What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Hey, ya'll!

How's it going? Great here. I just finished eating lunch, so life is good. ;)

Anyway, I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you about my experience with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). When you discuss CFS with most people, they think "Oh, you're just tired; get some rest and you'll be fine". Well, I wish it were that simple. The truth of the matter is that CFS is so much bigger than your average afternoon slump.

I first noticed something amiss in mid-1993 (I was 19 at the time). I was young, energetic, and in perfect health, but I started to get tired very easily, and I started to get what felt like frequent muscle strains that would go away in a day or two. At first I didn't think much about it. I was in my first year in college, and figured it was just the stress of adjusting to university life. There was only one problem: no matter how much I rested on weekends or over the holidays, I could never seem to recover. Over time, I just learned to deal with it.

Things rocked along for a time; my symptoms never seemed to get better, but they didn't get worse either. I went to a number of doctors to try to figure out the problem, but they kept telling me nothing was wrong. Then, in late 1995, I started to have major problems with my bowels and bladder. It's like they stayed irritable all the time. I practically lived in the bathroom, but - like before - I just learned to adjust. Again, the doctors said it was nothing.

So, I finished college with a degree in Health and Exercise Science and went to work for a clinical wellness center in Shreveport, Louisiana. I was able to keep my symptoms under control until January 2001, when the bottom fell out. I was at work one day, covering the cardio floor, when a wave of fatigue hit me like a ton of bricks. All of a sudden, I got weak, shaky, and extremely dizzy. I could barely stand upright. So, I sat down until it passed, which was about 4 hours later. After it was over, I recovered and felt fine. I thought that was the end. I was so wrong.

To make a long story short, these strange episodes began to occur more frequently, and lasted much longer every time they occurred. By the end of 2002, the weak state had become my normal, everyday condition. In December 2003, I was forced to work part-time instead of full-time, and in December 2004, I had to stop working completely. I was totally nonfunctional. I went to doctor after doctor (over 30, to be precise), and had every diagnostic procedure in the book, but I kept getting the same answer: "You're fine". Well, I was anything but fine. Fortunately, my current physician had the foresight enough to look at all of the data, and concluded that I was indeed suffering from CFS.

Which brings us to the present. Currently I operate a small business from my home, which gives me the freedom that I need to take care of myself properly.

Later on, I'll be back to tell everyone what a typical day with CFS is like. In the meantime, I'd love to hear your CFS stories, whether they're about you, or someone close to you. So, either post a comment, or feel free to e-mail me directly at the address above. Take care and be fabulous!

Rodney

P.S.: If you really want the low-down on CFS in a hurry, check out the web site for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). I've provided a link right here.