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Author Topic: Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting  (Read 2371 times)

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Offline SparkleSkye

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Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting
« on: June 02, 2018, 08:05:03 AM »
I have a chronic illness that leave me bedridden most of my day, both from pain and lack of energy.
I love toy collecting/restoration/customization, but lately I find I usually cant get out of bed to work on my collection. I have a spare room full of ponies in need of restoration or customizing, and yet no work is getting done on them despite how much I want to.
Are there any other collectors out there fighting chronic illness? What strategies to you use to work on your collection despite your illness?
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Offline Einhornbaby

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Re: Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2018, 10:19:20 AM »
Im so sorry to hear that,  DoctorWhooves63 :( being left bedridden must be awful *ponyhugs*

Im fighting chronic illness too; 4 different ones actually, three of them though dont bother me that much to be honest. The 4th one (a neuralgic disease, causing chronic facial and oral pain) takes most of my energy, leaves me with poor hand-eye coordination and pain and a deep sadness that takes away all my motivation.
My collection has to be reorganized really badly... my pony room is like a house after a hurricane to be honest  :drunk: I need to find a place for that giant plush, I need to put my MOCs back to the walls after taking pics and so on. And I need to find a place for all my G3 as they still are floating around everywhere o.0 And I need to work on my recently deceased friends ponies that need new loving homes, about 500 ponies...omg. OMG while wirting this Im asking myself how I intend to do that XD ouch.
Some days Im totally energetic and like "lets build a new house!" but then after about 10 minutes Im like "Why am I even doing this..."
Well I dont want to wine and complain as it really could be worse for me but I wanted to let you know, youre not alone; I can feel you and Im sorry that you have to go through this. *hugs* :lovey:

My strategy on that matter is : use every minute you can and try to enjoy it as much as possible. Dont push yourself to hard and dont think too much as that will take away the fun in your collection! In your case, find things you can do in bed! Maybe you can use a little breakfast tray for bed, its almost like a little desk. You can use these things for working on restaurations maybe or anything not causing too much dirt.
Try to prepare for those days you cant get out of bed with packing little bags with for example a pony and everything you need to work on it. Put it next to your bed so you just have to reach out to get it.
I hope that helps a little <3 Sorry I dont have any other tips... Try to enjoy the good times!

Offline BethyVic

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Re: Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2018, 02:27:05 PM »
I have chronic illnesses and have had them for 20 years. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Lupus. I started collecting at 17 as a way of keeping my mind off all the things I missed out on. I have been collecting for 17 years and the online community has been a huge part of my life. I could talk to people from all over the world even when I was too sick to get out of bed. Collecting has brought a lot of happiness into my life, especially during difficult times. I haven’t done much customizing but I used to give my ponies spa days when I had the energy. I don’t have great advice, but I do understand having a chronic illness and struggling to get through each day. A lot of my ponies are dusty and some have never had a spa day, but I know I wil do it at some point. Hugs. What chronic illness do you have? BethyVic
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Offline SparkleSkye

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Re: Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2018, 03:06:22 PM »
Thank you two for your support <3
I have chronic fatigue syndrome and I'm in the process of gerting a fibro diagnosis. Along with chronic mental illnesses like anxiety and depression.
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Offline BlackCurtains

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Re: Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting
« Reply #4 on: June 02, 2018, 04:16:41 PM »
Another CFS sufferer here, along with restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea and iron anemia. I'm tired all the time, even when I'm asleep, heh.

I consider it an accomplishment if I can get the garbage and recyclables out of my room or do a load of laundry... and eventually fold the clothes :lookround:

Sometimes if I can start and finish one thing, even if it's a tiny thing, it can help to motivate myself to do a little more.

Some days Im totally energetic and like "lets build a new house!" but then after about 10 minutes Im like "Why am I even doing this..."

This is me too! I tend to go overboard when I am feeling up to doing something (since there is so much to be done). Remembering to pace yourself is important.

That said, my collection needs some TLC. I used to dust my custom ponies every week. It's been a lot longer than that since the last time... sometimes I feel really bad about it, but that doesn't help anything. 
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Offline splooto

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Re: Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2018, 04:23:39 PM »
I do :( but its usually a lot worse in the winter, so it's been a lot better recently ^^ But I do have a problem with digesting things wrong, and it can leave me nearly incapacitated when it gets bad.
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Offline Beldarna

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Re: Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting
« Reply #6 on: June 02, 2018, 11:49:45 PM »
I've had a headache 24/7 for over a year and the doctor has noted it as chronic in my journal so.. I focus all my energy to be able to work, everything else come second. Washing and folding laundry can take up to four days to get done. I have a to do list that only gets longer. When it comes to ponies my ponyroom is a mess. It shares space with my books and now I have more books than shelves for them and they lie on the floor in heaps. I should get through them and see which ones I want to keep and which ones should be donated as well as reorganise the shelves but never have the energy. I have a pile of bait ponies that should go back in the drawer but somehow it feels overwhelming so they lie on the floor amongst the books. At least they get litterate, lol. The ponycollection itself should be dusted.. But whenever I have the strength to do something productive I focus on the household chores so ponies come second (ie never). I do have an instagram account that I try to keep going regularly which keeps me in the ponyflow somehow. But yeah, wish I hade the energy to do more, but I need to be able to pay my bills so work comes first.

