Shar, I have recommended that book too! It's such an amazing thing that this man could reason so much of this out on his own. It really makes you understand how we work against ourselves (especially early on).

I believe what many of you are going through is the denial stage. When you get to acceptance, you'll find that your priorities shift, although I STILL push myself too hard sometimes (like today?).

You have to learn that it's not just the one time thing that'll get you, too. The cumulative effect is what really does you in. One of my docs put it too me this way - I have to take at least every other weekend off (doing nothing but lazy butting it) while working, because if I don't next thing you know you have strung three weeks of physical activity together with no real rest period.

I tend to crash hard at the holidays, cuz that's my favorite time of year and I don't want to miss anything. My birthday is 6 days before Christmas, so I usually have Thanksgiving, then it's rush to do Xmas baking and shopping, then my company Xmas party, then my birthday, then Xmas then New Years! If my birthday were in the summer at least I could get ONE weekend with nothing going there.

My hubby tries to convince me to give giftcards every year, but I love all the wrapped gifts of different sizes and colors! And I love surprises - both getting and giving. That's one time of year I just haven't figured out how to pace myself! This year I'm going to try really, really hard though, because I really don't want to go through this anymore - 14 years of it off and on has been plenty, thank you very much!

Anyway, try to "do as I say, not as I do" (mamma hen again, Erin). If you have something you really want to do, plan ahead to rest up the day before (to store the muscle juice) and the day after (to rebuild the muscle juice). NOTHING, short of helping a family member who is worse off, is worth the crash - certainly not a clean floor. I used to be Mrs. Clean, but I have learned to live with some of the dust bunnies.

I am setting a one-room-at-a-time schedule for myself. I let my hubby do the regular stuff like vacuuming, but I take on the cobwebs, clear the counters completely, etc. It's not as clean as when I did this all the time, but it'll have to do! I am sick of not being able to enjoy 3/4 of my life because I over did for 1/4. You'll all get here too, but hopefully you won't have to go through as many of the downs as I have before you learn to "accept" your new limitations.

Do go online and read the book Shar mentioned. It's a free easy read, and I found it very helpful and insightful. My hope for all of you is that you can learn your limitations (stretching them a little as you find you can) and have a good life not quite so full of the ups and downs - level energy is MUCH better. It's natural to look back at "the good ole days" and pine for them, but things are as they are and the important thing is to make the BEST of this now.

Nuff mamma-ing! Love to all.