Moving into a New Home with Chronic Health Conditions

When I was lucky enough to be offered an apartment via social housing following my escape from domestic abuse, I was placed in a two-bedroom apartment. Social housing is so over-subscribed with families looking for their first chance at living in a property all their own. In some ways, I felt bad taking up a sizeable building for just me.

Earlier this year. I asked to be placed back on the housing register to find a smaller home, preferably in a quieter area as I suffer from hypersensitivity to noise. Thankfully a small one-bedroom bungalow in a tiny village popped up, so, with fingers and toes crossed, I bid on the property. Thankfully, I was offered the tenancy.

Facing the stress of moving again

I only moved into my apartment a year ago, so the horrendous memories of moving, being surrounded by boxes, and trying to find space for clutter you never knew you owned, is truly a fate worse than death! Ordering double-walled cardboard boxes en masse once again triggered "tape terrors," that panicky feeling when you are up to your eyeballs in tissue paper and bubble wrap, hyperventilating because you cannot find the end of the tape.

With three days to go until D-day, it dawned on me that I had managed to accumulate way more belongings than I had envisaged. There were boxes full of ornaments, books, and, more clothes than I could wear in two lifetimes. Thank goodness I had hired a removal firm!

The panic also triggered my RLS. Not just that, but it also made my fibromyalgia flare up, resulting in me being unable to sleep even though I was dog tired. Adding insult to injury, my stomach ulcers set off my reflux, so I had stomach acid burning my oesophagus.

Dealing with multiple health issues

Imagine this: While dosed up to the eyeballs with painkillers to ensure my joints would cope with extended periods of movement, the tiredness caused by their side effects makes it practically impossible to stay awake. There are lots of energy drinks being digested. To counter the energy drinks I have to drink lots of peppermint tea to try and calm my ulcers. D

Due to the fatigue caused by both my fibromyalgia and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, I end up sitting down to try and relax (this literally just happened while typing this sentence, I fell asleep sitting on the floor and nearly toppled over!). After struggling to stay awake for longer than five minutes, the evening rolls around. I can finally plonk myself on the sofa to try and decompress before the inevitable worry surrounding RLS settles in. There is nothing worse than subjecting yourself to an attack starting at 6 p.m.

Distraction is easier said than done when your RLS decides to make itself known at stupid o'clock. Pacing the house, and taking your nighttime medication early to hopefully trick it into calming down can be hit-and-miss, and you end up just resigning yourself to a night of no sleep.

No time to slow down

The next day dawns. Moving Day. The removal company is arriving at 8 a.m. and you are surrounded by a sea of beige boxes. You open the door to be greeted by a smiley happy face who chirps, "Good morning!"

I think he noticed my demeanour, with a blank expression slapped onto my face, dark circles under my eyes, bloodshot eyeballs staring wearily in his direction.

"Bad night?" he chirps at me again.

Yes, something like that.