Recovering from the Common Cold

Yes, I'm still whining about the cold I got last month. It lasted for about 3 weeks. And now I'm finally starting to really recover.

When I went to see my Naturopath today, she told me that when any of her ME patients get a virus, she secretly worries. It is not at all uncommon for a regular, run of the mill cold to knock us back down a few levels on the functional capacity scale. Quite normal for us, actually, to take months to recover from a cold. Um. YIKES!

Sooooo.... today I'm counting my blessings. The cold lasted for 3 weeks, but I'm really recovering. Yay! No more whining about that from me! Amazing, the perspective the shift. Suddenly I'm feeling fortunate.

Ok, so I'm not at the level I was before the cold, but I'm not that far down from it. I'm getting glimpses here and there of energetic moments - moments when I feel I can actually unload the dishwasher, take out the garbage, or do some painting. The problem right now, is that I can't trust that the energy will last for the entire activity. Whereas before the cold, I was getting really good at gauging the energy.

The other day, for example, I felt energized, and decided it was the perfect moment to go for my walk. I took two steps out the door, and before I even reached my gate, I was already dragging my foot, which is a good sign that I need to lie down. Ok then. That's kind of how things have been going for the last week or so. Another adjustment, another moment to reassess and reconsider, and get to know myself all over again.

It is all very confusing, really.

The recommendation you ask, because surely I asked her about it? Well yes, actually, my head was clear enough to ask today. She recommended, just as my instincts had already told me, taking it extra easy. Not like lie down and do nothing easy, but to act like I'm at a 4 on the scale, even when I feel for a moment that I'm at a 6. That means, don't undertake anything I would not have undertaken when I was there, even if I think I can do it.  That means no yoga, no volunteer work, and no lengthy outings with large groups of people to loud noisy places. At least for two weeks. And then, again, reassess, reconsider, readjust. Sigh.

So I made it to one yoga class. Surely that counts for something, right?

I just have to remember that this is a setback like so many others that I have overcome, and I will overcome this one too, because, as I wrote last time, "there is sickness here, but I am not sick."