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    Are you too tired to take care of yourself?

    I feel run down all the time.

    I don't work-out anymore (and I REALLY want to), so I've got this stubborn 20 lbs to lose and I don't want to buy new clothes until it's gone.

    I don't have the energy to simply take showers on a regular basis, and stick my hair in a bun or pony-tail just about every day-- so now it's ridden with all kinds of split ends.

    Just the thought of standing in the shower long enough to shave the ol' legs (or Nair them) is enough to make me want to take a nap.

    I no longer see the point in painting my nails. When I was in the most recent relapse, I had severe dizziness, and I didn't pluck my eyebrows at all and now they're all grown in. Now I don't have the energy to do anything about it.

    I work at a really casual place and don't even put on eye shadow or mascara, but lots of the girls wear full-on going out on a saturday night kind of make-up. The thought of going through all that in the morning makes me want to go to sleep.

    I'm only 32 and a wife and a mother of an amazing 3 year old boy. I want to take good care of myself and look nice, but I feel like it's just too much to even deal with. Anyone else feel like that?

    #2
    me too!

    For years I've been going to work with wet hair. As soon as it dries, it goes in the ponytail. Once in a blue moon I'll attempt to put mascara on, usually end up poking myself in the eye Working full time and having MS, I don't have the energy to be bothered with trivial things like blow drying my hair anymore.

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      #3
      Yup yup

      I used to go to high school every day with wet hair. I just can't, and never have been able to, deal with a blow dryer. I always wondered how other girls could do that and I couldn't, and I guess I know now.

      I'm much more than my appearance, or MS for that matter, but it still kind of sucks that I can't deal with simple things women do to make themselves look good.

      I was honestly thinking today about getting one of those little benches you put in the shower. I think I'd take much more showers and feel much better when I'm through if I could sit down in there.

      Comment


        #4
        yes, omg. I could have written that post. I will go all weekend without getting out of my pjs, or taking a bath, much less doing my hair. I even went once without brushing my teeth cause I was just to exhausted to hold the toothbrush. ... That's insane. It's so unlike me. I'm the one who bathes two and three times a day, brushes my teeth five to seven times a day.
        When I finally make it to the shower it's such a chore. And Forget blow drying. Luckily, I don't have to do my hair before I go to work, (I wear a scrub cap) or I would never make it. Everyday make-up gets less and less. It used to be full on, but not anymore.
        I finally broke down and bought a shower stool for the times when it's just unbearable. I don't use it much but at least I know I have it when I do.

        This MonSter sucks!

        Comment


          #5
          If your fatigue is interfering with your ability to take care of yourself it's time to see your PCP.

          Not everything is MS related.

          Fatigue can be caused by depression, a sleep disorder or some other medical problem.
          Diagnosed 1984
          “Lightworkers aren’t here to avoid the darkness…they are here to transform the darkness through the illuminating power of love.” Muses from a mystic

          Comment


            #6
            Quite awhile ago I posted a thread about SAS (shower avoidance syndrome.) It had to do with knowing you were going to take a shower, but procastinating because of energy level, and then finally having to "make yourself" get to the shower (usually afternoon, even though you started out with the intention of doing it first thing in the AM.)

            There were lots of responses and many people had the same issues (I imagine because of the new format that old thread has been lost.)

            Anyhoo, I just force myself to do the things I need to, but have come up with some strategies for dealing with the fatigue.

            I always sit during a shower (we have a built in bench, but before that I used a shower chair.) I use a hand held shower, this cuts down on getting overheated. I don't even attempt to pluck my eyebrows anymore (who knows what I'd look like if I tried, LOL)...but instead I have them waxed when I get my hair cut, which is about every 5 weeks (that interval seems to work for me...and it's 10 bucks extra for the eyebrow was, well worth the $$$.) As soon as I get out of the shower, I sit down to dry off, get dressed, and to dry my hair. Our closed toilet is in just the right place for this in our bathroom, but you could attach one of those small mirrors on an extending arm to the wall, if your toilet isn't at the right angle of your mirror. Shaving my legs, I was using one of those wide head razors w/the soap attached, but that was tiring, so now I use a rechargeable cordless one, and don't have to shave my legs while I'm in the shower. Oh, and if you use conditioner, always use the shampoo w/the conditioner, it saves having to use your arms lather your head twice. I work from home, so make up isn't an issue, I hardly wear it, only lipstick and some mascara (which is another trick to do w/intention tremor...so mostly I go w/out mascara.)

