#overdoing it

Just a little farther, Don reminded himself doggedly, trying to steady his heavy, staggered breathing. Leo sounded slightly winded too; Don wasn’t the only one worn down by their long day just because of this ridiculously stubborn cold. Their makeshift shelter was looming ahead—farther ahead than his aching body would have preferred but simply laying eyes on it was a relief.

Just a little longer and then they could shove these fish and fruits at Mikey to worry about for dinner.

He shouldn’t be this worn down by fishing and foraging; he was used to long hours! Granted, he’d spent those long hours in the cool safety of the sewers, with a supply of food and water and medicine to cut this stupid, stupid cold off at the pass. With the sun beating down, the congestion sloshing in his head like Jell-O, the unfamiliar Cretaceous terrain making the snarl of tender tissue in his leg ache to the bone…home had never felt farther away.

Just…a little…

Leo would have caught him if his hands weren’t full with their woven baskets of food. As it was, he could only yelp, “Don!” as his brother swayed and sprawled across the upcoming incline with a thud.

Sweat and sunspots stung Donnie’s vision as he strained momentarily to lift his head, only to give up and press his face back into the baked earth with a clogged groan.

“M’okay,” he mumbled against all evidence to the contrary. “Just…tired. Little too much sun.”

“…Yeah. I feel you,” Leo murmured, moving to cast a shielding shadow between him and the glaring rays. “Don’t rush to get up, okay? We can stop here as long as you need.”

So I had a gender affirming hysterectomy on the 12th of August. I’ve had some complications with bleeding and excessive pain and have been told by my surgeon I need to be resting more. It seems like that’s all I’m doing. But apparently I need to limit myself to one outside the house activity every few days and not go too long.

This recovery is also frustrating because I have to go to the gynecologists office and sit there with my full beard and get stares when I’m called back. I’ve also had to go do labs 3 times in the past few weeks, and have more scheduled for next week.

I’ve got two complications so far: extra dry vaginal walls that are causing non cuff related bleeding and a UTI.

The other thing I’ve been noticing is the hot flashes. None of my hormone levels are out of the norm but I’m still getting them and may have to get on some medication for that.

I guess im just frustrated because everywhere I looked guys are saying it’s easier then top surgery recovery when for me it’s been so much harder so far and I’m struggling with the idea of rest.

Mentally exhausted. Doing too much.

Just so freak’n tired. In need of rest.

I think this is one of the biggest stumbling blocks of mild to moderate ME/CFS…just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should (and by the way, if you have severe ME/CFS the chances are you couldn’t even if you wanted to, which is the only reason I leave it out). Really, I suspect that this mindset of always doing as much as we are capable of is one of the commonest things to trip-up,…