A day in the life...

Howdy, folks!

It's me again. Today, I'll tell you what a typical day is like for me. Many people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome share very similar experiences, while others have a very different story to tell. Here's how CFS affects me on a typical day:

• Have you ever gone without sleep for 2-3 days at a time? Well, that's how I feel when I wake up in the morning - IF I've gotten a good night's sleep. If I don't sleep well, it's even worse.
• At some point in the day, usually two or three hours after I wake up, I hit the wall. As if I weren't tired enough, the fatigue intensifies. I get very weak, very shaky, and very disoriented. It's not dizzy in the classical sense, because the room isn't spinning, but it's that same "I-don't-know-which-direction-is-up" feeling.
• At the same time, I get very nauseated, but it's not just stomach nausea. You know that feeling you get in your gut about three seconds before you throw up? Well, my whole body feels like that. It's like every muscle, joint, and nerve in my body is going to barf. Big fun.
• As if that weren't enough, I spend every day of the world feeling like I've been through a meat grinder backward. Regardless of what the fatigue is doing, I hurt all the time. The pain is primarily muscular (although my nerves burn at times and my joints ache quite frequently) and tends to migrate. Today it may be my upper back, and tomorrow it may be my hands and feet. Really weird stuff.
• Finally, to top it off, I have other, less frequent symptoms. Irritable bowels and bladder, muscle spasms, brain fog, and occasional light sensitivity all make this big party all the more fun.

Well, that just about sums it up. I'd love to hear back from the rest of you fellow CFS sufferers out there. Post a comment or e-mail me, and we'll share war stories. In the meantime, be fabulous and don't let 'em see you sweat!

Rodney