Ridiculous idea but....let's put a positive spin on M.E.! (Just for a moment)

Hello!

I'm hijacking Foggy's blog again!

Now, I know that it is crazy to say there is anything remotely positive to be said about M.E. BUT, this weekend made me realise that there are some good things to be said for enforced chilling out as much as possible. This is what happened...

I went to Lyndhurst in the New Forest with a family member. He is aware that I have M.E. but doesn't know what that involves. I certainly educated him this weekend!

The theme of the weekend was to chill out and recharge. As all sufferers know though, just being out of the usual routine is enough to flip your body into overdrive. I felt wiped out from the second I arrived to when I came home on Sunday, even though I relaxed as much as possible and didn't exert myself.

Spontaneously, we decided to do a photography workshop on Saturday. It was due to run from 10-3 and I figured that as we were due to learn stuff we would be sat taking notes for at least half of it....wrong! We went out and about in the New Forest countryside taking beautiful correctly focused and composed photos (see some of mine on this blog). Scenery was lovely but the weather was damp/wet/torrential. M.E. sufferers are like human barometers and so I instantly felt light headed, faint, dizzy, very cold and a little bit like a limp lettuce leaf! I managed to last until lunchtime when we all trudged back to the hotel. It was a fascinating and educational morning but by lunch I was wiped out. 

Disappointingly, I had to decline the second half of the day and spent the next couple of hours 'resting' in my room. I couldn't engage a brain cell so having company would have been a pointless exercise. Externally my body temperature was fine but I was shivering, I had icy feet so needed to wear thermal socks (it's summer!) and my head felt empty.

Anyway, that was the bad stuff...this is where the good stuff starts :)

My cousin looked after me as much as possible, which was lovely. I suggested having a pj's and rubbish telly night in on Saturday. He is a sociable go-getter and probably hated the idea but said he'd love to (I was thinking what a waste of a trip away but needs must!). So, he went to the shop and bought as much yummy family sized bags of chocolate for us to gorge ourselves on while we chilled out. He blew my mind by saying he is always so busy he has NEVER (yes...NEVER) had a pj's, chocolate and rubbish telly night in. O.M.G.  PJ's and rubbish telly describe most of my evenings and weekends when I am flaked out!

We were both uber relaxed, no conversation (I still didn't have a brain cell) just quiet company. He fell asleep at 9pm and had the best night sleep he has had for a very long time. At the start of the weekend we were both mega stressed and in need of a recharge. Just taking enforced time out helped both of us.

Maybe M.E. is being kind to our bodies by telling us that we just need to stop....... and go again but at a slower pace. Maybe everybody needs to adopt an M.E. sufferer lifestyle.......just chill! :)

M.E. needs to be re-branded.....it's cool to chill ha!

Anyway, enough of the crazy positivity.

Love to all,

Sally xxx