Fatigue

[stillstANNding]

Hi All,

I am going through some intense fatigue. Not the kind you earn from doing a few things or at least more than is usually in your day.

Instead, I wake up, feed the cats, make my coffee, get dressed and corral the newspaper from the front yard. And that's it.

At night, I lay in bed making a list of things to accomplish the next day. Today's list was to take the bus to the PO to mail a book to my mom, stop at the bank, and walk home. I did none of it.

Despite sleeping more than 8 hours last night, all I wanted today was to get flat and rest. From what? From sitting up and listening to NPR. Not so taxing.

I slept an hour and a half this afternoon. I am still too tired to do much but things that must be done. Fortunately I made veggie soup yesterday.

I cannot take Ritalin or other CNS stimulants. I am not depressed. I get good sleep and dream after an adjustment of over an hour because of spasms in my upper thighs.

I wish there was something to do. Something other than steroids. I don't need them. But something??

ANN

[agate]

This sounds really silly but sometimes time has to pass and you just have to get caught up on your rest and sleep for a while.

I've noticed that in the fall, as the cool weather sets in, I start sleeping a lot. It's as if the longer warmer days of summer have made it harder to sleep and I've been missing out. Then in the fall I can do the sleeping I didn't get in the summer.

It probably makes no sense but changes of seasons are adjustments in a way.

[Catdancer]

Fatigue is a common issue with folks with ms. A Neuro explained to me that our bodies have to work hard, muscles,, nerves, .. just to keep us functioning, harder than "normal", and fatigue can just come on when you least expect it. And even after you've had "a good night's sleep". About a you can do is rest --listen to your body -- and give it time to rejuvenate.

Like me: I had a couple of very busy days, doctor visits, meals out, did some baking. Then today, in the middle of cleaning up after my baking, overwhelming fatigue set in. Felt like I could hardly hold up the sponge. I finished what I was doing, flopped into bed, and slept away a chunk of afternoon. Now at 8 m, I'm ready to go back o sleek again.

[Howie]

Sponge? Did someone mention sponge?

I have had a nice week of almost sleeping normally this week. But I just went through a period where I slept 20 out of 24 hours. I had nothing planned to do, so it was sort of nice.

And dreaming. It seem my dreams have been so vivid of late, and not attached to anything I've thought about. As long as my body can rest, I figure it's good, even if your brain is busy creating dreams.

The human experience is....unique.

[Sunshine]

Fatigue is a big part of MS. Healthy people would be exhausted if they went through the day with ten pound weights on their legs, five pounds on each arm.

IVIG has helped a lot with my fatigue. I think Lazarus found that helped her a lot too.

I plan my day around fatigue. I make myself accomplish certain things, and others I just let go. Fatigue is such a misnomer. To me it feels like I am melting inside.

[SalpalSally]

Sounds like an attack, Ann....hugggggggs!

[stillstANNding]

Agate, the time of year might me a contributing factor. I remember shopping for a dress to get married in at this time two years ago. It was hard to just get off the couch.

I don't think that is the all of it.

Today, I got up and took a bath. Now recuperating. Husband is off and we are going to look for a dress for someone else's 50th wedding anniversary.

Thanks for your thoughts,
ANN

[Jeanie Z]

:) I hardly ever have a day with energy. Most of the time I put things off waiting for an energy day but eventually I have to do some of the things dragging myself out. I have been getting at least 6 hours of sleep and sometimes as much as 12 hours, but I still get up tired. I can be sitting at the computer and fall asleep. I took 50 mg of Provigil the other day and went out to grocery shop. I was so tired I could not remember all the things I needed and had to go back on Tuesday.

I just discovered the [more] below the emojis and there are a lot more emojis. Jeanie :)

[SalpalSally]

I know the feeling (((((Jeanie))))))!

[agate]

There's a lot to be said for putting things off till another day. I'm always happy when I realize I can get away with doing that with so many things on a to-do list that tends to be too long.

I have spells of nearly falling asleep. Just had one half an hour ago. I can usually tell these to go away or just shut my eyes for a few minutes. One problem with that trick is I can also fall asleep and snap my neck in a funny kind of way.

[Pegakafarmgirl]

MS tends to play the "I think I can", with us,, then zaps our energy and plays havoc with our fatigue,, you will find a happy medium, between going strong and resting, I find it,, then,,"poof" its gone,, hang in there..

[Howie]

Peg, you must have a pretty good handle on it because you do more some days than I do in a month. I think my game plan for MS fatigue is to pretty much do the same routine every day, and when I "might" be overdoing it, a little alarm in my head tells me so, and I will slow down...if I can. If not, I know what tomorrow will bring.

[agate]

This thread is pinpointing the way it is, all right.

My to-do list for today, and this is typical except that some days involve laundry, or vacuuming, or maybe a trip to an appointment. Two days a week I hold the phone open in connection with the grocery order--one day for the call when I give the order over the phone, and the other day when the order is being shopped and delivered, but today the to-do list is like this:

--make 3 essential phone calls
--fertilize plants (6 indoor plants, and the 9 or so outdoors will probably get done some other day soon)
--sweep and mop two floors using disposable mop thingies. The hard part here is moving things off the floors and putting them back
--fix 3 meals and a snack, washing dishes after every meal
--routine tidying up. This involves making sure that piles of paper aren't getting so high that they'll fall on the floor and passing the occasional dustcloth over some surfaces that look bad
--shampoo hair (this gets done only once a week)
--get mail
--bundle trash and take to dumpster that is a few steps outside this building
--receive rx's when delivered
--exercises
--optional: finish cleaning the bathroom I started cleaning yesterday.

There's also my little "job," more or less self-appointed though the manager encouraged me. Every evening I walk the length of the hall on the first floor and make sure no windows have been left open. While I'm at it I replace the toilet paper in the women's public restroom if needed.

Sometimes for exercise I walk all through the building, up and down the stairs and going the length of all 4 floors. It racks up steps on the pedometer quite nicely.


These few tasks take up most of the day but with luck I'll be watching a DVD movie for an hour or two in the evening. While doing that I'm crocheting hats and more hats.

This looks like so little. I should mention that I take a nap for an hour or so in the afternoon. And I waste time playing solitaire games, etc., on the computer. A new computer can take up quite a bit of time--just finding out where everything is and what works differently on it.

I'm really amazed at how many things are improved since WinXP, which is what I had. It's easier to get a weather forecast or news, for instance. I have an impression that computers have become more user-friendly.

[SalpalSally]

Finish the bathroom I 'm on my way....LOL!

[agate]

Sally, if you plan things right, you'll be here in time for the DVD movie.