Un dressed

[Guest guest]

A while ago someone had asked why we (patients) arent always compliant with the

things we are advised to do to treat our illnesses.

Here is why I am not. Always.

The thought of getting dressed defeats me.

I got dressed to go out today. By the time i was finished I was wringing wet

with sweat. Dripping from head to toe. Who wants to go out in that condition????

It's the first time I have been dressed in 4 days. Sad.

But why am I not a good little patient who jumps right up and puts on my

garments first thing every morning?

I can't. I can't. I can't

Calle

[Guest guest]

There are many times that I don't like to get dressed because the clothes hurt.

My bras kill me around my ribs. I don't wear them unless I have to leave my

house. I picked out my favorite thing to wear which is a long dress. Now that's

all I wear. I haven't worn pants in 12 years.

My hips like to pop out of their sockets. Wearing pants hurt my hips. So I

don't wear them. I only wear long dresses. They are warm in winter and cool in

summer. They're mostly lightweight, so it doesn't hurt my shoulders. Finding

them

in the only color I wear, is next to impossible .

The thought of taking a shower and getting dressed is a nightmare for me. The

water feels like razors & having to put on clothes to leave the house in, is

like putting on a knife cutting into my skin.

So I do have days when I have to fight myself about going through the pain of

getting dressed. There are days when I cry as I get dressed. After it is over

with and the pain settles. I do my hair then my makeup. I don't go through this

hell for anyone else but me. After I am dressed for the day, I am proud of

myself for looking my best when I feel the worst.

It takes a long time for me to get dressed so I put everything I'm going to

wear in the bathroom the night before.

I used to do this with my sons when school started. They would pick out what

they wanted to wear the night before . Have their back packs filled with what

they needed for the next day and they were placed next to their shoes.It made

mornings much easier. There wasn't any I forgot whatever and fly around the

house

looking for things last minute.

So I still do that for myself. I get what ever I need out for the next

day. If I am going to go out, I place my purse and keys on the table so I am

not

running around trying to remember where I put it.(hopefully not in the

refrigerator again) I place my cane by the door and sunglasses on the table. If

I

need to bring anything, I make sure it's where I can see it or know right where

it is .

I don't know about anyone else but most of the time I'd forget my head if

it wasn't attached. So I put my clothes in the bathroom. My dresses get steamed

ironed by the showers everyone takes before I can get in there. So that's

another

good reason to hang them in the bathroom. I even set out my make-up, jewelry,

and

hair elastics. If I didn't I would be hunting them down for at least an hour.

Back to topic. I get dressed up for myself even though it hurts. There have

been days when my husband had to help me get dressed. There have been days I

hurt

way too much to even try to get dressed.

We all deal with our depression in different ways Mine is to be dressed up with

makeup and hair done up. I dress up for myself like I am going to a party I

don't care what other people think about it. I wear long black dresses because

they are my favorite.

I bought new matching undie sets because I didn't buy any for over 15 years. I

had bras and undies that were held together by safety pins. I threw them out. I

went through all my clothes and gave away bags of clothing that I hadn't worn in

years or what couldn't be used for quilts. I did all of that for me. It took me

over 4 months to do so but I did it. Now there is room in my drawers for my

clothes. I found clothes with tags still on them that I never wore. (from the

looks of them, you wouldn't either)

The best advice about clothes that I can give is wear what you love and what is

comfortable.

Ms.Katurah

[Guest guest]

No bras for me. THey hurt my ribs too.

Carolyn Eddy

" Sweet Goat Mama "

[Guest guest]

Ms Katurah describes almost exactly what I do. Only I do not look like I am

going to a party. I'm a jeans and t-shirts gal. Sometimes light sweat

pants and old oxfords. But I buy clothing based on how they feel. Very

soft cottons or silks. Very loose fitting clothes.

And like Calle, yes, often, clothing hurts. My shirt and bra are hurting

like the blazes right now. But if I were to take them off, my shoulders and

chest would continue to hurt. My jaw and neck hurt right now. I could be

in bed with the weight of me touching the mattress or the sheets hurting

me. So having loose, light, comfortable clothes on doesn't matter.

It used to take me about 10 minutes to get dressed and ready for work. Now

it can take an hour or two. I am very slow. Sometimes I need help.

Sometimes my help is not there when I need it, so I've had to adapt and

invent ways that I can use to help. Sometimes I go back to bed for 30

minutes during the process of getting dressed. I cry on a regular basis

when getting dressed.

But Calle, I do not think that anyone meant to say why are we doing

everything we are told to do. If that were so, we would all be of ideal

weight, exercising 30 minutes a day at our target heart rates, eating our 5

servings of fruits and vegetable a day, etc.

