About Me

My photo
I'm a mom, a wife, a best friend. Sick with CFIDS/ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia since 1975 as a result of a nasty flu while still in grad school, it wasn't until the late '80's that I received a diagnosis. Until that flu I'd never really been ill before. With each year I get progressively worse and add to the bucket load of symptoms I'm living with. I've been blessed with an incredible family and best friend who've stayed with me through my struggles as we continue to find a way out of this monstrous illness and its complications. We've tried seemingly every approach to find my way back to health. Often I think our best weapon in this undesirable and unasked-for adventure has been laughter.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Trying To Look and Act Human Even When Sick.


Bioderma, Clarins, the Omorovicza "mitt," the Sisley face mask, and the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel


I'm afraid I'm pretty ill at the moment. In fact, worried hubby stayed home to keep an eye on me in the AM - a rare occurrence - and I kept asking him for cups of tea with honey. Saying that I am not a huge fan of honey qualifies as an understatement: the last time I had tea with honey was when I came down with the bug that led to the CFIDS/ME/fibro - when my mom flew down to my university to "nurse me back to good health" - so my request for tea with honey pretty much scared the bejeebees out of hubby. I certainly hope the tea and honey work better now than it did back in 1975!

At any rate, when flying home, I came up with a few ideas that I think will be successful for me if I ever have to fly again, which I sincerely hope not, given the unsettling experiences I had coming back.  One day I may write about them, but for now I'm too "verklempt," as Mike Myers used to say on SNL.  I'm just glad I'm home, where I should be, recovering from it all.  (Lawdy! How DO I Manage to sound like such a drama queen!)
So, getting back to my thoughts and ideas. 

  • A surprising and successful way to find use for something I didn't care for before:
I was just about to pop a mitt-like washcloth into my checked-in baggage, when I experienced a flashback to the skimpy warm washcloths on the plane that are occasionally passed around before meals.  I received said washcloth "mitt" in one of those trial-sized kits (Omorovicza )which, at the time I thought was a total waste of money.   Now, however, that said "mitt" has found its "calling," I'm more than thrilled that I have it.  
I simply wet it, wrung out all the water I could and popped the thing into a ziplock bag and slid it into the top - and thus easily accessible - compartment of my carry-on.  Every time I needed to wash off my face or hands, I turned to a clean area of the mitt.  

And good grief. This is not a germaphobe talking, just a relatively clean person: those planes are absolutely filthy! Even though business was much nicer (read "cleaner") than economy, still....  And since I try to stay away from the bathrooms as much as possible because of the germ factor, this damp washcloth turned out to be an inspired move. I liked that there was no stickiness after I used the "mitt." I find that any kind of wipes leave behind an unpleasant stickiness.  I can actually see myself using this trick even for a trip by car or train.


  • The Bioderma worked out so well that next time I'm going to double the amount I take.  
(Did I say "next time"?  Excuse me while I take my temperature.  Yes, I'm quite delirious!)  I just need to put more cotton pads into the skincare and makeup bag I brought on board with me (hypothetically speaking, of course!)  In fact, I was so obsessed with the 3-1-1 rule of liquid contents taken on board that I kept getting completely confused and kept thinking I needed to take as few items on board as possible.  Fibro-fog really had a field-day with me!


  • Skincare masks turned out to be a huge "face-saver."  
My skin was actually in better shape getting off the plane than it had been before getting on, thanks to constant hydration and fooling around with different products.  It made the time go by more quickly (well, almost) and kept me busy.  And yes, I'll be doing a review of the masks I've loved so far, as soon as I can get myself together and run a couple more experiments.  But I do love them completely!


So, there you have it: three ideas that really worked. I'm sure more will come up as soon as I can wrap my head around all that's happened, as well as once my fevers stop torturing me!

In the meanwhile, I hope everyone is doing as well as can be, "only better"!   


NOTE: I've corrected some of the content. Sorry about the errors. It appears that I was indeed a tiny bit delirious when I wrote this post: I've come down with croup, of all things. I sound just like a seal when I cough!



4 comments:

  1. Get better, Irene!
    I'm currently in Alabama with Mother. Going to the dermatologist today in Tuscaloosa - Mother wants him to look at her ENTIRE body and perform miracles!!! (What fun!)
    Martha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh dear, Martha! Hope all goes well and that perhaps you can make up for the experience by "doing lunch" or even "tea" or something very Southern! Tuscaloosa? How far is that from her home??? Hope you had a great time at the family get-together. Thanks for the good wishes! xx

      Delete
  2. Hi, I just discovered your blog. I am a fellow ME/CFS/FM sufferer and have a blog also. I use it both to explain about life with this illness, and to share my art, something I did not know I could do until I became ill. Hope you will come and join me as well! Hopefully we can encourage each other!

    Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Rebecca! Thanks so very much for stopping by! I've gladly looked at your blog and found it interesting...especially keeping in mind that you found such an incredible part of your life AFTER getting ill! I, too, look forward to getting to know you and agree with the encouraging bit 100%! xx

      Delete