Moving Day & Fibromyalgia: 12 Tips for Moving with a Chronic Illness

Moving Truck (Photo credit: netmonkey) http://www.flickr.com/photos/netmonkey/2749646355/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Moving sucks, and it’s even harder when you have a chronic illness, but it’s finally done (although it’s going to be a while before everything is unpacked and put away.) It wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been, considering the fibro and all the stuff that goes along with that.

Moving is actually why I’ve been “missing” for so long. Between the packing, the actual move, and waiting for the cable company to get my net hooked up; I’ve been gone for a while, but I think it’s going to end up being worth it . . .

I’m loving the apartment and having so much more space, but I think the best part is just being able to cook and take a bath any time I want . . . The cottage didn’t have a kitchen, and only had a half bath, so for cooking and bathing we had to go up to the main house, and sometimes that just wasn’t an option.

Hubby and I both work nights, so we’re up at weird times of the night, and since our roommates kept more “normal” hours, a lot of the time I’d want to cook or take a bath when they were asleep. Now if I want to take a bath or boil an egg after I get home from work, I can, and I don’t have to worry about waking anyone up while I do it.

Of course, there are disadvantages to moving out, too. For one thing, getting to work now involves at least an hour and a half to two hours on public transit, instead of a 15 minute walk. Between getting to the bus stop, then walking to the train and back out to the other bus, I actually walk further than I did from the cottage to work. (The walk from the bus stop to the apartment is almost as long as the entire walk from work to the cottage was . . .)

The biggest disadvantage, at least as far as I’m concerned, is having to deal with the utilities and all. All that stuff was in the roommate’s names, so all I had to do was hand over the rent, and they took care of the rest. Now I’m the one that has to make sure everything gets paid when it’s supposed to, and make the calls when something screws up.

Like everything else in life, it’s a trade-off. There are advantages and disadvantages, but overall, it’s mostly a positive experience, and I’ve learned a lot about managing a move without triggering a flare. I’ve learned that:

1. Pacing is the key to minimizing the physical stress of a move. If you can afford it, hiring a moving company to come in and handle the move for you is ideal. They’ll even do all the packing, for an extra charge. (If you can only afford for them to load, move, and unload; it’s still more than worth the cost to avoid having to lift and carry all that stuff.)
2. If you can’t afford to hire someone, recruit all the friends and family you can. Although more than two or three people can be hard to coordinate, it’s way better than having to spend the week after the move in bed recovering. Coordinating will be easier if you stay in the house and direct what goes out when; put one or two people in the truck to supervise where things get loaded; and everyone else packing, fetching, and carrying.
3. Start packing early! As soon as you know you’re going to be moving, start packing things you don’t use very often. I started the packing process in May, even though I knew it would be months before we moved. Out of season clothes, holiday decorations, knick-knacks, books you don’t read regularly (like seasonal cookbooks,) etc. can all be packed months in advance.
4. Packing is an ideal time to throw things away. You’re going to have to touch everything you own to get it packed; so if it’s broken, worn out, doesn’t fit, or isn’t used anymore, throw it away and save yourself the work of packing and unpacking it.
5. Label everything! This is one that most of us slack on, because it’s a pain to do; but it makes a huge difference when you get in the new place. “Miscellaneous” is not a helpful label! Useful labels include the room the box belongs in, plus the general category of things inside (books, dishes, winter clothes, etc.) and any specific items you’re likely to want within the first week or so. For things like toothbrushes, towels, the bedding you’ll need to put the bed together, and other things you’ll need right away; add “Open First” to the other labeling on the box. I spent three days looking for my cookie sheets because they ended up in a box that only said miscellaneous on it, and were buried under a bunch of random bits and pieces.
6. When writing the contents on your boxes, makes sure that you put it on at least two sides, not just on top. If the only place you put your label is on top, you’ll have to constantly rearrange stacks of boxes to find what you’re looking for, because you’ll only be able to read the label on the top box.
7. Medications, hot packs, heating pads, and anything else that is used in treating your illness should all be packed together, no matter which room they belong in. These boxes should be labeled on all four sides, and the top. Mark them as “Open First;” keep them separate from the other stuff; and even if you’re hiring a moving company, make sure you have these boxes in your possession at all times.
8. Pack the most important stuff last, and either load it separately, like in the car, or make sure it’s the last thing to go on the truck, and the first thing to come off.
9. Set up a staging area for the stuff that has to be unpacked immediately. Whether it’s one corner of the living room, or a separate section in each room, you’ll want the stuff you’re going to need right away somewhere you can find it.
10. If you’re renting a truck, choose at least one size larger than the rental company says you’ll need. We were living in one room, so I rented the size U-Haul said would handle a one-bedroom apartment in one trip, and we had to make two, plus there was still stuff that didn’t fit.
11. Get at least twice as many boxes as you think you’ll need, and lots of packing tape. You can always throw away extras, but if you run out, you’re screwed.  You won’t have the time or the energy to run out and get more right in the middle of loading and moving things.
12. Allow plenty of time for all stages of the move. It always takes longer than you expect, even for healthy folks; and those of us with chronic illnesses have to allow plenty of time for rest breaks. Remember that no matter how well-planned and well-organized a move is, there are always going to be unexpected delays.

Bonus tip: If you have clothes that need to go to the dry cleaner, drop them off the day before the move, and pick them up the day after. It will keep you from having to pack them, and save a bit of space in the truck, too.

Finally, do some research. There are tons of helpful articles and checklists online with tips to streamline and simplify the process, and help you make sure you get all the stuff you need to take care of done. I’m including some articles below to help you get started.

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Related articles

• How to Tackle the Packing Process (apartmentguide.com)
• Simplifying Your Moving Experience (basicorganization.wordpress.com)
• How to Save Money on Moving (bargaineering.com)
• Tips for Unpacking Efficiently (bostinno.com)
• The Big Move: That #$%&*@! Box (jodileasplace.wordpress.com)
• Expenses to Plan for When You Move (apartmentguide.com)
• How to Make Your Next Move Eco-friendly – Tips & Tricks (greenne.com)
• Tips On How To Choose A Moving Company (outofboxwritings.wordpress.com)
• SPONSORED POST: How To Get Your Friends To Help You Move – Moving Week: Sponsored by Penske Truck Rental (apartmenttherapy.com)
• Your Moving Checklist (apartmentguide.com)

If you’ve found the content on this website helpful, and you can afford to, please consider making a contribution to help keep the content coming and the site online.