Can you manage with Fibromyalgia: the invisible pandemic in this COVID-19 craze?
The news broke in January that there was a respiratory infection sweeping across China. Since I live in Taiwan, the prognosis for us was grim. In a population of 23 million people our health care system would have been overwhelmed.
The resources would not have been enough to handle such a crisis. The Taiwan Government took the “Prevention is better than cure route” and immediately implemented around “124 action items” to manage the crisis even before the first case was diagnosed.
Here’s my view of how it all went down.
I began to realize that keeping up with friends and family on how my family and I were doing, going along with the new changes and keeping up with the updates began to take a toll on me.
I realized there were no guides on how a Fibromyalgia sufferer was to manage in a crisis like this and with all the food and supplements flying off the shelves how were we to take care of ourselves and prevent a flare?
The truth is we just don’t know. Well established gurus in the FM treatment game has offered a lot of suggestions but let’s be honest, it goes far beyond taking all these supplements
…but also…
a lot of these supplements are not even available to buy.
Five (5) things that will help you get by at least until this all slows down
1. Time
Spend a fixed amount of time each day to observe what happens on the news. We want to keep track of what is going on but not be obsessed about it. Stay tuned to reliable sources like the CDC’s website or other Television channels in your area.
Also, pay attention to the weather and dress accordingly. The children may also be out of school. Make a schedule for them and stick to it.
Also include a nap time for younger kids or quiet time for older children so the Fibro-mama can get some rest to recharge. Go to bed on time, same time every night. No compromises. They will be better for it when school re-opens.
2. Money
It’s easy to order out at this time instead of cooking with all the things that are there to do around the house and kids running around. Make house cleaning and meal prep a part of the schedule; make it fun! Save money by having family game time with stuff you already have or online interactive Apps.
Try to make your own of anything that you might need. There are plenty of tutorials on the web and lots of stuff lying around the house to make them from.
Be creative
3. Food
It’s important to conserve the food and only consume what you actually need in the day. It’s crazy at the stores right now and we are not trying to get in the middle of a toilet paper war with anyone while picking up some frozen pizza.
Let the kids know that we are in a state of heightened cautiousness and we need to eat just what we need. It’s tempting to veg out all day streaming videos and throwing back the snacks but after a week and all the food is gone it would all have been in vain.
Let the kids have their own snack boxes for the week and let them know that they are responsible for making it last. Encourage them to try out new recipes and participate in dinner ideas.
Here you can discuss serving sizes and nutrients that they are getting from these foods.
As a Fibro-warrior, be sure to include a lot of energy giving and immunity boosting foods that supplements your diet.
4. Intuition
Trust your gut! I believe the sixth sense is heightened in women and Fibro-warriors. If your child wants to go over to a friend’s house, attend a get-together etc.
What does your gut tell you?
If some friends from out of town want to drop by while you’re on lock-down, what does your gut tell you? If you start feeling under the weather or one of your children are not feeling well.
What does your gut tell you?
Trust your intuition. You’ll be right more than half the time. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially in these times.
5. Family support
It becomes overwhelming day after day with the children out of school with all the house chores and bill paying that needs to be done.
When you begin to feel overwhelmed it is ok to pass the baton to dad or grandma or a trusted family member to run a few errands for you or hold the children’s attention over video chat while you sit down and have a few moments to yourself.
Let the children know that there’s a time for them to do their part as well. This means that they need to take some time to do things on their own while mommy is taking care of herself.
If you have children that needs a constant eye on them. Sleep when they sleep and leave the house a mess.
You cannot afford to have a flare-up over a dirty house in these times.
Good luck to you all, stay healthy and live well!
