A Rare Visit

First of all, thanks so much to all of you who commented on my last post.  I really appreciated the kind words of encouragement and empathy.  Comments help me remember that I'm not alone, and/or not the only one trying to navigate life despite this nasty beast of an illness.  Of course the things that bring me down about my life aren't gone, but overall I'm feeling better this week (emotionally).  And also less lonely (see below).

Today, like most days, I am laying in bed feeling very fluy, weak, sick.  My legs are especially shaky and weak when I stand for more than a minute or so.  So I'm forced to rest.  I learned when I had my fall this summer, not to push through with shaky legs.

This past weekend, I had a really wonderful experience.  A friend who also has M.E. came to visit! We have known each other for about 10 years now, we met online, a couple years after each of us got ill.  She recently moved a few hours away from here, and her husband and her came up for the weekend.

It was so amazing to be around someone who I didn't have to explain anything to.  For example, both of us had to lay down at different times, or stop talking/cut a conversation off because even talking can be so draining. Conversely, with friends and family members sometimes, if I cut a phone call short, or leave a conversation, they take offence. They think it has something to do with them personally, or worse, think I'm just over-reacting, that I can't be so drained/sick that I can't talk, I'm just not very tough.

The type of bone crushing sick/fatigue, and lack of stamina that comes with this illness, is something that I don't think I could ever explain fully to someone who hasn't experienced M.E. - maybe if they've had Mono?

Since my visitor and I have been friends for almost a decade (phone calls and emails), are a similar age, have been ill for about the same amount of time, and were both very active busy people in the prime of our lives when cut down by M.E., it was super comfortable to hang out.

Not only that, but our dogs got along well together.
Here they are swimming in the lake.

So if nothing else, that made my month, to have such great, understanding company. We visited, ate good food, watched a movie and TV.