Special Holidays & Summer Vacations & Fibromyalgia

Jul 3, 1998 - © Cynthia Webber (Jausten)

For those of us with young children, they are out of school and either busy with summer activities, or we are planning vacations with them in mind. This in itself is exhausting, considering the packing and preparing to go away for a specific period of time to relax. I really don't see how wearing ourselves out before a vacation is healthy. Also, I can recall many vacations in which I felt that I was actually doing more work than if I'd stayed at home. For those who have young children and are dealing with fibromyalgia, it can make a vacation turn into a nightmare of pain and fatigue.

Summer is also a time when relatives may come to visit, and although we may enjoy their company, if they don't understand our limitations, we may become frustrated and angry due to the extra meals, lack of solitude, or extra activities that we are expected to attend.

During Canada Day and Independence Day this year, I will be visiting my younger sister and her family in Oregon. She was thrilled when I called her to say that we'd like to visit them, and she said that I could cook for her. I told her that I didn't do much cooking now due to my fibromyalgia, so she asked if I could change a diaper. I can still change a diaper, so I guess that my two-year-old nephew will have a new diaper changer for a week.

Planning a vacation such as this isn't very stressful for me because it doesn't require much planning on my part. I do have to pack my own suitcase, but it will be carried to the car by someone else. I won't have to drive or even sit cramped in an airplane for hours. We may need to make more frequent stops in order for me to get out and stretch, but it isn't like we have drive for hours without taking rest breaks.

Enjoying a special holiday such as Canada Day or Independence Day or a personal vacation away from the normal routine of our days is a challenge for those of us with fibromyalgia. Keeping a list of things that need to be done prior to the holiday or the day that we leave for a vacation is important to do. It is also important to remember where the list is. For those of us who become fogged, that in

The copyright of the article Special Holidays & Summer Vacations & Fibromyalgia in Fibromyalgia is owned by Cynthia Webber (Jausten). Permission to republish Special Holidays & Summer Vacations & Fibromyalgia in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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