            So those are all my tips, hope it helps.

            Comment


              #7
              Same Here

              I have always been the woman that takes 1 shower in the morning and then a warm bath at night always had makeup and hair well done. But for the last 2 1/2 yrs I dread taking a bath/shower or doing anything to take care of me.. I am disabled so I wear pj's allday everyday ( which is depressing on it's own).. Anyway I thought all of this was or is because of my depression.. I have SPMS and very bad clinical depression.. So, I really believe it is a combo of MS/Depression.. I really look in the mirror sometimes and don't recognize myself sometimes..

              I hate this disease.. But at the same time, I know for sure it could be a lot worse...

              Hope this helps

              Comment


                #8
                YUP!

                I look like crud most of the time. I am a comfort junkie. My uniform used to be T-shirts and sweatpants UNTIL I discovered that flannel pants were even MORE comfortable! By the way, I even wore my sweats inside out because they were softer that way. I even wear the same beat-up T-shirts over and over because they are more comfortable than my other new ones that aren't broken in!

                Like it or not, we are judged by our appearance, and perhaps we should all use this lent season as a springboard to work on ourselves a bit more. I think I'll start by clipping my king-sized toenails today (hmm...if only my fingernails grew this long!).
                Tawanda
                ___________________________________________
                Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 2004; First sign of trouble: 1994

                Comment


                  #9
                  Wow, as I sit here, still in my pj top at 11:00 in the am, I realize that I am not alone. Since menapause, I do not have to shave my legs as much, but since I do not work anymore, I feel I have no reason to get dressed or made up. I used to enjoy fixing myself up and going to work and even dressing up...I loved my heels, now i am thinking about what kind of new slippers to buy. Yuck.......I think alot of it is the depression from the MS. Alot of it, is just that I have no where to go anymore. Shoppping and metting freinds for lunch costs money which I do not have right now. I do get SSDI, but it is not as much as I* amde when I was working, so as most of you can realte to, I have had to cut back on tings. I love to shop, but there is no reason to buy smyself stuff since I have no where to go anymore.

                  My hair is short, so I can get away without drying it. My downfall is round brushes....Got one stuck in my hair once and dh had to cut a big chunk our, to get brush out. Pretty funny till I could get appt. to get rest of hair cut.

                  JudySz

                  Comment


                    #10
                    tierd

                    Originally posted by lizzzphoto View Post
                    I feel run down all the time.

                    I don't work-out anymore (and I REALLY want to), so I've got this stubborn 20 lbs to lose and I don't want to buy new clothes until it's gone.

                    I don't have the energy to simply take showers on a regular basis, and stick my hair in a bun or pony-tail just about every day-- so now it's ridden with all kinds of split ends.

                    Just the thought of standing in the shower long enough to shave the ol' legs (or Nair them) is enough to make me want to take a nap.

                    I no longer see the point in painting my nails. When I was in the most recent relapse, I had severe dizziness, and I didn't pluck my eyebrows at all and now they're all grown in. Now I don't have the energy to do anything about it.

                    I work at a really casual place and don't even put on eye shadow or mascara, but lots of the girls wear full-on going out on a saturday night kind of make-up. The thought of going through all that in the morning makes me want to go to sleep.

                    I'm only 32 and a wife and a mother of an amazing 3 year old boy. I want to take good care of myself and look nice, but I feel like it's just too much to even deal with. Anyone else feel like that?
                    OMG.I was looking for someone who is experiencing those same exact symptoms. Yes I feel tired all the time . Whats worse is my own husband doesn't understand how I want to take a nap after sleeping all night long.Sometimes I won't even sleep I just need to lay down because I feel like if I don't I'm gonna collapse.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Wow! Is this what I have to look forward to?

