I Shouldn't | Arthritis Information

I shouldn't wince in pain when trying to fix my daughters hair

I shouldn't dread the bike ride with her to school and back

I shouldn't want to lay in bed for another 2 hours when my kids are up and hungry

I shouldn't put off going to the park day after day because I'm exhausted

And most importantly, my kids shouldn't have to feel like they come in second to whatever this is!!!!

Carolinagirl,

I so understand how you feel. It is especially hard when you don't have a dx yet. After fighting the fatigue really hard, I came to realize that I simply can't win that battle all the time and must rest. You need to realize that these things are not your fault - you don't want to live like this - you are not choosing to not do things and to not enjoy things. You are sick and that is not your fault.

Most importantly, you are not putting your daughters second: you are just doing what you need to do to survive until you can get some treatment. Even young children understand when a parent is not well and it can help them grow up to be more empathetic and compassionate.

Can you get some extra help so that you could take a full day to stay in bed and rest with no responsibilities at all? Also, you might be depressed because of your health and an anti-depressant could help you through this.

I hope things get better for you soon. Keep us posted.

Laker

Thanks Laker. I am actually on a low dose of prozac. My PCM had read a study that said it can help deal with chronic pain and he said it was worth a try. I have one in school all day now and the other one on a waiting list for half day pre-school. When that happens I will have atleast 3 hrs a day where I only have to worry about me! Those three hours will go fast. Make yourself rest for an hour. It will be worth the time it takes.Girl I hear you. I feel the same way. I work 40 hours a week, have 9 hours of college classes I am taking this semester, looking for a 2nd job to try and get some bills paid off, and have 3 kids. Rest is not in my vocab. I never had a problem before, but now with whatever this crap is making me feel bad, I am starting to really feel like I am doing too much. I've never had to worry about that before, but unless something changes soon and I get a dx and get on some drugs and find relief, I will have to drop something, and unfortunately it can't be work, need the $ too much. *sigh* [QUOTE=carolinagirl]Thanks Laker. I am actually on a low dose of prozac. My PCM had read a study that said it can help deal with chronic pain and he said it was worth a try. I have one in school all day now and the other one on a waiting list for half day pre-school. When that happens I will have atleast 3 hrs a day where I only have to worry about me! [/QUOTE]

If you're not finding relief from the prozac after a couple of months you might want to talk to the doc about switching to a low dose of one of the tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil. Some studies suggest they are more effective at easing chronic pain and chronic fatigue. Do be careful when making the switch; they can sometimes interact, and prozac stays in your system for a couple of weeks after you take the last pill.
What a great verse carolinagirl, it sums up exactly how I feel some days! Thanks for sharing it with us all
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