OK so we've had a bit of a setback ...

Not much, and nothing serious mind you. But a setback nevertheless.

You see, I did too much too soon.

And now, as the saying goes, I am paying the piper.

Actually, I've been paying the piper since Thursday night but I guess I was in denial.

I woke this morning having to face reality.

And having to analyse exactly what got me to this point.

Because we know, absolutely, that the "new meds" (hereinafter to be referred to by their proper name -- Cesamet) are working.

Well, here's how I see the situation:

• I went on a four-day trip to Toronto, which trip involved lots of walking and much stair climbing (stairs at the Rogers Centre on Saturday and Sunday; stairs at our host's home);
• While I had the day at home on Tuesday for R&R, I also had things to do around the house in the way of unpacking and laundry etc, which kind of involved movement;
• I went into Ottawa for a physio session on Wednesday and hung out with my daughter (that means we went shopping, which involved lots of walking) and I stayed there overnight, which means stairs to climb;
• The plan was to have Friday for a much needed R&R day. But as I reported here earlier, my audiologist called late Thursday afternoon which precipitated another trip into Ottawa -- I did that yesterday morning;
• Today, I am able to sit around, do nothing, and veg -- a real, true, R&R day.

Now, all in all, that might not sound like too onerous a schedule for most people. But for someone with fibromyalgia, it is too much. I need to have an R&R day interspersed with an active day -- one for one. The Toronto weekend was really pushing the envelope without having several R&R days available on the heels of the trip.

Of course, I -- by my nature -- have to aggravate the situation.

As you know, I have a stairlift in my home. It was very hard on my psyche to accept that I needed one because I felt that it was yet another indication that I was losing my independence (the cane having been the first marker.) We invested in this darling back in 2004 when I absolutely could not get up the stairs in our home. It was truly a godsend. And my grandson thought it was the coolest thing ever!

The only complaint I have ever had about the stairlift is it is sooooooooooo slow. Anyone who knows me knows that I am always in a hurry. Doesn't matter what for -- I just need to do it now and do it fast! So this stairlift is a real crimp in my style! If we could put a turbo-jet engine in it perhaps I wouldn't object quite so much.

Anyway, I've come a long way baby! You see, it's 2009 and because I'm feeling so much better than I used to, I can now "do" the stairs once in a while. BUT, there's this little quirk in my personality and I guess I tend to push my luck. And now, as we're about to leave the house, if I suddenly remember that I've forgotten something (which you just know that I have) I simply run upstairs and get it (after all, that chair is waaay too slow for my liking!)

Oops!

I really shouldn't be doing that.

But I do.

Because I can.

But I shouldn't.

I especially should NOT be going up and down the stairs without the stairlift when I'm supposed to be recovering from four days of travel mode.

So now I'm paying the piper.

And I'm sitting here with icepacks on my groin and heat on my back.

I have today to rest and relax and do nothing.

Tomorrow we have a BBQ to attend in Arnprior -- John is hoping he doesn't have to go without me but my jury is still out. It will depend entirely on how my body is feeling tomorrow morning.

And Monday, it's right back to the physiotherapist to see if she can get me back on track (that means a commute into Ottawa.)

Then I'll take the rest of the week as R&R time to make up for all the abuse that I've heaped on my body over the past ten days or so.

I have to.

I need to get back to "whirling dirvish" status.

We're having a family BBQ here a week tomorrow.

So I have to be recovered by then.

So I can start all over again.

And I'll try to take from this experience and apply what I've learned to our October Halifax trip. We will be gone from Thursday to Tuesday for that trip; and we're traveling by plane. Quite the different challenges will present themselves!