Hi all, This might seem like a joke but it's really not. Funny, well maybe. I suffer from this syndrome. I used to be very anal about my housecleaning. I was so bad, I would wisk away my husband's dishes and clean them before he was done eating.
I would vacuum the floor until the carpet was thin. I could not stand to see anything out of place. The toilet bowl was cleaned regularly whether it needed it or not.
Not anymore. Now, it takes days to do the dishes. I just let them pile up until I can't stand them piled there anymore or I can't see the top of the countertop, whichever comes first.
My husband folds the laundry when he's home, otherwise, it piles up on the couch. I just push it out of the way to lie down.
The junk mail is piled in a chair and on the kitchen counter. It gets gone through --- whenever. Not often.
The dog and cat hair gets so thick on the floor, I have to swim from room to room.
I sometimes have trouble seeing a TV program. I think it's my blurry vision getting worse....until I get a cloth and wipe off the screen.
You don't want to use my bathroom........the decrepit gas station down the road is better.
Clutter messes with my mind. So I ignore it otherwise, it makes me crazy.
This might sound funny but everything I said is absolutely true.
Anyone else have this awful symptom of Lyme?
Posted by AlisonP (Member # 7771) on :
I am familiar with this syndrome and suffer from it as well. Experts seem to agree that there is no known cause, but I suspect there could be multiple origins for this constellation of symptoms that seem to crop up in MHS (Messy House Syndrome).
I have isolated one element I like to call "husbandus messius". It looks like a normal husband, but with a severe allergy to operating, touching, or even going near the dishwasher. Something about the chemical interaction between husband and this particular household appliance causes him to be unable to use it altogether, even just to put his dirty dishes into instead of lying around the house.
I have attempted to take steps in order to minimize my MHS symptoms. (Many people don't think that MHS even exists, or is perhaps a trash can diagnosis. Nothing could be farther from the truth!)
I got rid of nearly all my clothes, since they didn't fit anymore anyway because of the Lyme. This left me with virtually nothing to wear, but *boy* does it cut down on laundry, which can also really help with the MHS symptoms.
Alison
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
It's not just lyme but any illness that causes profound fatigue will cause one to be unable to keep a clean house.
Like you, my house used to be spotless. If anyone had told me that I would live in a house where the floor had not been vacuumed for a month or more I would not have believed it. My husband folds all the laundry, does the grocery shopping, picks up my prescriptions and does a whole lot more because I am simply too ill to do it.
I have learned not to be too hard on myself. My house is not clean but it is not because I am lazy. I am sick and putting what little energy I have towards getting well.
We all must make choices about where to spend our precious energy and I choose to put it towards getting better. If that means my house is dirty, so be it. If anyone who lives here or comes to visit doesn't like it, they can feel free to pitch in a clean up! Terry
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
Well, you wouldn't want to eat off of my floor!
Carol
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
imanurse,alison
sick & tired- be kind to yourself, when your sick & tired its a medal you should get for makin it out of bed
Carol- if I drop something on my floor, its going in the trash.
Posted by charlie (Member # 25) on :
....Just leave it dirty.
Nature abhors a vacuum....
Posted by Hope4Better (Member # 10075) on :
i must have this problem times 1000. im a neat freak and i used to be so organized because i just couldnt deal any other way..now i know its the lyme and ocd that caused me such a need to be organized and clean ALL THE TIME. right now my house is a mess and it drives me nutz but i just dont have the energy to deal with it. seriously, i believe if the house was cleaner i wouldnt feel so cloudy in my head.
but is this how i really feel or is it just the lyme messin with me.,i just cant tell anymore. i do really wish i had a maid tho. i would be a lot happier if the house i was cleaner (i think)..
i sympathize to the fullest extent.. but i did go to work today so thats a plus.. Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by charlie: ....Just leave it dirty.
Nature abhors a vacuum....
This needs to be in General Support.
Posted by sickandtiredofbeingsandt (Member # 10189) on :
HI everybody, Thanks for posting your replies. I feel like I'm in a real club here. I enjoy reading your perspectives on this. I wish I could write as eloquently. I used to be able to.
Imanurse: Love your poem.
Lymetoo: I considered putting this in the General section but this is a real symptom so felt it should be in medical. Kind of like a symptom of depression is not showering. Odd to call that a symptom but it is.
I see my doc tomorrow morning. I am anxious to know what he has to say but I dread it at the same time.
Thanks so all!
Posted by *Daisy* (Member # 9593) on :
I've got 3 little ones, piles of clothes dirty and clean.
My floors are clean because my husband just vacuumed, still needs a good mopping. And I ran the dishwasher finally, it's bursting at the seams. Still have to put away the clean ones.
Can't hardly get to the bed in my girls rooms, they prefer all their toys on the floor.
I used to be a neat freak as well. Most of us probably were, maybe not Tony.
Loved your poem Ima, did you have your top on when you wrote that?
Hang in there, there will be time to clean when we are healed!!
Posted by Tracy9 (Member # 7521) on :
My husband says:
Post that you haven't noticed this syndrome, but your husband has been complaining about it for two years. I think it's called "husband complainus syndrome."
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
This is par for the course. I'd say figure out how to manage it. As in who else could help who's well. As in use paper dishes. As in put everything in a box or bag and go through it later or not at all, depending on the nature of the items. Etc. Get creative, 'cause this is how we are and we can't do the things we used to do in the way we used to do them.
Posted by happygirl (Member # 10318) on :
Most of the time I'm too tired to clean or do anything like that, and then when I do have some energy I want to use it doing something that I like - certainly not cleaning or scrubbing my loo !!
I have a fridge magnet that says "We cant both look good - its either me or the house" !!!!
(Not that I look too good either most of the time, but I'd rather put the effort into me then the house)!
Posted by theviewfromthecurb (Member # 10310) on :
this is me to the tee... but my words are few tonight. i really liked that poem though and read it to my kids... in fact all the threads in this topic... just so they know its not me, but the sickness... thanks for mentioning this...
Posted by hshbmom (Member # 9478) on :
Hi Sickandtiredofbeingsandt,
I can identify with your struggle with the house & all that involves.
Hope this helps you too. Nancy
Posted by pegee4 (Member # 9869) on :
Ha Ha!, My mother will claim I was born with this syndrome!! For real though, when I was at my sickest , I told my hubby, "If you don't like it , get a maid!" If you can afford it , it might be a good idea.
Posted by sickandtiredofbeingsandt (Member # 10189) on :
Hi all, Thanks so much for all your replies! I am glad I'm not alone in this.
Posted by hopeful123 (Member # 3244) on :
cat hair gets so thick on the floor, I have to swim from room to room.
Posted by chroniccosmic (Member # 7789) on :
Oh yeah, count me in. We have 3 dogs who are my best companions. I brushed the dog the other day and got enough hair to make a guinea pig.
We have a loveable but dirty house. Tried to hire a cleaning service the other day but the lady came to the house reeking of cheap perfume and cigarette smoke. Said she'd never heard of anyone wanting non allergic cleaning products used on the house.
We decided it would smell worse when the cleaning people left so we are back to square one. Oh well, at least we are used to it.
My solution is to watch HGTV and all the home makeover shows and live through them until we are all well. Our health comes first.
Posted by HEATHERKISS (Member # 6789) on :
I have a once a week cleaning lady that I can't afford.
I do our laundry and beleieve me that's plenty of work. 2 flights of stairs to the basement.
It's just sooooooo amazing how clean everything is. And they use my cleaning products.
Even if you get some one to come once a month or twice a month its such a big help.
I think next I'm going to start having my work clothes drycleaned. Ironing is killing me.
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