Friday, January 11, 2013

Routines

I've been a worrywart lately, and I wasn't really sure what I was so nervous about until now.

Obviously, building a house is a very stressful thing, but so far I've been having fun with it. It's given me something to do and, more importantly, something exciting to save for finally. The whole affording it thing is always in the back of my mind, but, for the most part, it hasn't been a huge issue so far. But today it finally hit me that the part of the building process that has me freaked out is not the building at all- it's what happens after the house is built. We move in.

Yay! Exciting! Right? Wrong!! Being someone who has lived their whole life with IBS, I have grown very accustomed to my routines. I believe they are what has given me a mostly normal and predictable life. I don't want to get sick? I eat the same meals over and over and over again until food disgusts me and then pick another. I have a bad day? I spend the entire day at home in my bed, steps away from the same, comfortable bathroom I've used for 5 years with my meds all in a row downstairs in the medicine cabinet.

To any normal person this would seem childish. They'd think, "You grow up and move on. New things happen and you adapt to them," but being the so not normal person I am, I'm worrying about how I'm going to feel in my new bathroom. Is there going to be room for my emergency meds in there? Am I going to feel cramped? Our bed is going to be flipped, so my side will now be facing away from the bathroom, so am I going to be able to make it to the bathroom quickly in the middle of the night? Where am I going to put my meds so that I can find them quickly? And then there is ALL of the other routines that I've set up for myself in our current house that don't have to do with IBS. Where will I set my stuff when I come home from work? Where will we pile up the mail? Where will the dogs leashes go? Will I get so stressed out about all of the changes and cause an IBS flare up?

This should be such an exciting time in my life and while it is in some respects, I just can't get this nagging feeling out of my brain that the first year or so is going to be super stressful while we try to make new routines for ourselves in our new space.

There is, of course, another side to the story. We're getting a new fridge that will have so much more room for fresh food, and we'll have plenty of room to cook now. This could mean more home-cooked meals tailored to my diet. The dogs will have a fenced backyard to get all of their energy out so they'll be less annoying inside with us.

I just can't wait for them to get started building the house so I can start to visualize where I'm going to put everything and how I'm going to do my daily routines in the new space. I keep saying that I wish we could just fast forward 6 months and have it be done so I can stop worrying about what may be, but I don't know if I'm ready. I need to break down all of my routines and see if I can make it work in the new house. I just hope my IBS is up for the challenge because it's going to be a stressful 6 months while I get it all figured out.

Have any of you ever dealt with a move or something where you had to switch up your normal routines? How did you deal with it?

9 comments:

  1. I feel your pain. I live with Ulcerative Colitis and we just moved 2 years ago. Finding a way to take a stressful situation and make a game out of it is what got me through. Change is not always a bad thing. Take baby steps. Try sleeping on the other side of the bed. Moving straight up sucks, BUT it's the best feeling in the world to know you've worked hard to get where you're at. I wish you guys the best of luck in the future. Stay strong.

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  2. Oh boy! Even thinking about switching sides of the bed freaks me out! But baby steps sounds good...remove a couple of things from my side of the bed that make me feel comfortable and then try switching sides of the bed lol. And thanks, Swizz! You give lots of good advice :)

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  3. I only speak from experience. I didn't like switching sides of the bed, and still don't, but I got used to it. Moving things just a couple feet from your normal will get you used to change too, but not out of sight distance from the original spot. Making fun of a stressful situation is my way of dealing with the panic attacks I get. Like when I get a flare up and have to go and I'm sitting at a traffic light, I use the odometer numbers to make me think of ways that one number can relate to the next one. By the time the light changes, I'm calmed down. Alexey is gonna be your rock too. He'll be the one you yell at, cuddle, and lean on in the worst times. If it wasn't for my wife and kids, I'd be dead. They are my rocks.Communication and love are the only things that will get you through anything! I'm always around on Twitter or Facebook if either of you need an ear. Married going on 17 years and I'm 36. So I think I've done pretty good so far. IMO

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  4. Hi Rachel!
    Thanks for the great work you do on this site! I was wondering if you would be interested in a guest post for your blog. I am a Certified Health Education Specialist and freelance health and wellness writer. I also have a Masters in Biology and I'm pursuing a PhD in Health Services Management. If you're up for it, I'd love to contribute a piece on tailoring the IBS diet depending on a person's primary symptoms. Let me know! Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
    Thanks,
    Katie
    http://www.womenshealthcaretopics.com/blog/

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  5. Hi Katie. I appreciate the interest, but I'm not sure that's the direction I want to take my blog right now. Thanks!

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  6. Hi Rachel. I have to say I am REALLY glad I found your blog. I have suffered from acid reflux/IBS for almost 3 years. I started having symptoms my second semester of my sophomore year in college. It was the first time I had moved away from home and went off to school, which was very very hard. I stressed all the time but didn't really think I was stressed ( I am normally a very laid back person, but am a good, responsible student). I started noticing these symptoms of not being hungry, feeling full for no reason, and the acid reflux. I just figured it was because I was stressed at school because I do get a nervous stomach when I am stressed. To make a long story short I have had symptoms on and off since Fall 2010. I have been to a gastro doctor and they ran a couple of tests to rule out other things (hiatel hernia, gastritis, etc.). All they found was acid reflux and put me on meds. After a while the meds seemed to be helping alot. But, around school stress time I would start feeling full for no reason and could barely eat anything without feeling like I was going to blow up (mostly from trigger foods...pizza, coffee, fried foods, soda, pretty much anything high in fat or sugar). I would also feel nauseous in the morning and wouldnt want to eat anything. I went back to the doctor and told him I was also experiencing spasms and they usually happened when I was really stressed (which of course is alot because I am still in college lol). He put me on an antispasmodic which seems to help a lot but he said it isnt supposed to be taken long term. He then would have to put me on a mild antidepressant just to calm everything down. But what I am trying to get to is I am really glad to find someone who has gone through similar symptoms as me. I believe in talk therapy, and everyone that I talk to doesnt seem to have similar issues. And I know my boyfriend is tired of hearing about it lol. But he is very supportive and patient. Have you had any luck with antidepressants or have tried them at all? I am trying not to think about having to take them because I am not depressed so that label just scares me lol. Any sort of feedback would be helpful. Thank you for sharing your stories. They have definitely put me at ease.

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  7. Hi madetva93! I'd love to talk more. Shoot me an email to ibsrachel@gmail. com and we can talk. My Jayhawks have a big game tonight, so I may take a while to respond, but I look forward to chatting!

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  8. Nice Blog sharing ... i was unaware about certain terms...Curing IBS is very essential from expert doctor is very important.

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  9. Hi Rachel,

    Pls view my website www.myibscure.com. Pls advise if the contents make any sense. Your valuable input is appreciated. Thanks.

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