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

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.

Welcome to my new blog!

Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for stopping by. This is my very first blog, and I'm just tickled to be here.

I want to focus on two things with this weblog: the struggle to be openly gay in the Southern United States, and what it's like to live with a chronic, debilitating illness on a daily basis. With that said, I'll dive right in and tell you my story.

I've struggled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome since early 1993. My condition progressed over the next few years, and I found myself completely disabled in December 2004. Until that time, I worked as an exercise specialist in a clinical wellness setting in Shreveport, Louisiana, and I loved my job. So, it was tough to deal with the loss of my position, my relationship with my coworkers, and the fulfillment I gained from doing something I loved - not to mention the loss of income.

To further complicate things, I came out as a gay man to my parents on November 11, 2006. I grew up in a strict Pentecostal home, so you can imagine the drama that ensued. The very next day I left Louisiana and moved in with my current partner, who has a home here in Petal, Mississippi.

Now, I work from home on a part-time basis. As I'm able, I take care of the house and the yard. Keeps me busy.

Well, that's all for now. Over the next few days, weeks, and months, I'll be talking about the never ending challenges of gay life in the south, as well as the devastating effects that chronic fatigue syndrome can have on a person's life. I feel I have a unique perspective on both issues, and I hope what I have to say can help make somebody's struggle just a bit easier.

Good night, and have fabulous dreams!