Having a melt down

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
#1

I’m a senior who still thinks I’m in my 30’s. Was diagnoised with Fibro myalgia/Chronic Fatigue about 18 yrs ago. After a large move to another city I became very Ill for a few years. Was in a support group for awhile when I was up to it.

Have been doing better untill last month. The holidays, a friends death and two days later a visit from our son from New Zealand for two weeks. Also his son age 14 joined us.

I was crashing about the time my son arrived and have gone down hill since.

I guess I know what to do now but when you don’t live alone it’s hard. My husband just can’t understand it nor do my friends, children or relitives. They all think I’ll be OK in a few days. It even hurts to breath.

Thanks for letting me let off steam. How do you handle it when your family or friends just can’t understand. I just alone.

#2

Hi Dory, The word our relatives don,t understand is CHRONIC, They imagine a 24hr flu when you complain, and when you are not recovered by the next week you are old news and boring. I also have the outlook of a 30 yr old, I like younger friends, I,m a senior citizen drop out , and hate hospitals because sick people hang out there…I also suffer chronic pain and have been treated for major depression since my 40,s. Some where along the line doctors figured that if you didn,t fit in a slot that you needed anti depressant meds. I,ve tried many including neurontin and sleep aids. I don,t sleep well at night and its an effort to get out in the daytime. I,m now on cymbalta and when my shrink gets back from hawaia she,ll start up her cognitive therapy classses. I,ll try it but I still find it offensive. I just want to have normal energy and function on a daily basis. Maybe it won,t happen. But in the meantime I prefer to think on the sunny side of the street.Grandma nubu resident joker PS Hang in there

#3

dorrih… You are actually doing extremely well with your CFS if you are managing to work full time as well as going to school as well as raising 3 children. Someone without CFS would struggle with all that. Most CFSers would struggle with just one of those things.

Maybe think of cutting back on that kind of work load, have you actually been diagnosed with CFS?

#4

I know how you feel my family does not understand, my daughter says it is all in my head. I just try to hang in there until they are gone, then I crash, it takes all I have to hold up while I have company and I try not to go anywhere cause I just am too tired.

#5

thank you for the information. Its nice to have an expert to talk to. The chiropractor helps with the joint pain sometimes so I guess that is helpful I also get pretty frequent headaches and it sometimes helps with those. I’m not sure if I actually have depression since the meds were ordered for the CFS or EBV. My MD suggested trying to eliminate a yeast overgrowth in my intestines?? or intestinal parasites. Never heard of that.

#6

Ive posted the following link quite a few times at this site… but it gives you a better idea of anything you may have which is connected to CFS, so I really suggest to check it out. It rates the symptoms and the percentages of CFSers with the problem eg 50-90% of those with CFS have IBS with it and Systemic yeast/fungal infections 30-80%

http://wwcoco.com/cfids/bernesx.html

“Anyway, I have extensive bloodwork ordered for Sat am.”

That’s good :slight_smile:

I also suggest for you to keep your own copies of records of any tests you have done and results of things. That way you will know exactly yourself what you’ve had done. I never did that in the past and all my original stuff was lost… the surgery where I went in the past… lost my info!!! so another doctor who didnt know me at all, had to start from scratch.

So many different tests too get confusing after a while (Ive so far had over 30 different tests done) and just too much for most normal GP doctors to try to be following (my CFS is now so complex that most GPs wont treat me).  So I have a copy of everything in my own folder I take whenever I go anywhere... that way if I ever see someone new eg a new specialist or have to make an emergency stop into a different surgery or end up being taken somewhere by ambulance cause of CFS "storm", I can quickly find whatever test results they are after.  (I keep all my tests in alphabetical order in my file), and I know exactly what and what not Ive had done in the past so it helps if Im researching anything myself on CFS too or see something online about it which Im not sure if Ive had done or not.
#7

Yes Tania is is great and it only took 18 yrs LOL!!
It is a blessing but ultimately we all know that we all travel alot of the path of pain and symptoms alone.