Talk-About ~ 13 September

It's been a few days since I posted a 'Talk-about'. Life has a way of speeding by while I'm toddling along. With kids and grandkids so much a part of my life I just can't seem to keep up, let alone get ahead.

What is your life like, day to day? Is it busy and you wish you had another 10 hours to get things done? Or do the days drag and maybe you're bored and/or lonesome? I've often heard wonderful insight from others who talk about their day to day lives living with Chronic Pain, without them even knowing they had said anything inspiring. I often am in awe of the members and how much folks can accomplish in the face of daily pain. I think as a whole we're a mighty tough and inspiring bunch of folks!

Chutz

lets see......it depends on what days we are talking about. If it is monday thru friday, I work 8 hours a day and then go home to help with diner/laundry and 3 small grandsons. My daughter is quite overwhemed trying to care for these three busy boys so I do all the laundry from washing/drying to folding and putting it all away. I also wash dishes, help prepare meals and take the boys for an evening walk at least 4 out of 7 nights. This routine doesnt include keeping my own room/bathroom clean and caring for my 7 month puppy.
If its the weekend....Some Saturdays I have to work at my regular job. It depends on the luck of the draw. I (and my hubby) clean an office on the weekends, so, if I work Saturday, we clean Sunday. If I don't work Saturday, we clean then. Maybe 1 or 2 Sundays a month we might get the whole day to ourselves.
Together we have 5 grown children and 11 (all under the age of 8) grandchildren so there is always a birthday party or school activity going on to squeeze in.
Every once in a blue moon my body will shut down and no matter how hard I try I cannot get out of bed. I know that it is its way of saying, OK, enough is enough - now take care of yourself. On a daily basis I endure the constant throb of the RA but the fibro issues seem to be at bay for now. I can function with the pain, don't have much choice. I am not down for the count yet.

This is a good one Chutz, for me the days are never long enough, lol. I say this because I am so slow now, no matter what the task is, it takes me much longer to complete it. I have tried so often to speed things up but its just not going to happen. But, on the other hand, I am glad that I am able to do what things I can do. I learned to stop beating myself up because I no longer whiz around this house like some maniac getting everything done. Now, I tell myself at the ripe age of 58, it is time to slow down a little.

My days are such a mixed bag, I just try to take them as they come, no more set schedules for me. The only person that gets top priority out of me is my little grandson. I try to spend as much time with him as possible. Now that he is back in school, I have more time on my hands than I like.

We once had a couple that lived across the street from us that did everything on a schedule. He took the trash carts out every Sunday to the curb at a certain time, he washed their two vehicles every Tuesday morning, she picked up the mail from the mailbox every day at the same time, he mowed every Thursday morning. I knew their routine better than my own, lol.

The amount of work I do around the house depends on how I am feeling that day.