                      I was diagnosed almost a year ago with MS. I can see I am following the same pattern as everyone else when it comes to not wanting to get out of my pj's, take a shower or do my hair/makeup because I don't have the energy. I used to be so energetic and athletic, now it seems like I am tired in a weird kind of way. I have only been on meds for 6 months but it seems like the episodes are not stopping.

                      My thoughts have been if I have had this for years but have been fine, why is it that I am all of a sudden having trouble now. It is hard for me to comprehend and I have stayed away from seeking others with MS because I don't want to get even more depressed.

                      Any suggestions for a newly diagnosed person? Is there any hope for a normal life on the meds? I have four children who I love to play with but some days I just don't have the energy.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by ipclion View Post
                        I was diagnosed almost a year ago with MS. I can see I am following the same pattern as everyone else when it comes to not wanting to get out of my pj's, take a shower or do my hair/makeup because I don't have the energy. I used to be so energetic and athletic, now it seems like I am tired in a weird kind of way. I have only been on meds for 6 months but it seems like the episodes are not stopping.

                        My thoughts have been if I have had this for years but have been fine, why is it that I am all of a sudden having trouble now. It is hard for me to comprehend and I have stayed away from seeking others with MS because I don't want to get even more depressed.

                        Any suggestions for a newly diagnosed person? Is there any hope for a normal life on the meds? I have four children who I love to play with but some days I just don't have the energy.
                        The meds might be causing a level of fatigue. On the other hand, my first year was my hardest. There are meds for fatigue, and if you have 4 kids, you may need them.

                        As far as the kid's playing, I came up with activities, that were fun, but didn't wear me out too much. I don't know how old your kids are, but I used to make up "scavenger hunts" with a whole list of things on it that I knew could be found in our yard, yet would take time to collect, then send a bag and the list and the "scavenger" out into the yard to hunt. It expended energy from the kid and not from me, LOL.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          i thought i was all alone in my own personal hell, my husband gets on me all the time about this but at times the fatigue is overwhelming.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by ipclion View Post
                            I was diagnosed almost a year ago with MS. I can see I am following the same pattern as everyone else when it comes to not wanting to get out of my pj's, take a shower or do my hair/makeup because I don't have the energy. I used to be so energetic and athletic, now it seems like I am tired in a weird kind of way. I have only been on meds for 6 months but it seems like the episodes are not stopping.

                            My thoughts have been if I have had this for years but have been fine, why is it that I am all of a sudden having trouble now. It is hard for me to comprehend and I have stayed away from seeking others with MS because I don't want to get even more depressed.

                            Any suggestions for a newly diagnosed person? Is there any hope for a normal life on the meds? I have four children who I love to play with but some days I just don't have the energy.
                            Wow, I literally could've written this word for word. I wonder if there is hope for normal life too. These days I have so LITTLE energy for my kids, it's shameful!
                            I too have stayed away from the MS social world, but now I'm desperate for help and answers!

                            And to those of you that are lazy on the eyebrows.... I think you're right, waxing is the easiest thing! It's just hard to get motivated to get there and I don't want to spend the money!

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Hooray for solutions

                              I have an appointment this weekend to get all my split ends cut off, a permanent wave so my hair can look somewhat done instead of this half wavy/half straight usual yuckiness, my nails painted, and my eyebrows waxed.

                              I went ahead and ordered a little shower seat.

                              It's amazing the how much the amount of motiviation picks up when you have things like that to look forward to. I went to the gym last night and got on the elliptical for 45 minutes.

                              The last time I worked out there was about 4 months ago- right before all my symptoms went haywire and they were doing all these test to see what it was. That time my left leg got that pins and needles feeling and my foot went numb- it all lasted about two hours and I thought it was really strange, but it went away and I never mentioned it to anyone because I didn't really think it was anything to worry about.

                              But anyway- thanks for the solutions given so far. I've been taking L Carnitine and Alpha Lipoic Acid in pill form, but I've grown so tired of taking my horse pill vitamins and those, so I've skipped them for about a week and boy I can really tell. They come in liquid form a little more expensive (same with vitamin D!) so I think I will probably take that route.

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