Dating - now with new, trickier conversations.

Dating has been a tricky business since I became chronically in pain (on top of the chronic pain I already had). So now I have two pains to manage, and two boring explanations/descriptions to get through each time I meet someone.

When I first became ill, I had just started dating Mr Controlling. He basically decided that since I was ill, I should go and live with him, even though we barely knew each other. I broke up with him fairly sharpish.

Since then I've dated Mr Sweet, who I met in a coffee shop. He was training to be a nurse, so I felt he would have a great handle on the situation. Alas, he just had too much going on in his own life, and so we parted amicably.

After a period of mourning/mooching, I decided it was time to continue the search for someone to watch Community with and rub my stomach. (Among other things). And so I ventured onto the internet. The big question was, how much should I disclose up-front? Should I start with the fact that I was housebound for 1 day in every 2, or try to subtly allude to it? Or just not mention it altogether?

I decided not to mention it on my profile, because I didn't want it to be the focus of the first few chats (assuming that I had any interest). It would have to come up on the first date though. Oddly enough, I've mainly been contacted by guys 5 or so years younger than me. I must be putting out a youthful vibe...or a cougar one.

My first date was arranged with Mr Karate. 26, talkative, nice to look at. He took it well enough when I explained my condition, including the limit on how long I can stay out at any one time. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps my luck is changing?

The Joy of Bed

There is nothing I love more than my bed.

After my most recent break-up, I decided I was done with the whole sleeping on one side of the bed thing. After all, there was a whole bed to use, and only me in it, and I'm quite little. So I decided to go a bit mad with pillows.

Basically I have created a nest. A U-bend of pillows, in which I sleep. And it's fabulous. You should definitely try it. Pillows above, pillows to the left, pillows to the right, and extra pillows to hug. It's a 5 pillow structure.

Even when I can't sleep because the pain is too bad, and I don't want to get up and take something because the side-effects can feel even worse, it is a ridiculously comfy bed. Sometimes I worry it might be TOO comfortable. I've started to linger in it, reading, browsing the web, when really I should make an effort to get up and dressed and pretend I have somewhere to be. In the meantime though, I'm just going to revel in it.