Day 139 - Hook Me Up to a Continuous Energy Feed

A friend called me today and we were on the phone for a nice long while, getting caught up. She suggested that we get together and I explained that I'm sort of cutting back these days and I'd like to put off making any specific plans. We talked a little more and she suggested another kind of get-together, and I again declined. It's so hard for people to understand that I am still struggling with managing my energy even though I'm not sick in bed. It sounds so silly to be turning down plans to have fun when I don't look sick and even on some days, I'm feeling okay. 

 

I finally came upon a way of explaining my energy issues that seemed to make sense. I explained to my friend that if she heated her house with gas, there was a continuous supply and she probably didn't think much about it. Her home burned the energy that came in to fuel it, and there was a seemingly endless supply. As long as she pays her bill, she gets the energy she needs to run her house. That's how most healthy people deal with their own energy. They eat, they sleep, play, socialize and they exercise as ways to fuel their bodies - it's like that continuous gas feed - there is an endless supply of activities that can energize a person and the fact that those things create energy to run on, is just taken for granted.

 

I said that fibro and chronic fatigue felt like my body was more like a car getting filled up with gas. It can only run a certain amount of time on that tank before it runs out of fuel and comes to a screeching halt. We all know how complicated it is to deal with a car on the road that's run out of gas. Unlike healthy folks, eating good food and sleeping at night are not guarantees that I'll feel energized. Rather than exercise building energy, it depletes me as do all kinds of other enjoyable activities. I do what I can to make sure that my energy stays consistent and I am very aware of when I'm running low on fuel. But just like I wouldn't start a trip and get on a highway with an empty tank of gas, I won't plan activities that I know are going to use up too much of my fuel too quickly. I'm continuing to prioritize my life so I can do the things that are most essential to my happiness and well-being. So I hope my friend continues to call because when I'm up to it I really do want to get together. I just want to be sure it won't be the one thing that has me running out of gas!