29/05/2012

Dear Diary,

What a weekend it has been!  I'm still in recovery!

It's been a blast in Cardiff with the Olympic torch relay and all the celebrations going on throughout Wales in preparation for the Olympics.

I really wanted to be out watching the torch but I knew that I had to be in Caerphilly the next day volunteering with the BBC learning production team for the "Blue Peter Olympic Tour".

So I pleaded with my son to go and grab a photo for me in Cardiff town as this was history in the making the whole world would be watching Cardiff on the BBC Torch Cam.

I was sooo excited, I'm also one of the social networking assistants for Radio Cardiff so I was trying to watch, tweet and cheer all at the same time!  My hands were in agony from typing, and my right hand began to swell.  But I can't explain how happy and proud I was that the Olympic Torch was in Wales, I had tears in my eyes I was so proud of how well everything had been organized in Wales with the coverage on the internet, the people lining the streets to greet torch bearers, it was truly an amazing feeling.

Being in Caerphilly the following day was just what the doctor had ordered I felt like somebody had just paid my rent for the whole year and given me food shop vouchers at Tesco for the next 12 months! LOL! (I wish).  The view and scenery was indescribable, the air even smells different there!

Not pretty

Now for the bad news the repercussions of a fun in the sun weekend, I was aching all over, my foot and ankle swelled up like a balloon, my back and hip aching and my hands were throbbing constantly.

I felt quite down because I would like to apply for a job and work but with my Fibromyalgia not being under control, it holds me back, right now the best I can realistically offer is voluntary work.

I discussed this with my O.T who helped me to realize there are other ways I can feel independent, empowered and enabled at home, by just having a little tidy up, taking care of my needs and sorting little spaces at a time.  Having not been born with a disability I'm used to either tidying up the house in a day or two, but he taught me that I can still achieve something by pacing myself.

He made this analogy imagine you had to eat an elephant (I was like ewwwwww! No thanks" what would you do? You'd have to capture it, and cut it into small pieces!  Your home is the same, it's as huge as an elephant, so do sections of a room at any given time so not to wear yourself out.

It worked!!! I felt like I had accomplished something. :) I suppose this is any situation in life pace yourself and you can accomplish much more.  

He also suggested I speak to my G.P about water tablets grrrrr!!!! In the words of my son "Fibromyalgia sucks!"