The ME/CFS Society of NSW Inc.

I was just thinking how, even when I do have a good day and feel well enough to get out of the house, I'm not sure what to do and where to go to relax and have a change of scenery!

It's hard to meet up meet with friends right now when I have so many restrictions as far as how long I can walk from transport, how hot it is and how long I can last. Sometimes I ask a friend to coffee or a movie, but I find myself being dragged around walking the streets shopping or just going above and beyond what I am capable of. Usually I wait now till I have a really good day till but they are few and far between. It's usually cool if i can hang out at another friends house.

The thing is, everything I think of has some kind of 'occupational health and safety' hazzard for me at the moment! This includes holidays as I am trying to plan a week away, but no-where seems right.

Even a 4 night stay at a close friends house will do at this point, but for example, I can't go to Friend A's house anymore cos they moved and the new house has rising damp and is one of my worst environmental triggers for ill-feeling & allergy ( I can't tell them this is why I don't visit anymore), Friend B lives near really loud night traffic and bad exhaust fumes so sleeping's no good, Friend C likes to get up really early in the morning and do a marathon! Now a lot of friends have kids who usually give me the flu or bugs.

I used to spend a lot of time at an old friends house, she knows me and my health probs well and she is always happy to hang on the couch and watch movies. She lovingly teases me about how my hair has fallen out (am I the only one who malts like a cat all year round??) all over her house and makes it's way into rooms I didn't even go in, or jests at my weird food cravings and aversions. Her lightheartedness is really refreshing. Anyhow now she has recently had a baby, and she is still keen to hang out but everytime I plan to see her, her kid is sick so I don't go and stay there anymore. Maybe it's lucky for her, cos she just got air con... she probably wouldn't be able to get rid of me all summer!

Anyhow I was just wondering if anyone has any tips for cruisy things to do outside of the house? Maybe the botanical gardens and a book if it's not too hot. Or the movies. Nice and cool.

Any easy holiday ideas? QLD would be too hot, I need a moderate climate cos I can't handle the extremes, maybe like most of us? I would visit my mum in the country but she has some kind of trees or bushes in her area that give me major hayfever! Arghhh! It would be great if there was a CFS retreat somewhere quiet and non-allergic.. your own room with comfy bed and tv, and a games room with couches, hundreds of dvd's and a pool table (ok that's asking a bit much!) Someplace quiet where it's acceptable to sleep as long as you need, and to wear pj's till the afternoon! Can you imagine it?! A whole bunch of incoherent sleep deprived people watching movies and trying to play pool and air hockey in their pj's lol.