Master Kirsten Has to Rest Sometimes

I was hoping to report more from the ACR.

Unfortunately, after being so excited to attend, I just didn’t think about how my body would cope with things. I was unable to attend the last day I was there (Tuesday) and had to go home earlier most other days as well.

I spent a lot more time in bed watching Netflix than I had anticipated.

I was originally really upset with this when I had to head home early on Sunday. However, after getting back to my Airbnb, I realized part of why I was feeling so crummy was that my mystery WTF was hitting. There wasn’t really a choice for me – I had to be in a space where I could have a lie-down and, honestly, a convention center really isn’t that.

After a few hours of resting on Sunday – and a phone call from T (and the piggies!) – I wound up having the energy to go to the beach and get some food. After all, I needed to eat dinner and it was 30 degrees at home. Laying down outside would still be laying down.

While I stayed all day Monday, I wound up having to sit out the afternoon sessions because I was just not feeling well at all. After a quick meetup with some friends at the conference, I headed out to have dinner with a few disability justice friends.

I felt like it was the push I needed to get through the next day. However that helped emotionally, my physical body just screamed hell no Tuesday morning. It was a Netflix and rest day, rounded out well by visiting the windy and cold beach before snagging dinner with a dear friend in the area.

As much as I wished I could’ve attended some of the intense sessions on Tuesday – especially the one on Still’s and other autoinflammatory diseases – I know that I needed to rest. It’s incredibly hard to let myself do that, but it’s getting more commonplace.

It also occurred to me while writing this that I never shared – I got my degree! My Masters is now hanging proudly on the wall in our short hallway. Things feel a lot lighter with that finished. I’m also grateful to have snagged two part-time jobs that will let me still work at home and around my schedule.

So, if you’re looking for more updates about sessions from the ACR, I, unfortunately, don’t have them. I hope to write stuff up about some of the posters and research I saw, though! It just might take a bit before those make their way up here.

I hope that you’re resting as much as your mind and body need.