Yesterday I went out with a friend and a co-worker to spend the day at IKEA. There is only one Ikea in Oregon, so it took a little over two hours to drive there. The store is HUGE. I haven't been there for several years and I really wanted to go look for some furniture for my daughter's tiny bedroom.
I was looking forward to spending time with my friend. I've always liked my co-worker, we were friends before she interviewed me for the job I have now. But I've been careful who I let know that I have fibromyalgia. She is now a supervisor for another team and I don't want to limit my chances for future promotions. So, I was worried about how it might look to her if I got tired too quickly.
For the Ikea uninitiated, the top floor is the showroom with a long maze-like path winding you through the showroom which was full of dozens of tiny examples of living spaces. My IBS was acting up while I was upstairs in the showroom and there is only one restroom on both floors so I had to be careful while navigating the maze to remember how to get back to the bathroom at all times. There is also a restaurant there, YUM, I love Swedish meatballs with lingonberry preserves.
After that you go downstairs to shop before hitting the huge Costco-like warehouse to pick up your boxes with the parts of your furniture. I wasn't sure I'd make it through. In the showroom there are hundreds of chairs and places to rest. However, once you get downstairs you have to really look for benches and places to sit.
I made it through with only limited pain and fatigue during and afterwards. I had a day were I felt as close to normal as I've felt in a long time. I had to keep taking my pain killers and tried to be discrete about it. I didn't talk about fibromyalgia the entire time we were together. I was a normal person out shopping with friends.
I knew not to plan anything today. I'm praying that I won't be too tired tomorrow. I need to go to work. But even if everything isn't perfect, it was worth it for the day of near normalcy.
No comments:
Post a Comment