Thanks Bex -- yes, this is an unpredictable journey!
gdawson I think you're right in paying attention to your body's responses and acting accordingly. It sounds like our adrenals are in similar states. I can't exercise too hard either and I wish I had more time for walking in pleasant places. Do you know what the biggest adrenal stress has been for me lately? Bet you'd never guess. It's doing jigsaw puzzles. I did one over Christmas which really whacked me. I started doing one over Easter and recognised the response, had to take it apart and put it away. I enjoy doing puzzles but it must be something about the intense concentration for long periods of time. It's a shame. This sort of thing only started when I came off my antidepressant 3 years ago. That damaged my adrenals more than anything else and healing is slow (though it is happening). I hope my response to heat has improved for this summer. Warmish-to-hot days make me sick, and there's no air con here.
I just ended my own round last night, after 3 days. It was one of the hardest rounds I've done. I felt tearful and anxious the whole time, and craving chocolate like mad. Better today now that I'm off. Like you, I'll just listen to my body and try to judge what's best. Stress levels affect things as well. Due to these scrappage deals in Europe for old car trade-ins, and some diligent saving since I started working again last year, we've just managed to buy a nice little car that will get 62 mpg. I had no idea how stressful the old car was, until we sorted this out today. We've had some hefty repair bills on it and even if I hadn't consciously been thinking about it, it was always in the back of my mind: what's that weird noise? What bit will stop working next? What's going to fall off? (We were losing part of the rear bumper.) No worries now for several years at least. And not long after we made the deal and set off for home, I noticed that I was feeling relieved, and the chocolate cravings were gone. Now if I can just sort my job out for next autumn, I'll be the most laid-back person around LOL.
I'm trying to keep a positive attitude always, and that is undoubtedly keeping me feeling much better than I was several months ago. I visualise myself as being healthy, I think about what I will do and how I will feel. I am also looking at life and our purpose here in a different way. All of this helps.
Full steam ahead.