A day in the life with CFS. (Part 1)

This is the first post of an occasional series about the realities of day-to-day life with CFS.

Today I'm going to tell you about how I maintain enough energy to get through the day. Or as it's also called, pacing.

Normally I sleep well, but one child woke with growing pains and my husband snores like claps of thunder, so I've had better nights! I don't zoom out of bed, that uses energy that I need for later in the day, I try and spend 15 minutes, or longer if I can, building the enthusiasm to say goodbye to the duvet.

Downstairs with my two kids for first breakfast, (yes, we are related to Hobbits!) Once I've made their toast I chill on the sofa for as long as I can while they eat and catch up on Cbeebies. Then we're off upstairs for showers and dressing. While they shower I rest, then I give the bathroom a wipe around while they get their togs on. I tend to have only a short shower as it exhausts me.



Downstairs for second breakfast. I use lots of energy getting breakfast and getting us all out of the door to walk to school. On a bad day I drive, but mostly I walk slowly, sometimes I take my stick.

At school I sit and read a book with the kids until I've got some energy back, then it's off slowly home again. Sometimes though I have to sit in the foyer and rest, especially if the old jelly legs have got me.

Back home I rest again, then divide my child-free time in to 15 minute slots. I do things I have to do, then rest: 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off, though if I feel I need more down time, I will take it.

And that's my 15 minutes activity for now, it's rolling up to bedtime, so in the best Looney Tunes style I'll say 'That's all folks' and continue this another day.

Check out the forum for pacing advice, Roger can point you in the direction of an especially good post, if you ask him nicely!