Yesterday was one of those days where I was down and depressed. I don’t have these days very often but when I do it’s usually pretty bad. I was having a bad CFS/FM day and my body just would not allow me to do much. But even though I felt miserable, I still wanted to do and I was bored to tears.
I need something to do outside of this house. I keep telling my husband that I would like to get some type of job for just a few hours a week to give me something to do. I feel like I am wasting my life away and I’m not willing to give up and let this illness control me. He’s really against it because he thinks that I will just end up worse and will be bedridden again. If I could just find something for one or two days for just a few hours that would be ideal. I know those types of jobs are probably hard to come by, though. I also know that I cannot physically work anymore than that.
I was also considering volunteering at the local hospital, but with all of the germs I would probably be sick all of the time and would catch everything going around. I need a life again. I need something to do for me. Any suggestions?
I’m in the same position, with the same concerned husband!
Things that I’ve thought about, but not been able to put into action yet:
– other volunteer opportunities: teaching an ESL group at the local library (2hrs per week), doing office type work for the Lung Association in the neighbourhood, find out about the centre that was asking for donations of sewing machines (whether they’d need someone to teach people how to use them, etc). My main criteria here was LOCAL. I don’t need to have all my energy sapped by the commute before I even did anything. It’s sometimes hard to find local things, but one day I’ll track down the United Way or other volunteer organization and ask them.
– talk to a place here that specializes in finding work for people with disabilities. I stopped in a year ago to find out about them, was offered the chance to talk to case worker even though I said at the time I could only handle a couple of hours a week. I declined at the time, thinking I was getting better and I’d come back when I had more strength. Think I’m going to have to bite the bullet and go as I am!
– there’s another place to support entrepreneurs with disabilities here. I’ve been coming up with ideas of how to do a lot of work from home – it doesn’t get me out of the house, but it does put purpose in my day (and hopefully one day actual cash in the bank!). I haven’t gotten very far with this, and should actually make a second appointment with them – but it’s hard to say if I could keep anything up by myself!
Along the way I’ve thought about things like regular visits to friends with small children – kind of a laid back mom’s helper, doing something seasonal like getting a table at a craft fair in the winter, tutoring. But reality is, I’d better start slow whatever I do – DH is right in that there isn’t much energy to spare. We’re right in that going crazy isn’t going to help matters much either!
Good luck!
A few questions to consider: Do you want a job, or is volunteering ok? Do you want to be around people, animals, or neither? Can you take something you’re doing now, or would enjoy doing (writing?) and extend that outside your house?
When I was at my worst and was slipping under the waves of pain and depression, my husband borrowed a dog (who later became my dog). I blogged about this experience here:
http://insicknessinhealth.blogspot.com/2007/11/pet-therapy-or-sometimes-human-is-just.html
My dog brought me back into life like nothing else could have.
Thanks for the advice, Jenna and Barbara! I would like to do something around people, but volunteering at a hospital is out because of all of the germs – I get sick too easily. That leaves out volunteering anymore than what I already do at my son’s school.
I would like to do something where I could earn a little bit of money – it doesn’t have to be much – I would just like to put some of my skills to use. I feel like I am wasting away my potential.
If I could do some type of light office work or something maybe one to two days a week for a few hours, that would be ideal.