Hi All,
Hope we are all well today or as well as any of us can be. I haven't given an achievement update for a while, not because I haven't achieved anything, just because there has been so much going on with Lupus Awareness Day etc. Now I am back and I have managed a huge amount over the past couple of weeks, which I am so excite to share with you. I am not even sure how I have had the energy to do half of the things I have accomplished as I have had a tough few weeks health wise, but I put 90% of it down to a positive mentality...the other 10% down to sheer stubbornness! So here we go....I hope I can prove that we can live a relatively normal life.
I have been out in the evening twice this week.....
Firstly, when I say evening I mean until around 6.30, but that to me is a late time. Twice after work I have met up with friends straight from work, something that I have not been doing for such a long time. Both friends I have not seen in a long time and the catch up was really needed over a cup of coffee. It is a shame that I am constrained by the time I have to be home so I can rest, however once I got to sit down with my friends I felt instantly lifted and less worried about what the evening held for me.
There is something so refreshing about being around people you haven't seen for a while, talking about other things than my health. It brought me back to reality somewhat and the break from thinking about how much energy I needed to get home and make tea etc was gone for the couple of hours I was there. Just that short amount of time was enough to make me feel like me again and not me who comes with a chronic illness.
I have not planned my week at all whatsoever.....
As you will know from previous posts, I have a problem with letting planning my life take over my happiness and I have been on a personal mission to change this. Well I am pleased to report that this is the first week in as long as I can remember, that I have not planned anything at all....other than scheduled items such as doctors appointments and work. I have lived "off the cuff" in way that I never actually thought i would be able too. Even when there were a couple of plan changes during the week, I was able to overcome the slight panic and get on with enjoying living from day to day.
Oh the freedom that comes with living for the moment. I have hardly felt guilt for saying no to things I cannot manage, purely because I know now that I am living for today and not tomorrow. Making the most of what I have got and running with it.
I managed to celebrate Lupus Awareness Day during a flare up....
By far my greatest achievement this week was managing to get up last Saturday. Part of this is because I was surrounded by support on the day and part of it was sheer willpower to get up and do something. Now, my plan for the day had to change as it included a Eurovision party in the evening which i was too ill too attend and still feel sad that I missed. However, I did manage to do what I intended to with my morning....spend it with a loved one and take lots and lots of purple pictures....and I was really happy with the outcome.
It was a long morning, with a lot of walking when I was in such a bad flare up state, but the point was to raise awareness and what better way to do it than to create something beautiful from a bad day. I laughed, I think I may have skipped down the street at one point and I had a wonderful time hunting for anything and everything purple. A great day and weekend....it certainly lifted my spirits for the rest of the week.
So there you have it....what have you achieved big or small this week?
