Not enough rest

The combination of all my ailments requires me to make the most of downtime and get enough rest. When I don't the fatigue just piles up and I end up collapsing for a few hours. I try to schedule myself with enough rest breaks built into my week so that I can stay on top of what my body needs.

I focus my life on working part time, going to the gym three days a week and fitting in all my damn doctor appointments. This gives me two afternoons in the week where I can do nothing.

If I have a few hours of doing nothing - meaning sitting around and watching tv, knitting, reading, surfing the internet, or whatever that does not require me to run up and down stairs, leave the house or anything expelling more than the smallest amount of energy. This includes avoiding house cleaning, cooking (because that requires standing), etc. Also going out of the house requires walking places which can be too much.

However sometimes my schedule is overridden by other needs. Friday was an example. I got up early to go to the gym, then grocery shopping for myself and my parents, lunch with a friend and then home for the afternoon where I could relax.

When I got home from the grocery store, I decided to cook a chicken in the crock pot for the first time. I looked it up online and found that I should cook a 3-4 pound chicken for 3-4 hours on high. I had a 6 lb chicken and it was 11 am. (Why am I blogging about cooking chicken?). I didn't want to wait to start it until I got home around 2 because I wasn't sure I had enough time. I put the chicken in on high and figured it would be okay because I would only be gone for a couple hours. Famous last words.

I met a friend for lunch where I am helping with the New England Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (www.neccs.org) annual awards luncheon on March 29. (Tickets are $50 and its a worthy cause.) Then I remembered I forgot to pick up a prescription for my husband. Then I ran into an estate sale. Then I got a phone call from a family member who needed to go to the Emergency Room at the hospital. Let me add I had no way to contact my husband because he did not have a phone or access to email at work that day. And the damn chicken kept on cooking.

I got home at 630 pm. I was completely exhausted. My back was hurting and I hadn't had pain meds with me. I had a minor temper tantrum about the damn chicken (which was cooked to perfection) because I was so tired. I got in bed in tears because I was so tired. I was too tired. I ate dinner in bed but got up to watch a little TV with my husband and then slept for 12 hours.Yesterday I ran out of steam by about 2pm. Too bad we didn't get home until about 430.

Today I am meeting a friend who I haven't seen in MONTHS, visiting sick family members, and coming home to rest for the afternoon. I really need to spend the afternoon in bed resting. I am concerned that my schedule this week will not allow enough rest. Which may lead to other temper tantrums. But I won't cook another chicken in the crock pot right away.

I do not think people understand that I need more rest than the average person. I actually do not really give a rat's ass what others think about this because I do not have the patience for it these days.