Offline reddsetgogirl

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Re: Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2018, 09:57:44 PM »
Toy collecting and chronic pain quite often go together - I've heard someone say that it could be down to something like toy collecting being something which is enjoyable and uplifting as well as something that can be controlled unlike chronic pain. It's a way to do something that brings joy and satisfaction while also being non-physically draining compared to active hobbies like sport or exercise.

Like many of you, I have fibromyalgia, restless legs syndrome, chronic migraines/daily headaches, arthritis, bursitis and depression. Last year an intense fibro flare lead me to being bedridden and barely able to walk for 5 months. I couldn't use my hands, couldn't drive, couldn't hold anything to the extent that I started using kids plastic bowls and plates because I could barely lift a thing and at 31, was using a walker. As you can imagine, it was an exceptionally dark time and now, almost a year after it stopped, I am still not back to my equivalent of "normal".

My collections were one of the very few things that brought me any joy. I couldn't leave my house and only got out of bed to go to the toilet and to get food from the kitchen. A package in the post was a ray of sunshine.

I think the most important thing in regards to cleaning up ponies is to be kind to yourself but also realistic. Bring a small pile of ponies up to work on whilst in bed or on the couch. On very low energy days, just combing pony hair is a reasonable goal that requires little work whilst still being satisfying. On better days, external body cleaning and shampooing hair on as many ponies as feels comfortable without too much energy wasted. On good pain days, internal cleaning, customising work, etc.

On top of that, the best thing I ever did for myself and my collection was replacing my cabinets with ones with glass doors. Zero dusting and zero ponies being knocked off by the cat.
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Offline pinkkittywinks

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Re: Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting
« Reply #8 on: June 06, 2018, 01:35:33 AM »
I have Coeliac Disease and chronic pelvic pain as a result of Endometriosis. I also have depression and anxiety.

I started collecting ponies when I was very ill with Coeliac Disease and have not looked back since. The pony community and the ponies themselves bring colour and friendship to my life and provide a welcome distraction.

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Offline Bren41882

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Re: Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2018, 01:54:29 PM »
I have suffered chronic illness since I was born mostly take frequent breaks. I also have to lay down a lot.

Offline Sky_Rocket_Sammie

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Re: Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting
« Reply #10 on: June 07, 2018, 05:55:29 AM »
I'm living with epilepsy,PTSD, and am dealing with losing my hearing. Collecting various things has helped me cope. I've been on here and Transformers board throughout most of this so the community has been a huge part of it. For me it brings me joy and something I can do. Often when I'm wore out from school/work/social obligations. Which always come first, what I have left over allows me to be here.

I don't know maybe because there's an online social aspect in collecting it's kept me going over the years. The friends I've made are as important to me as my real life friends. So there is very much this sense of community and shared experiences around the subject of collecting X,Y, or Z.

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Offline MoonstoneFluff

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Re: Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting
« Reply #11 on: June 07, 2018, 06:13:59 AM »
I'm also a chronic illness sufferer... Diabetic, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, ptsd... 

For me, collecting things I find visually appealing helps me feel a sense of control over my immediate surroundings.  I have to hold down a job, which is a struggle in and of itself, so I have an office filled with plush and soft pastel things.  It's very soothing and comforting.
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Offline ringwraith10

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Re: Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting
« Reply #12 on: June 07, 2018, 07:34:40 PM »
I've  been chronically ill and disabled since I was born. I've also been a pony collector basically since I was born. I have more chronic illnesses than I can even remember to list, but I'll try: Fibromyalgia, PCOS, Endometriosis, Tachycardia (still no explanations from the doctors why I have this), several mental illnesses that are kinda personal, chronic migraines, pre-diabetes, and probably more that I can't remember. I take so much medication I'm basically a walking pharmacy. Sometimes I use a walker, sometimes I use a cane. And I have another mysterious chronic illness that they've been trying to properly diagnose but so far I haven't gotten a proper diagnosis or treatment plan for it (at least I got a biopsy and they know it's not cancer). 

I, too, have a lot of trouble maintaining my pony collection. I moved recently and my mom took most of my ponies to her house because she didn't think I would have the time or energy to do anything with them (and I'm in a smaller apartment). It is nearly impossible for me to stand at the sink long enough to properly wash even one or two ponies, but I have found that a cup of water and a magic eraser can travel -- so I can sit on the couch or in bed and use the magic eraser with the cup of water to clean ponies. It doesn't get their hair detangled, but it gets their exteriors clean, anyway.

Offline Icey

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Re: Chronic Illness and Toy Collecting
« Reply #13 on: June 09, 2018, 03:00:12 PM »
I have a few Auto Immune Diseases and I recently started researching how people can reverse AI diseases through diet and lifestyle changes. I have been eliminating certain foods from my diet (#1 sugar, #2 Wheat #3 Dairy) and I have seen a lot of great results with a decrease in inflammation. I am also trying to repair leaky gut. I urge anyone with AI disease or chronic illness to look into it. I was not able to do the Auto Immune Protocol Diet because the detox period wrecked me (I have problems detoxing as is), but many people have seen amazing results doing it.

 

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