Adjusting Within CRPS

Well as I sit here writing my new blog post I'm listening to the thunder, and watching the rain come down harder than I've seen before. Streets are turning into lakes and it's almost time to break out the canoes!!! It's a perfect time to stay inside and write a post.

I was thinking the other day about one of the things that I've had a hard time adjusting to when this all started happening to me. I was a very active person before, and I really enjoyed doing all the yard work and all the projects that needed doing around the house. All of a sudden I had to rely on others to do everything around the house. This has been a really hard adjustment, and even now I still have problems watching others do the work.

Not only was doing this work good exercise, but it was the sense of accomplishment that you would get after doing something that was so rewarding. I was also raised from an early age doing all the jobs around the house, so it's deeply ingrained in me to take part in doing all those things. Sitting back and watching others wasn't part of the plan.

When I was young I would spend time doing jobs around the house with my Dad. Doing all of these things was all part of your identity as a male. As my dad would always say it was doing man's work!! So to say that what was ingrained in me at an early age hasn't affected me would be lying. It just so happens that I also enjoyed doing this type of work so that factors in as well.

It just really bothers me that I have to sit back and watch things being done. For some strange reason I have a really hard time letting it go. If anyone can tell me why that is then let me know. I'm just not good at watching others break there backs when I should be in there doing my part. I contribute in other ways and so to some degree I've made adjustments, however I can only take so much sitting or laying on the couch.

I guess what I'm finding is that as time goes by I'm learning to let things go a little bit more. It isn't easy however the reality is that there are things that I can't do anymore and other people have to do those things. I'm starting to learn that I have to just accept that things are different, and that I have I can't do all the things that I'd like to do. Slowly it gets easier to accept!!! Like everything else however, you never get over it completely.

What I'm trying to do now is focus on what I can do. I'm looking at ways in which I can make the biggest impact with my contribution. I may not be able to contribute very much but I can play a part in how much my contribution helps others. I can still play an active roll in the things that need to get done, just in a different way. It's a matter of trying to wrap my brain around how things have changed, and turning them into something positive.