordering some stoma clothing, and filling out some paperwork. Then I'm going to start a new true crime book about a town not far from me.

Have a great day, my friends! We all deserve it!

Yeh, pacing yourself can be too much to ask sometimes.  I've been there.  It can be hard, after a long, active life, to be suddenly having to monitor your activities so that you don't overdo.  And we have two issues bringing us to this juncture:  the ostomy, and that ever-popular bugaboo, aging.  It's like driving a car that has the capacity for high speeds, but you have to live within the posted limits.  Takes practice, patience, and persistence. 

Thanks Henry,

You managed to say what I was trying to get across much better than I did!

Abe

Aka

Paul

Really thankful I found this site and the wonderful people and support here!

Hi Abe, I totally relate! It's hard to accept that things have changed in your body, and you can't do everything you once could. After four surgeries and several other hospitalizations for blockages that resulted in me not eating for several days at a time (longest was nine days) all over a two-year period, I didn't realize just how much strength and stamina I had lost. A chore that used to be a piece of cake just wears me out now. I get tired so much more easily and simply can't do some of the heavier things. I also have had to manage my expectations of what I can accomplish in one day. It's hard. I've learned to accept that my "best self" may not be the same person (physically) that it was. And that's OK.

You are doing great, and your positive attitude is a big part of your progress going forward. Good on you!

Terry

Thank you Terry, kind words always help!

Abe

Aka

Paul

Hey Paul,

I wish I had some amazing advice that could rock your world, speed up healing, and magically make everything right. Unfortunately, I struggle in this area too.

I'm glad that you're aware of your limitations and listening to your body. (Even if it's after the fact, lol.) Your mama sounds like a gem, and a little accountability from your support network never hurts.

True crime is one of my guilty pleasures. If you've never checked it out, there's a true crime podcast called 'Crime Junkie'. I like to put it on when I get in bed with a sleep timer. I usually fall asleep mid-episode and finish it up while I'm doing my makeup in the morning. I also really enjoyed the book 'American Predator' by Maureen Callahan. It's about Israel Keyes, who in my opinion, is one of the smartest serial killers to ever be caught. You know, just some light reading before bed.

-Rae

I just finished Maus and it was very good. I'm now reading When Evil Rules about police corruption, a family that terrorized a small resort town on Cape Cod, Falmouth, only about 20 miles from me.

Scary, I'll have to look into them.

Abe, I'm sorry you knocked yourself out. Sounds like you were in a bad way afterwards.

You'd think these moments would teach us to not repeat the experience, but I know for me that trick doesn't work. My brain is 29 and hiking, skiing, traveling. My body is a wreck.

However, I've read your story and you know that you are very compromised right now. Simply being on TPN can be a challenge to your system. So, more than others, you really really need to be careful with yourself. I'm glad you have a Ma and caretaker to watch over you, but you need to watch over yourself. Sorry to be so real with you, but I want to watch you improve and heal with the support of we Ostomates.

And especially as a fellow MA resident.... let's help keep our population healthy and hardy so our sarcasm and poor driving skills shall live on. I also don't drive and hate that loss of freedom, but I'll take that loss to make the roads of MA a safe place (like that'll ever happen).

Angela

My caretaker friend got in about 9pm last night, walked to my home from the train station about a mile and a half, in the dark with it being about 20 degrees Fahrenheit, I won't attempt the conversion. TSA dropped his phone in security and it blanked his screen so he could get calls but not make them, also couldn't get texts because no screen. I felt so bad that I didn't call to check on him. I'm glad he made it though. I slept well. Got up and made cookies again, still have to bake them but they are ready!

I also have to change my pouch today, going to use a one-piece, and try and move away from my usual two-piece Convatec to this one-piece Coloplast. This was the first time my Convatec pouch lasted its scheduled time with me applying it. Please think good thoughts that I'll be able to apply this new pouch and have it last its allotted time! I'll try Hollister next.

Have a good weekend everyone!
Abe aka Paul

So far, so good and I like it better than Convatec.

Still liking this one-piece Coloplast vs the two-piece Convatec, going horizontal with the next pouch change so I can try out wearing my ostomy belt built for horizontal bags. Planning on getting more Osto-wear as I call it, this week, ordering anyways, I do like the coupons that come in the sample packages sent by Hollister and Coloplast, plus I love the emergency travel kits included in both kits with mirrors and everything you need for a day out emergency bag change kit. The mirrors are great; the Hollister one is twice the size of the Coloplast mirror.

Hi, I also can really relate to the difficulty of doing less than the maximum of which you are capable. For me, a big part of the problem has stemmed from my resistance to accepting my circumstances. I've found it very difficult to accept my limitations when I'm physically worn down, like you are at present. It's especially hard when I was not used to having limitations and definitely don't want limitations. However, after many years of poorly-controlled Crohn's disease and multiple surgeries, the only thing I've found that has helped is *radical acceptance* of my situation. By radical acceptance, I mean accepting that things aren't the way I want them to be (even though I may resent and hate it) and no longer fighting it by ignoring my body's signals that I need to stop and rest. I finally realized that accepting reality doesn't mean I like it or that I'm giving in or that by will alone I can overcome IBD. Eventually, I was fortunate enough to find a medication after >20 years of illness that has worked to control my Crohn's—Entyvio—so I'm much more able to do things normally now.

Hang in there and try to remember that listening to your body's demands for rest is wise and permits you to function better than going till you drop and then crashing, like I used to do all the time. :)