Chronic Pain and Clutter

While revamping the minimalism post, I came across a blog that sort of pressed my buttons.  I stepped away from the computer and decided to do something else as I processed the WHY this blog irritated me.

The person writing the blog did not come from a place of a person with a chronic illness.  Her blog was solely aimed at those healthy enough to follow the advice.  I tend to forget there is a difference and not everyone understands what it is to live with a chronic condition.  So once I got that through my head, I sat down and re-read the blog but put a spin on some of the information.

Chronic Pain, Clutter, and Mental Health

Photo by Sasha Freeman at Unsplash

Clutter isn't always a representation of our mental health.  More often than not it is a reflection of our PHYSICAL health or inability to clean and stay on top of our cleaning due to our conditions.  For example, last fall I had a flare.  My joints and back ached so badly that the little bit of pain medication I could take did nothing to stop the pain.  Add to that the fatigue from not sleeping due to pain and it was all I could do to just get out of bed and smile most days.  The chores backed up.  Declutter kid closets and our outside shed, I think not.

Decluttering Isn't A Marathon Session

Photo by Pau Casals at Unsplash

Decluttering takes time and diligence.  We can't just choose a day and declutter every single room.  Experience has taught me that's a sure fire way to bring yourself a world of needless suffering.  You'll be in pain, tired, achey and will probably have a much larger mess to deal with.  Then your mood will follow because you feel like crap and you accomplished nothing.

If you're decluttering to achieve a state of minimalism, you need to take it slowly.  Minimalism is a lifestyle - something you'll be doing...forever.  You've been a clutter bug all this time so expect it to take some time to transition into another lifestyle with different habits.

Don't Go It Alone

For an independent person who suddenly finds themselves limited by chronic illness, it becomes imperative that you reach out.  Ask family, friends, volunteers, charity organizations for help when it comes to decluttering.  Many will be willing to come for an afternoon or two to help.  Offer pizza!

Pace Yourself

Do one room at a time.  If one room is too much, do half the room.  Little by little it will start to add up.  Try to work for ten minutes at a time.  If that is too much, do five.  You can get a good deal done in five minutes.

Use Checklists

Just about any declutterer / minimalist will agree checklists can help focus on what needs to be done.  Go into a room and write down different areas you want to tackle.  For example:

Bedroom

• Bed - Make bed hotel nice
• Nightstands - Clear off
• Dresser - Organize top
• Dresser - Purge drawers
• Closet - Purge shoes
• Closet - Purge pants

And so on!

In no time at all you'll see a major difference.

You Are Responsible For Your Stuff

Photo by The Creative Exchange at Unsplash

Stop cleaning everyone else's room.  That's right.  Your children are responsible for their own rooms.  At some point parents stopped making children be responsible for putting their things away.  Let them clean them themselves.  I worked in a daycare once.  Toddlers know how to pick something up and put it away if you show them.  Make it a game.  Sing and dance and offer a small reward when they do what they've been asked.

Elementary, middle school, and high school kids know better.  Make them be responsible.  You have enough going on without cleaning their room too.  Be old school.  They don't clean - no phone, no tv, no friends, no excuses.  It's okay for them to be mad at us.  They will live.

For more tips, check out the article by Gabrielle Savoie at MyDomaine.com.  This is perhaps the most thorough article I've read on this subject.

Above all BE GOOD TO YOURSELF  

 

Photo by Tim Goedhart at Unsplash

You're already fighting hard against yourself with your chronic illness.  Don't make battles where they don't need to be.  Take your time, focus on what's important, and do what you can. Last I checked, there weren't any competitions on orderliness.

I hope this helps.  Thank you for reading.

As always, keep moving forward!

Mixed connective Tissue Disease - My story

So, if you read some of my previous writings regarding my health you know that for a long time I was  suffering with no idea of what was happening to my body.  I went from one specialist to another, having this lab done, this test done, this scan done and nobody knew nothing.  I was angry, frustrated, and physically weak.  To say I was tired of it all would be an understatement.

Unable to work and provide for my hellspawn, I gave up and went back to my family in Connecticut.  It was a hard decision to make.  I thought, "It's okay.  We'll make the most of it."  It was the worst of it.  Truly.  My extended family was less than helpful and my social life was...non existent.  My new primary made me feel like everything I was feeling was in my head and he and my pulmonologist said that I needed to just change my diet and exercise more.  But I started having MORE things happen.  The numbness and tingling in my hands and feet grew worse, my joints ached so bad I couldn't walk up stairs, I couldn't lift more than 5lbs, I kouldn't hold anything in my left hand, and I was always tired no matter how much I slept.  After the initial onset in 2012, I had to suffer from spring 2013 to the fall/winter of 2014.

I had some labs done and the doctor said some stuff showed up in my labs and he was sending me to a rheumatologist.  By this time, my joints ached so bad I went to bed with a heating pad and took pain pills just to get through the day with no pain.  I kouldn't stand for long periods or sit in a shair.  Kooking was out, playing with my kids was out, forget doing my daughter's hair or tying shoes.

The rheumatologist was more friendly and compassionate.  She listened to everything I was saying.  I told her I felt like maybe I was wasting her time and it was all in my head.  She said, "No.  There's something going on and we'll figure it out."  We did blood work and she told me I had high markers for rheumatoid arthritis.  I was given some new meds and sent along for a follow up.  

Around that time, I also broke out into a rash on my face, neck, shoulders, and my hair was falling out in patches.  When I went to the dermatologist he felt it was something else-dermatomyositis.  Some photos were taken and he opened up communication with my rheumatologist.   Between the two of them, the meds I was given were diskontinued and a new round started.

Winter in Connecticut can be a beast and that winter was no joke.  My hands turned red, white, and blue.  My primary said it was Raynaud's and suggested ski gloves.  What the heck!?  How can one 37 year old have so many things NO-ONE ever heard of?

I noticed my eyes were really dry.  I attributed it to the cold and dry air.  Nope.  At my next appointment, the rheumatologist did a test and said I had Sjorgrens.  Another diagnosis.  Another disease.  Another specialist.  Another medication.  She did another panel of tests on me that was sent to Mayo clinic.  At my next appointment (Feb 2015-I think), she explained I had Mixed Connective Tissue disease.  It's an autoimmune disease in which several diseases are putting around inside all at once.  I was told I also had markers for lupus and that either the lupus or the rheumatoid arthritis caused my lung issue and hospitalization in 2012.  She said it doesn't happen often, but the organs can be affected long before the joints are affected.

So great.  When I do it,  I do it big.  I get stuff no-one ever heard of in health class or most of their science classes.  So, what do I do?  Start searching the internet for any and every shred of information I could.  Some of it was scary.  Some of it was enlightening.  But almost 3 years later-I finally had some answers.