I think the point was to encourage people to do what they can. To push

people to be their best. I would like to be able to go back to work in a

very stressful job. But I am not able to do that. I probably will never be

able to do that. But I sure would like to function more fully that I am

doing today. I have been told by many doctors that this pain level is

probably never going to go away. It is here to until medical science

figures out something else. Which sucks. They have also told me that

staying in bed and not moving to try to decrease the pain is not helpful.

Our bodies get unconditioned to moving. Then it takes more effort and

possibly more pain to do what we used to do.

So I have a choice. I can choose to stay in bed all day, not moving, not

getting dressed, not getting anything done. Or, with a little more pain, I

can choose to get up, get dressed, come down stairs and do somethings. I

choose the latter. I would rather get up, dress, be more active, and feel

like I have accomplished some small things. Even though it is accompanied

by more pain, I choose that over doing nothing.

So if you cannot get dressed everyday, then that is okay. If you can get

out of bed, then do it. If you can cook dinner, play with the dog, look at

the garden, whatever, do it. The more you do, the more you will be able to

do. I think that the more you do, the more you will feel better about

yourself. And the more you do, the better your family and friends will

feel.

Calle, does that make sense?

[Guest guest]

MsKaturah wrote: Wearing pants hurt my hips.

I have to wear all loose clothing, nothing tight or binding, no elastic waists,

no pantyhose (which means I have to wear pants to work, they insist on pantyhose

if you wear a dress).

Mostly I wear cotton. Most of the clothing I wear is at least 2 sizes larger

than what I need.

Then, because I can get too cold or too warm without warning, I have to dress in

layers that I can take off and put back on to cope with my body's changes in

temperature.

Besides the outside temperatures or air conditioning affecting my body

temperature, my pain also affects it. When I'm in pain, I can either heat up or

end up in chills. I can't seem to control my temperature well when I have pain

fits.

Clothing is always some kind of issue for me.

Jade

[Guest guest]

This is such an interesting topic to me! I had always made myself get up

and get dressed. I think that's mainly because I went through a short partial

remission to the RSD and was pretty 'normal' during that time. And also

during that time, I met the love of my life! My wonderful hubby! Of course, I

wanted to get dressed and even put on a little makeup etc.. for him.

Could be not many people would want to do that, but it was just me to want to.

( His compliments helped!!

So when the RSD came back with a vengeance, I still was getting dressed

every day! Recently however, I have had some of the worst RSD pain along with

feeling generally ill from it, that I have had in the last 13 years of

being diagnosed. I have had several pajama days during this time! And now

struggle each day with just going out and getting in my recliner and not going

through the struggle of getting dressed. I usually end up getting dressed

around lunchtime or just after though.

AND..now my youngest son and daughter in law are staying with us for the

month of October, so I kinda feel like I 'have' to get dressed. Forget the

makeup though! They will be lucky if I brush my hair!!

Lynn

[Guest guest]

--- lynndw4771@... wrote:

>> AND..now my youngest son and daughter in law are staying with us for the

> month of October, so I kinda feel like I 'have' to get dressed. Forget the

> makeup though! They will be lucky if I brush my hair!!

>

Lynn -

I don't know if you're old enough to remember in the 1960s they had outfits they

called " hostess pajamas " - loose-fitting, flowing pants and tops made for

" casual entertaining and lounging around the home. " What a great concept - I

think it's time to bring back the hostess pajamas!

So get yourself some super cute and comfy pajamas that you can lounge around the

house in and call them your " hostess pajamas " and be the leader in fashion!

There's no reason getting dressed has to be uncomfortable, and no reason not to

be your own version of fashionable at the same time!

Cheryl in AZ

Moderator

[Guest guest]

I think the idea of " hostess pajamas " is wonderful. As long as the waistband is

not bulky or tight and the sleeves stay out of my way when I wash my hands, I

would be in heaven and my actual pajamas would last longer LOL.

I'm gong to set my sights toward that type of clothing when I visit the local

thrift stores.

Jennette

[Guest guest]

Oh what I wonderful idea! I remember my mom would wear those when she was not

feeling well. A little more dressy than sweats. but even you find sweats

easier, then go for it. I have my sweats days when I just need to take it easy.

I curl up with a book and relax. Hugs, Tami

Cheryl wrote:

> I don't know if you're old enough to remember in the 1960s they had outfits

they called " hostess pajamas " - loose-fitting, flowing pants and tops made for

" casual entertaining and lounging around the home. " What a great concept - I

think it's time to bring back the hostess pajamas!