I’m always on the hunt for a good schedule or agenda for my day to day activities. Something repetitive works best for me. I was so used to trying my best to get some sleep to escape the pain for so long that now I have a hard time filling up my time with things to do now that I’m past the worst of the pain.
I talked with my psychiatrist today (he’s a medication manager for me and doesn’t provide therapy). He asked me about my daily and weekly schedule and wanted to make sure that I wasn’t over doing things. I almost rolled my eyes. What mother do you know that has children and her schedule isn’t jam packed and out of control sometimes?! I would very much like to learn her secrets.
I assured him I keep to a pretty consistent schedule. Here is my current schedule that I started this week as I added in time for the gym. Its a combo of my old schedule and added in the new stuff:
4:45am - I am awoken to the sound of my Elderly Cat singing the songs of his people.
4:47am - I roll out of bed to give him water, gentle pats, and usher him to the potty I have for him in my room. (He’s elderly and is confined to mostly wander my room. He seems to prefer it this way.)
5:00am - I try my hardest to go back to sleep. Fail.
5:15am - Husband’s alarm starts to go off. Activate Alarm Bell Procedure. I roll over, pat him a few times and then sigh when he finally wakes up and turns the damn thing off just to roll over and go back to sleep. He is blessed that way.
5:30am - Repeat alarm procedure. Roll over and move into a C position with my body so that Elderly Cat can have the center of the bed on my side. Place warmed covers over his body gently and let him settle in before trying and failing to get comfortable enough to go to sleep.
5:45am - Repeat alarm procedure. Try not to move around while shaking husband awake for it disturbs the smallish Elderly Cat and he DOES NOT appreciate it.
6:00am - Repeat alarm procedure. Only this time, add menacingly, “If you don’t get up right now you’re going to be late!” Watch Husband struggle to get up and wander about the room getting ready. Relish the extra space now available since moving the cat is NOT an option. Take medication.
6:20am - Husbands leaves for work and I lay back down and try to go back to sleep. Fail at this and watch a movie instead while I wait for next time to take medication.
8:00am - Take medication and listen to make sure Boyfriend is getting the kids up for school. If he is running late, gently (so as not to wake the cat) get up and go wake the household. Give pats to all other animals around the house.
10:00am - Go to the gym and do full workout.
12:00pm - Do my best to eat something even if I don’t feel like it. Drink coffee. Coffee is Life. Check on the Elderly Cat.
12:30pm - Help kids with classwork or tests as needed. Try not to sneeze as the other cats come to investigate me while I’m in my own office. Try not to jump every time I feel a random rough tongue lick my toes.
2:00pm - Take medication. Write, pay bills, play a video game. Tell Youngish Dog that it is entirely inappropriate to keep licking my arm constantly. Put Youngish Dog outside. Send Older Dog outside as well. Give her pats because she is the goodest of all the doggos.
4:45pm - Start the process of turning everything off and getting kids ready for kickboxing/MMA training. Check on the Elderly Cat sleeping in the middle of my bed and make sure he gets down to drink some water and have a snack. Give him over to Boyfriend to watch while we’re gone.
5:05pm - Leave with kids for training. Try to be positive and uplifting and get kids in the right mind frame. Revel in the conversations I have with other Adults as I don’t get the chance very often. (Not including the numerous doctors visits I have. But those are different.)
6:30pm - Drive kids home and contemplate life. Kiss Husband and Boyfriend upon arrival.
7:00pm - Dinner!
8:00pm - Night time medications. Drink more water. Catch up with Husband and watch a movie or show. Check the Elderly Cat who is mostly likely back under the covers since Husband gets home before we do and would have opened the door for him.
9:00pm - Put kids to bed.
10:00pm - Feed cats and make sure dogs have been fed. Roll a joint. (Yes, I smoke the medical marijuana. Its legal in my state but I still have a medical card.)
10:30pm - Nightly routine (face, hair, teeth, hand cream, etc). Stare rudely at the CPAP machine and wonder if Husband and Boyfriend will notice if I don’t use it. Find Elderly Cat and move him to the center of the bed.
11:00pm - Put the damn CPAP on and try to get comfortable. Move Elderly Cat to his preferred position on top of a bunched up soft blanket. He loves watching movies at night with me so he starts the night out above the covers and then will migrate to under the covers when ready. Put a Studio Ghibli movie on and go to sleep.
And there you have it. Lather, rinse and repeat. The only thing that differs is if I have doctors appointments or appointments for the kids. I move the gym time around as needed.
I’m trying really hard to keep to this schedule. I allow for things like a nap time if I need it on days where I am in too much pain to function. Happily, the worst of those days seems to be behind me. Now I just focus on being present after spending so much time in the hospital and away from my family. My kids seem to flourish more now that I am awake and not in so much pain. I have fewer medications so I’m not so groggy, and I have recently rekindled my romance with coffee. Tea is always good, but there is something about cold brew coffee that just speaks to my soul!
I hope everyone is excited to usher in the new fall season like we are. Living in the desert southwest can be a struggle with extremely hot summers, but after a promising monsoon season we are happy to let go of the harsh heat and welcome in the cooler autumn weather. If you have never experienced fall in New Mexico I would advise that you give it a try. Go midway through the season though that way you can experience hatch green chile season.
Alright, time to get off and go be productive!
- A