Woo hoo!!! I survived another Thanksgiving!!!  I know most people feel this way, but chronic pain makes attending or hosting gatherings so much harder.  Thankfully I realized early on that I would be too busy the weeks prior to Thanksgiving to know better than to host this years Thanksgiving dinner.  I was even happier when my friend offered to host and only asked for us to bring a turkey.  This was perfect for me since I am not the Master of Meat in my house.  My husband cooks most of the meat we eat and I love it!! Not only do I not have to slave over the food but I get to enjoy his delicious offerings.  My husband is truly a genius when it comes to grilling and smoking meat.  The only thing I needed to worry about was having the strength to brush my hair and get dressed on Thanksgiving day.

All I can say is thank God I let my body dictate how we would be spending this holiday.  The week prior we had spent three consecutive days at Disneyland with my brother in-law.  The pain that I accrued from that visit was just beginning to lower the day before Thanksgiving.  Getting dressed and pulling my hair into a bun took most of my energy.  A few hours of enjoying the laughter and company of friends took what little strength I had left, but it was totally worth it!!!

I spent Friday in my recliner binge watching shows on Netflix and Hulu with my family.  I no longer feel bad about not being able to go shopping on Black Friday.  I haven’t been physically able to go shopping on Black Friday for many many years.  In fact I prefer shopping online.  Today, Saturday, I managed to rally the family to clean up the house and help decorate for Christmas.  Because I put so little out, we had this project done in a few hours.  Our reward was watching two of our favorite Christmas movies.

I may have survived Thanksgiving but I am feeling a bit stressed about the rest of the holiday season.  I woke this morning with a cold.  Although it is just a simple cold with an annoying runny nose and additional aches, if I am not careful it will become something worse.  But now is when all the holiday fuss begins.  There are mid-week Advent services at church not to mention all the gatherings we have been invited to by friends.  To lessen my anxiety I have chosen to take this season one day at a time.  I will do what I can when I can.  I may have to cancel some plans but will wait until each event arrives and see what my body decides. There is one thing I will not cancel, and that is the days that I have planned to meet up with my best friend and her family as they come to California to play at Disneyland.  The only way I will miss is this is if I am unable to lift my head at all.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving I am choosing to be thankful for what I have and what I can do rather than focus on what I want and what I can no longer do.

Whether you live in the US and celebrate Thanksgiving or not I hope you had a lovely week!  What are tips for surviving Thanksgiving?

Gentle Hugs,

The Disabled Diva

Tagged: arthritis, California, chronic illness, chronic pain, degenerative disc disease, Disneyland, fibro, fibromyalgia, health, invisible disabilities, marijuana, medicinal marijuana, MS, pain, psoriatic arthritis, spoonie, wheelchair