Going Out for a Day and the Result

About a month ago now, I went downtown for a day trip with one of my close friends. I knew immediately when we got the idea that this would be a big day out for me. I knew I would suffer in the days after the outing, but I wanted to experience a fun day out with a friend. So I went.

What we did

I took the bus downtown Toronto to meet up with my friend. We agreed to get lunch and do some shopping on one of the busier streets downtown. It was a beautiful weather day, the sun was shining and it was feeling warm for the first time in a long time. I was excited to be able to do something outside of the house for once.

I met up with her at the lunch spot, and we both walked in with our pink walkers. I’m sure this was a sight to see. We caught up with each other on the recent happenings in our lives over lunch. It felt nice to feel “normal” and do things like this.

After lunch, we took our walkers and got to shopping. Walking through the busy Toronto streets was a bit difficult - being two people with walkers side by side, but it was nice. It’s not often I get to leave the house and see a friend.

I used to go downtown a lot before I got sick with AS. I would walk and shop for hours and find new spots to eat at. I miss those days a lot.

After a few hours out, we both decided that enough was enough and that we were too tired to push ourselves any further. We went our separate ways and made the trip home.

The aftermath

That night, I instantly felt the effects of the trip. I was absolutely exhausted. My pain was getting worse and I felt general discomfort. I made sure to use my heating products and rest in bed, but I knew that what was to come would only get worse.

The morning after the day downtown, I woke up stiff, sore, and heavy. It was hard to move. I needed my cane to get me up out of bed, and my walker to help me walk anywhere. It was rough.

Sometimes with chronic illness, we have to remember to feel grateful for the things we can do as well. It’s hard to remember to feel grateful while your body is screaming at you, though.

I spent the next few days in bed resting with heat off and on. I made sure to force myself to do as little as possible so that I could fully recover ad not prolong the pain and fatigue even more.

It was worth it

Though the aftermath of the trip was extremely difficult to go through, it was 100% worth it. Getting out of the house, seeing a good friend, and experiencing life as I used to made me so happy.

I’m so grateful that I sometimes still get to experience the good things in life, no matter how far and in-between they are.