Sorry for the delay. I am doing a little better now, thank you
When everything is too much, I think going back to basics is really important. How are you doing with food and water?
Water, good, once I get up for a while. Food, fair. My diet has slipped back into a lot of foods that aren't healthy in the quantities it would take for a day's worth of calories. Lots of sugars. Cake bites and candy, mostly. I did make an actual meal today as a sort of reward (and because I had the energy) of Pacific white fish, rice, carrots, and sweet potato.
Diet is better than what it became in July, though. For a few weeks I didn't eat at all unless someone else made food, but after a month or so I switched to eating fast food once a day or so. Now I'm at around one meal every day or two, depending on how much I sleep, mostly.
And then snacking for the rest of the time I'm awake. Which is an average of 5-8 hours a day.
So that is good. It's become difficult to cook. At first it was because I was claustrophobic in the kitchen and afraid of hearing my mom be in pain as she walked around. Or tried to. Versus now when I cook or bake I have to open cabinets and see all the plans she had for July. It genuinely broke me down for several minutes to see two cans of black olives in the cabinet in front of the rice because I know she was planning to make "mexican casserole" (a dish we all know isn't from Mexico but we never even thought about renaming it) and teach my little brother how to make it.
She also planned a hotdog dinner and stuffed shells and spaghetti and sausage and bell peppers in penne. I know her recipes well and I see the ingredients she bought for July and it feels like it squeezes the blood out of my heart and the air out of my lungs.
I feel I took her for granted and I wish I had told her more often how much she means to me. The guilt is killing me
And I'm still in her house for now so of course signs of her life are everywhere, except for her actual presence. There will never be anyone else like her
I just hope I wasn't mean to her
But anyway yes. I am eating. Food is improving. She showed her love through gifts and by making big meals to bring the entire family together. She was always the life of the party