Fatigue

[Guest guest]

Sleep apnea comes to my mind. I have it and was diagnosed last year, before

my diabetes was. Now I have both, am being treated to both and feel so

much better. My symptoms for both were similar. Chronic fatigue despite

12 hours sleep a night, no energy, memory loss, weakness, etc.

Also, someone mentioned thryoid problems. This is a simple blood test and

you should have your dr. check it out.

" I also have a question. I STAY tired its like I can't get enough

sleep no matter home much I sleep. I have always liked to sleep but

the past few weeks it I can sleep all night and I am still sleepy.

Do you think I could be my sugar? lack of excercise? I don't know

what is going on.

Thanks

"

--------------------------------------------------------------------

mail2web - Check your email from the web at

http://mail2web.com/ .

[Guest guest]

How do I explain fatigue?

This morning I told my husband to do a couple of things for me that I

would normally do. That I was trying to use as few steps as possible

around the house until after I went (down the stairs and out to the

car) to the post office.

He said that it seemed it would take more energy to think about it than

just do it. I realized that he doesn't understand fatigue. He is one of

those guys that will " power through " until something is done. I didn't

even try to explain, I wish I knew how to explain.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I face the same issue all the time-- trying to explain to family and

friends and doctors how severe my fatigue is and how it restricts me

from doing a lot of the things I used to do. I think it is helpful to

explain that the fatigue from MS and other chronic illnesses such as

Lyme is much different from the fatigue that a person who is well says

they are experiencing. I try to tell my younger brother that it is like

you have stayed awake for a week and you have not gone to bed and you

just feel exhausted. My fatigue is so bad a lot of the times that my

eyes feel like they are going to fall out of my head and it and does

restrict what you can do. I think that the spoon analogy that was

posted on the group before could help people visuaalize what your

fatigue levels are-- a person without this disease has a lot of spoons

and even if they go run 5 miles in the morning and do yard work and

wash the car and go to work-- they still do not use them up. A person

with MS or lyme or CFS can do say one thing like taking a shower and

doing some house work and have used up a lot of spoons and then has a

lot less silverware to deal with:) My younger brother will see me

lying down taking a nap and will say-- what is wrong and I will

tell him --I am really fatigued today and he will say-- I know I am

tired today too-- I didn't sleep well last night and I will say-- no--

not the same:)

Best,

>

> How do I explain fatigue?

>

> This morning I told my husband to do a couple of things for me that I

>

[Guest guest]

>Hi

It was difficult for me to explain to my husband my symptoms and

other concerns so, I left several of my MS magazines in the bathroom

with out acknowledging it to me he seems more informed now than ever

before.

> How do I explain fatigue?

>

[Guest guest]

I've heard a spoon analogy too, and a $ analogy (which men, my

husband anyway, find to make a little more 'practical'). With

either, you start with so much on a given day, and each activity

costs you something. Once you run out of whatever you started with

(spoons, $, what ever), you're D O N E. I finally sucked it up and

used one of those scooters stores sometimes provide today. (first

time - YAY!) Proved my own belief on the spoon/$ therory though!! I

look very good for having ms (which made it hard for me to break

down and admit the usefullness of a scooter for me) and only

occasionally use a cane, or my husband's arm - I ALWAYS use the cart

to lean on in stores though. Last time I went to this store, I used

the cart, as usual, and my feet were dragging on the ground so bad I

could hardly walk by the time we got done. Today, with using the

scooter and saving myself all that energy, I actually left the store

in a good mood and had energy to vaccum when we got home! (I'm

pretty much done now though! :-))

Good luck explaining fatigue to your family and - and

the importance of energy conservation!!

:-)

> >

> > How do I explain fatigue?

> >

> > This morning I told my husband to do a couple of things for me

that I

> >

>

[Guest guest]

 fatigue can be have very debilitating symptom of MS, many of us have been

prescribed Provigil which helps tremendously and it isn't addictive.

[Guest guest]

> MS magazines in the bathroom

Thanks for that idea but Steve doesn't read in the bathroom. And he

seldom reads things I leave for him.

I have been thinking today about the spoons and other ways of

describing fatigue mentioned. I came up with another one.

Let's say all the energy you get for the day is in a toothpaste tube.

When you wake up, the cap is off of the tube.

Sit up, a little squeeze.

Walk to the bathroom, a little squeeze. Sit and get up, a little more.

Go back to get dressed, a little squeeze.

Reach into drawer and/or closet, a little more. Get dressed, a big

squeeze. Put on shoes and socks, a big sqeeze.

Load washer, little.

Put clothes in dryer, little.

(rest, squishing contents to the top).

Walk to the bathroom, a little squeeze.

Walk to car, little. Lift left leg into car, little. etc.

Walk to the bathroom (do this often), a little squeeze.

Empty dishwasher, distributing dishes into various cupboards and

drawers, big.

(resting allows you to force contents to the top, but you don't get a

new tube).

Fix dinner, medium. Bend over to fill dog dish, little. Load

dishwasher, medium. Walk to the bathroom, a little squeeze. etc. etc.

Now add to that - some mornings you open your tube and it's already

down near half so you save as much as you can just to be able to go

to the doctor or grocery store. Get home, out of car and into

house... tube is almost empty - no fixing dinner tonight!

I won't give you my full schedule, you get the idea. Lots of bathroom

breaks and rests. And some days I step on my tube and loose nearly

all the contents!

[Guest guest]

that was awesome! Please give me permission to cut, copy and paste that. 

I want to take it to my Nuero (she has and promotes a discussion group).  I

found your explanation very helpfull.

thanks again

[Guest guest]

>

> that was awesome! Please give me permission to cut, copy and

paste that.  I want to take it to my Nuero (she has and promotes a

discussion group).  I found your explanation very helpfull.

> thanks again

>

>

You (and anyone else) has my permission to use it.

I went out to a Christmas party last night and used it to explain

myself to my friends.

This is the most social activity I'd had in months. Got a ride, too.

I don't go far from home (or the bathroom) any more. Almost NEVER

ride with someone else, don't like giving up control of my own coming

and going. I took my wheeled walker with a seat. None of the friends

had seen me since my diagnosis and since I became dependant on cane

or walker to keep my balance. This morning I woke up realizing I only

got half a tube of energy today. My shoulders, neck and upper back

were sore from leaning and wheeling.

Knowing that I had only a partial tube of energy, I gave myself

permission to do a lot of nothing today!