The official description for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome according to the NHS website is:
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) causes persistent fatigue (exhaustion) that affects everyday life and doesn’t go away with sleep or rest.
CFS is also known as ME, which stands for myalgic encephalomyelitis. There’s some debate over the correct term to use for the condition, but these pages will refer to the condition as CFS.
CFS is a serious condition that can cause long-term illness and disability, but many people – particularly children and young people – improve over time.
I didn’t start experiencing symptoms until I was about 10 or 11 but it was like I had a really nasty virus all the time. I was so exhausted and it would take mum forever to wake me up, get me up and dressed for school in the mornings. It became pretty clear that my tiredness wasn’t normal but the doctors just brushed it off as growing pains and being tired from that.
I work full time in a job that I absolutely love surrounded by people that make every day so much fun and I can honestly say that there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them. I work in Marketing so I get to be creative and do lots of fun things. I spend my days sat behind a desk doing computer work but it still exhausts me to the point where I could fall asleep anywhere and anytime. Thankfully I’ve not fallen asleep at work – yet! I’m currently on medication to keep the pesky sleep fairies at bay but I think at my next review the decision will be made to either increase my dosage or change medication completely. It’s a case of trial and error but I have faith that we will find the right medication for me one day soon.
Chronic fatigue is incredibly difficult to live with but I’ve got used to waking up in the morning feeling like I’ve had no sleep whatsoever. Chronic fatigue isn’t like normal tiredness, it’s a never ending vicious circle of tiredness on a crippling scale. It’s a complex condition that can have a potentially debilitating effect on daily life. I have good days and bad days – some days I don’t need to have a nap after work and I can play with my dog and take him for a walk. Other days I’m too tired to eat my dinner and instead go straight to bed until the following morning. It’s not an easy thing to understand – how can someone be so tired from sitting down all day that they skip dinner to go to bed? Surely that’s just laziness and not an illness? Believe me – I would love nothing more than to be eating my dinner and spending time with my boyfriend doing normal things but when chronic fatigue takes hold of me I become trapped in my own body. It’s like I’m stuck in quicksand or a bog, completely stuck and the more energy I use the more tired I become.
spoonielolz 