Dancing Through The Aisles

You know this is a joke, right?!!  My sweet sister-in-law took my mother and me shopping yesterday.  It was really nice of her to do this, but I am totally worn out now!

I inherited a lot of really yucky genes from my parents, but the shopping gene from my mother’s side is NOT one of them!  When I was young, my mother and her family used to go shopping every Saturday morning, dragging me along with them.  They would go in every store uptown, looking at every item each store had, and it would be late afternoon when we would return home.  I promised myself that when I grew up and got out on my own, this would not be the case at MY house!

I am not opposed to shopping, I just like to get what I need and leave.  If I am grocery shopping, I pretty much know what I need, get it, maybe a couple of extra items and check out.  Same thing with clothes, medicines or anything else. 

I am not saying something I didn’t go into the store for never catches my eye.  But, when it does, I don’t have to look at every item there to know if I want one or not.  I am just not an all day shopper.

Shopping with my mother is an experience only the toughest of shoppers need to witness.  Yesterday, for instance, she wanted a pair of shoes.  After trying on nine pair (seriously!), she decided she really didn’t want any and would wear the ones she has at home.  Did it really take trying on nine pair to come to that conclusion??!!

I admit that I am an exception to the rule for most women, and many men, in my shopping habits.  Even if I had not already been this way, the MS fatigue factor would have made it happen whether I wanted it to or not.

As I walked through the stores I could feel myself begin to drag.  I sat down several times to try and rest my legs so I would not stumble.  One lady asked me if I was out of breath.  I told her that I was not, just needed to rest a moment.  As she was several years older than I am, she gave me “one of those looks”.

I really don’t want to stumble anywhere, but especially out in public. First, I don’t want to get hurt.  Second, I don’t want to cause a scene.  Third………..I just don’t want to!!

One of the things that those of us with MS fatigue have to really be careful of is getting too tired and not resting.  Many of us have had some really bad falls because of stubbornness and it is just not worth it.  There is nothing to prove to anyone by pushing past our limits and risking harming ourselves needlessly.

I enjoyed getting out for a while even if it did tire me out.  I would love to think that I would improve enough to go dancing again one day………….unless medical science comes up with a really fantastic energy pill I can’t see it happening………so, I guess Dancing With The Stars will just have to be put on the back burner………. ;)