Every day is never the same when suffering from an Autoimmune (AI) disorder, you have good days and bad days. So taking advantage of the good days becomes priority.
There are so many AI disorders and diseases: Crohn's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus and the list goes on and on... According to WebMD, an "auto-immune disorders occur when the body's immune system reacts improperly, attacking and damaging the body itself. " http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/autoimmune-diseases-directory
I have learned over the last few years how to become better organized when an 'episode' from my Meniere's Disease takes over my life. Not only am I sick (horrendous vertigo, nausea and vomiting, confusion and brain fog, over-stimulated sensory problems, blurred, double vision, fatigue, etc) but I end up losing two to three days of my life for the recovery process. Sure I take prescribed medication but that only masks the symptoms; which helps very little. Just have to sleep it off; hence losing two to three days of my life.
So even though I make out my daily/weekly to-do list, I rarely ever accomplish it.
A few days ago I was suppose to transplant some sunflowers, re-plant another round of arugula and spinach, clean out the greenhouse and trim back some bushes along the property edge by the woods. Four to-do list items... none of them completed. Episode hit with a fury of nausea and I was down for the count.
Then of course, guilt sets in. But I try to set aside the guilt and tell myself I will get to the chores. I have had to re-train myself into pacing my workload. Instead of weeding the entire garden in one sitting, I have to stretch it out over the course of the day- taking breaks to rest.
I am told to aid in recovery of and to perhaps prevent an episode is to relax, try to be stress-free and to find activities that help me achieve this. So growing herbs, gardening and working in my greenhouse really helps.
(just a sampling of herbs and greens I picked this morning)
So if you suffer from an AI, how do you cope?