Since I retired, for the most part, I have been able to keep the symptoms (muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing and speaking, some breathing difficulty, and my right eye closing) under control. As long as I get the rest I need (and I need more than the average person!) I can manage. Sometimes I feel pretty good. Other times, not so much.
This week, I got a refresher lesson on what happens when I push too far. I made it pretty well at the Annual Conference of the Mississippi United Methodist Church on the first day. I was able to get up at 4:30 and begin the process of taking my meds in the prescribed order, getting breakfast, etc. I got there by 7 to get a handicap parking spot and went in to begin the day. By almost 5 PM, when the day session was to end, I was getting tired but made it home. Things that I don't really think about, like trying to balance sitting on my walker or in an unsupportive chair make a difference, as my muscles have to work harder even to sit.
The next day, I could tell I was weak, but I needed to get back to the conference for the voting portions of our agenda. By the time I got there, my right eye was nearly closed and I was shaky. I got through the morning session and most of the memorial service. After that, I had to holler "Uncle!" I had just enough energy to get home and collapse in my chair. This morning, I knew better than to push it further.
I get a fair amount of "Well, we are tired too!" from other people. There is a difference. For many years, I could push through "tired." But now, I can't push through congenital myopathy symptoms. Not safely, anyway.
Since Hermanville UMC will no longer be a "church" after the end of June but will be a preaching station, I will no longer be a voting member of our annual conference. I will miss seeing the friends I have there, but in a way, it may be a blessing.
The body has spoken. And it is saying "no."
No comments:
Post a Comment