Keeping up with the mess

Many Sick Mommys stay at home with the kids and also end up taking care of the housekeeping for the most part. I'm one such Mommy. I tend to like things neat and free of clutter. My husband doesn't care either way but tries to be good about his messes.

I don't know where I first came across it, but I've been using the Flylady program to help me organize my life and home. I'm not great at it yet but it has really helped me get organized especially since we moved last month into a smaller space. That is the ultimate de-clutter detox program. Move from a house with a garage and a shed to a two bedroom apartment!

After the relapse from the physical and emotional stress of moving started to ease up, I was able to start organizing and cleaning. I'm still working on my Flylady Control Journal to figure out what I need to do every week or everyday.

The Flylady program is great for Sick Mommys because it stresses "babysteps" and not allowing your perfectionism paralyze you. Many Sick Mommys lose confidence because they can't do as much as other Moms. With Flylady, you don't have to feel guilty if you have a really bad day and can't do anything. If you are sticking with the program, your house will be so clean and organized that a day here and there of neglect is no big deal and, in my experience, a whole week of neglect is actually quickly remedied. In the past, if I was laid out and had to leave Hubby to the housekeeping, well, let's just say there wasn't much housekeeping going on and the house went from the usual mess to a disaster really fast. Our daughter is a tornado and can destroy a house in a day!

The best part of Flylady is the way it makes sure to add various ways to take care of yourself in the 'routines.' Many Sick Mommys just don't have the energy or time to do what has to be done let alone pamper ourselves. We already feel guilty for being sick and unable to do all the things we think we should be able to do. Flylady is less about a clean home than a peaceful mind and a loving attitude toward yourself.

I will continue to Fly! Now, I have some clutter to purge from my home!

Medical Emergency Survival Kit

This is a kit that every Sick Mommy should have ready if they find themselves needing to go to the Emergency Room at times due to their Life Difficulty.

A large tote bag is ideal because you can open it and see pretty much everything. In the bag you will need:

1. List of current medications with dosages. (Always keep one in your wallet too!) Make sure you keep the list updated if your meds or doses change.
   
2. Phone numbers and info of current Doctors and Specialists.
3. Photocopy of the front and back of your medical insurance card.
4. Cash for vending machines and pay phones (dollar bills and change). Remember, no mobile phone use inside the ER.
   
5. Snacks for the kiddies and spouse. There is nothing worse than a whiney spouse when you're already feeling crappy.
   
6. Toys for the kiddies... I like the WaterWow books. You paint and repaint with water in the books. Pretty easy to get water to fill the little pens. For the older kids, the little handheld games some stores sell cheap would be good to have. These should be kept in the bag and only used during this time so they are new and interesting!
7. Diapers/wipes and change of clothes for the younger kiddies.
   
8. Phone numbers of local family members or babysitter for the kids. This is in case you are admitted and you need someone to stay with the kids while you and spouse get settled in at the hospital.

Hopefully, this Survival kit will help you keep sane during your trip to the ER. I know it has helped my daughter stay busy and helped us make it through a few ER trips without more hassle than it already is! During the last one, the nurse actually commented on how prepared my husband was with the big tote bag and how happy our daughter was considering the situation.

I hope today is a good day!

What's a Mommy to do?

Motherhood is a challenge for any woman. Add any impairment that interferes with life and things can get really difficult. I, myself, live with Chronic Lyme Disease and the symptoms that continues to annoy me with. It gets in the way of things I need to do and things I want to do. It really doesn't matter what chronic impairment a Mom might have... be it chronic migraines or Depression or Multiple Sclerosis. Anything that saps energy from our mothering is a difficult hurdle.

Sometimes I'm just feeling too sick to play a fifth round of "baby animals" with my 3 year old daughter. Sometimes I can't bring my daughter to the playground. Meeting up for playdates with other Moms is sometimes a rare treat particularly right now because my brain has decided that I no longer need sleep after 3:30am in the morning. I'm pretty good at driving half asleep but I don't recommend it and I just don't do it anymore. Being the Mom I want to be or even half the Mom I want to be is more often a challenge than not.

This blog hopefully will have resources for us Sick Mommys. I know you are out there. It will also have understanding and some humor because I definitely know what you're going through sister!

My first suggestion is a support site named Daily Strength. It's a social network site for people looking for support for their particular Life Difficulty as I will call it. We all have them... some are more interference than others.

I hope today is a good day for you.