Keep on Moving Club: December 2017

[Virginia]

Went to Costco today, so got at least that much walking in, but other than that not much. I went to get my hair cut and colored. Had it cut short and sassy. Ann's Peter didn't pay for it, for the tip or the Christmas gift I took. I think he only likes Ann.

[stillstANNding]

I asked him about that, Virginia, and he swears he doesn't know you tho' I have mentioned you (all of you) many times!

ANN

[agate]

Some days this pedometer simply doesn't work but here are the latest step counts:

12/8 - 770 steps
12/9 - 1384 "
12/10- 1442 "
12/11- 1146 "
12/12- 927 "
12/13- 1137 "
12/14 - 642 "

[Sunshine]

Great numbers once again Agate!

[stillstANNding]

Walked to local salon. Took short cut. Three blocks each way.

Tomorrow is shopping w MIL. I'm telling you in advance because I will probably be too tired to type tomorrow night.

Double chocolate for me.
ANN

[agate]

You'll need some chocolate before you go too, won't you? To fortify you, build up your strength?

[stillstANNding]

Yes!

Good thinking, Agate.
ANN

[Sunshine]

Good luck Ann!

I was supposed to go surfing this morning. But I had an awful foot and leg twisting spasm as I got ready. Took an extra Tizanidine, texted buddies to cancel. No sense in drowning, especially since the waves were forecasted to be very poor. And so tiny paddling would be the only doable thing. Bummer, live to surf another day.

I really wanted to paddle out.

[Virginia]

Good thinking BBS!

I went out yesterday. I went to UPS store and bought stamps, then to drugstore, I got nails done, then got food I could heat later at Panera, then to Whole Foods, and then to Lowe's Foods. I came home worn out, and I am too tired to do anything today. I don't even want to watch TV or read. I have reached a point that body is just worn out I think.

Edited to add: Does anybody else get like this? My youngest brother called me yesterday evening and talked for quite awhile and that wore me out even more. I get too tired to even talk to people.

[Sunshine]

Yes, I get that way, but it’s worth a visit to PCP for blood work. Don’t assume everything is MS or ageing related!

Example, as we age, many become unable to absorb B12 from food and develop pernicious anemia, causing fatigue, and neurological symptoms.

Or thyroid problems.

The list goes on!

[Virginia]

BBS, much blood work has been done. I do have low thyroid and my PCP just upped my medication by a very minute amount. I've noticed before that the more I have going on around me the more tired and worn out I feel.

[agate]

I'm like that, Virginia. Too many distractions--or too much to do in any one day if it can't be put off till some other time--and I'll be in for a wiped-out time that might last a day or even a week or more, as I slowly climb back up out of the pit.

I'm always working hard to schedule things so that activities don't overlap.

Yesterday, for instance, there was a food carton due to be delivered some time during the day but a guy was coming to give an estimate on curtain cleaning and remove the curtains. I didn't want both the delivery and the curtain project going on at the same time. That would wear me down fast, just dealing with two different people here at once, people who were here for two different purposes.

I already knew from experience that the food delivery was probably going to be in the early morning, and so I asked the curtain cleaning people if they could let me know what time to expect them. They called me the day before and gave me a time I didn't like.

I asked for a time later in the morning. We agreed on 11 to 1.

This worked well. I'd forgotten about the food delivery by the time yesterday morning rolled around but since I was here, it didn't matter. I have a very bad short-term memory, and when I have too much to do, it fails badly.

The curtain cleaning guy showed up at about noon, and took the curtains down and even took them out to be cleaned, something that badly needed to be done but I was dreading trying to take them down myself as it involves a stepladder.

I put them up but that was 8 years ago, and I felt entirely too wobbly on that ladder at the time.

Virginia, there's no way I could do as much as you just described. I gave up many years ago and decided to think up ways of getting out of going places. Doing errands in the morning was the first step, to avoid the afternoon crowds, but paring down on the errands was the next step. Did I really need to buy this item? Did I really need to go out to get it? What about mail order catalogs?

And more recently it's been online ordering for just about everything. If you want to avoid going out because you hate getting too tired, you will find ways.

Of course there are people who thrive on "circulating" out in the world and really get woefully depressed if they don't go out and do errands or just browse around in malls. Maybe you're one of them? If so, then you wouldn't find my way of doing things to be very helpful.

[Virginia]

I am no longer a person who wants to be out circulating. That is the reason I try to get the things that need to be done taken care of when I do go out. Also, I hate to not be with my family. That is a very hard one. They are getting together tomorrow evening for dinner. There will only be 4 or 5 of us, but I really wish I didn't have to go. Then Monday evening is meditation, which is not hard, but it is just going out again. I don't want to miss that if I can help it. This lady has been a very good friend and they are already down one person because of the man that died. Last month was just not the same. She has told me she did hope that I would not drop out. She loves this small group and there is nothing rowdy about being around them. We usually only socialize for 30 to 40 minutes and then meditate for 1 hour. It is just getting myself together and getting there. It is only 3 miles. I can't believe I feel that way.

[agate]

Would your family understand if you just said you weren't up to it this time? Then you could have that day to get ready for the group on Monday.

I even try to schedule things so that I'm not going out 2 days in a row. I seem to need a day just to pull things back together after a day when I've gone out.

[Virginia]

Agate, they would accept it, but would not really like it. One reason they try to go every week is because they want to get me out. Of course they want to see each other also. Maybe I can make it, but like you I really do not like to go out two days in a row and try to schedule things so that I don't do that. I have nothing planned until the following Sunday which is Christmas Eve and the day we get together for our family Christmas.