Pat Yourself on the Back!

People who live with chronic pain often have to look really hard to find things to be proud of.  And sometimes, the things that we do which make us feel proud really seem odd to other people.  We might feel a sense of pride for being able to make a sandwich without asking for any one's help.  Or, we may be thrilled that we actually got up and put makeup on that day.  To those of you who do not suffer from a chronic illness, these things probably sound down right ridiculous.  But my fellow chronic pain sufferers will completely understand this.

I did something yesterday that I am incredibly proud of.  I cleaned my laundry room!  Now, I can hear some of you saying "Huh?" and scratching your heads.  I even know what you're thinking!  Many of you are thinking, "that's nothing to get excited over" or "that's something you should do each time you clean" or "I can't think of anything less impressive".  But for someone who suffers from chronic pain, this was a lot like climbing Mt. Everest.

Cleaning  my house is one of the most painful things that I have to do.  And, that is why my house is a mess most of the time.  Standing for any length of time can bring me to tears.  All of the bending and lifting that comes with house cleaning can put me in bed for a couple of days.  I'm not talking about heavy duty spring housecleaning.  I'm talking about the everyday straightening, dusting, and vacuuming that most people take for granted and do all the time without even thinking about.  However, for someone suffering from chronic pain, these everyday tasks can sometimes seem insurmountable.

My laundry room had just gotten downright disgusting.  Not only is this where my washer and dryer are, but it's also where all of the cats' stuff is.  I keep their food and water in there, along with the litter boxes.  I had gotten to the point that I would just close my eyes every time I went in there.  The floor had become carpeted with lint, cat litter, and little bits of cat food.  I'm not proud of this, but I'm just trying to be honest.  I also store a lot of stuff on the shelves in this room, and that stuff had begun to take over.  It really was bad!

As the day went on, I realized that I wasn't hurting nearly as much as I usually do.  I began to realize that my last epidural injection was actually doing its job, and the pain from my fibro was almost nonexistent.  This almost never happens.  I had a few errands to run, and when I got home, I realized that I still felt good, and I knew exactly what I had to do.....Tackle the dreaded laundry room!  I was a little shocked that I was thinking this way, but I jumped up and started working before the thought passed!

Because I can't lift anything, I had my two youngest sons carry everything out of the laundry room.  Once that had been done, I got started.  First, I swept the floor, and there was enough cat hair in there to actually make another cat!  Between that, the litter and food on the floor, and the lint from the dryer, I had a large pile of sweepings.  I know it's a bit gross, but this is the way it was.  I got this picked up and thrown away, and made a sink full of hot water and bleach to mop with.  I also spot treated a few areas on the floor that I knew were going to need extra help.  I wiped down the washer and dryer, and then I mopped that floor til it shined!  Once the floor was dry, I had my boys move everything back in, and then I just stood there admiring all of my hard work.

Like I said before, this may not seem like much of an accomplishment to those who don't deal with chronic pain.  But for me, it was wonderful!  The things that we consider BIG DEALS often seem like silly little things to those around us.  However, we need to be proud of the things that we do no matter how insignificant those things may seem to others.  If taking a shower is a huge accomplishment for you, pat yourself on the back!  Your family may not totally understand why you are so excited, but you know, and that's all that matters!