Way back in 1990 I began training to be a nurse. It was great, I loved it so much, but sadly like many other things in my life it was brought to an end by ill health. When we were assessing patients we used a model called Activities of Daily living devised by Roper Logan and Tierney.
This was brought to mind recently when my Mum asked for help with the assessment of my Dad’s abilities and needs with his Parkinson’s disease. It’s amazing what you remember after 26 years, yet can’t remember what you did yesterday!
It has set me thinking about my own daily activities and limitations and the effects they have on me and my family.
The model uses the sections;
• Maintaining a safe environment
• Communication
• Breathing
• Eating and drinking
• Elimination
• Washing and dressing
• Controlling temperature
• Mobilisation
• Working and playing
• Expressing sexuality
• Sleeping
• Death and dying
Everyone who has ME/CFS has different needs and limitations, I can only portray my own.
I thought I could write a blog about each element so this one will be;
Controlling Temperature
I am always cold even on nice warm days. I wear warm clothes all year round. I have an electric blanket for my bed and when I rest I always have a heat pad partly for pain and partly for warmth. The only thing that warms me up is a hot bath if I am fully in the water, but that’s not always possible.
My feet are always cold and my hands usually are too. My feet can get so cold that I can’t feel them. A few weeks ago my feet got wet in pouring rain and I didn’t know they were wet.
If I go out in my wheelchair I get very cold, very quickly even dressed up and with a blanket. Being out and getting so cold causes me a lot of pain.
Despite being cold I often get night sweats (had them for years so nothing to do with my age) and end up needing to change pyjamas and sometimes the bed as being sweaty then makes me really cold!
Warm food can help to warm me up, but it’s more like a hot flush and then I cool off again.
