I’d love to hear from you. What does a “recovery day” look like for you?
I don’t talk about this part of chronic illness as much as I probably should.
I work 12-hour shifts, and most people see me show up, smile, and do my job. What they don’t see is what happens afterward.
Yesterday was my day off, but I spent almost the entire day trying to recover from the two 12-hour shifts before it. My body was exhausted. My joints hurt. My back hurt. Even resting didn’t feel like enough.
Tonight, I’ll go back and work another shift. Tomorrow will probably be another recovery day before I do it all over again Monday.
But it’s not just work.
If I spend the day grocery shopping, cleaning the house, going to appointments, or even doing something fun with my family, I usually pay for it afterward. My body always seems to need time to recover. It’s an endless cycle of pushing through the pain, recovering, and starting over.
Before I go any further, I want to say this isn’t a complaint. I know how incredibly blessed I am to still be able to get up, go to work, spend time with my family, and keep moving. I thank God for that every single day because I know there are many people whose illnesses don’t allow them to do those things. But just because I can do them doesn’t mean I do them without pain.
Living with fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and degenerative disc disease has taught me that sometimes just making it through the day is an accomplishment. It has also taught me to appreciate the good days, give myself grace on the hard ones, and keep moving forward one day at a time.
I’m sharing this because I know there are so many others quietly living this same reality. If that’s you, I want you to know you’re not alone. I see you, and I understand.
I’d love to hear from you. What does a “recovery day” look like for you? Do you spend it resting, sleeping, using a heating pad, taking medications, or simply giving your body the time it needs to reset? Let’s encourage one another. ❤️
