Why Simple Errands Are Not So Simple When You Live With Autoimmune Disease

When my kids were little, I lived in Providence, RI. It’s a very small city, and everything is close and easy to get to. At this time, I was in deep with my autoimmune disease. I had been diagnosed with hashimotos and fibromyalgia, but hadn’t yet been diagnosed with celiac or mixed connective tissue disease yet. My flare-ups were constant, and I was living day to day, just trying to get off the couch and participate in life. I was so exhausted and in pain that I quit my job… and during the days, since I was at home- one of my most important tasks each week was to go grocery shopping.

The grocery store where I lived was around the corner from me, which was great because I didn’t have to drive far. But that is where the convenience part ends. Every time I went to the grocery store, I would have to walk through the giant parking lot, up and down the aisles, reaching and bending for the things I wanted. And then, I would head to the checkout line, pay and leave with all my bags. I would have to wheel the cart to my car, unload the bags into my trunk, walk back through the parking lot to return the cart, and then drive home and carry all of the bags inside, and unload them into the fridge. It doesn’t seem like much- but for me it was more exhausting than running a marathon. And that comes from someone who used to be a long distance runner!

I would DREAD this errand. This was before step counters, but I am sure it was a lot of steps. And it would totally exhaust me. Not just that day, but it would take me days after to recover. By the time I recovered, it was time to go do it again.

I tell this story in detail for an important reason.

If you are struggling with any errand that seems simple, basic or routine, you are not alone.

If housework is exhausting for you, you are not alone.

You are not lazy.

You are dealing with exercise intolerance, which is a common side effect of autoimmune disease, and it’s not limited to exercise in the gym. It can affect you during any kind of physical activity.

Exercise intolerance means that we have a lower tolerance than “normal” to handle the requirements of physical activity, and as a result, if we do more than we can tolerate, we have an exercise induced symptom flare-up. This means that over-doing it physically can be linked to many uncomfortable side effects like exhaustion, fatigue, muscular pain or discomfort, insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks, nausea, GI issues- the list goes on.

So, the next time you feel mad at yourself for struggling to complete a so-called “simple errand” remember this- your body is trying to tell you that you are overdoing it. Rest and recovery is essential. If you don’t take the proper rest and recovery time your body needs? The symptoms will only grow worse. So it’s best to take proper precautions early, so that things don’t get worse later on.

AND… also know this. It doesn’t have to be this way forever. Our levels of exercise intolerance can be increased over time, with practice. You can train your body to be able to handle grocery shopping in the same way an athlete trains for a big game. Want to know more about this? Read this blog about training your body for everyday life.