...DEFEAT Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: ...............................................................You don't have to live with it
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ME/CFS Blog – Two Years

8/12/2013

2 Comments

 
Picture© 2013 TSM
A friend of mine was so dehydrated recently that he had to be hospitalized.  After a few drained IV bags of saline, he felt recovered and was discharged for home rest.  The next morning, he jumped back into his usual hectic pace.  It wasn’t too long before he was back at home, feeling spent and needing more rest.  Watching this chain of events reminded me of my struggle with ME/CFS and how I couldn’t understand the importance of self care.

 There’s something about us Type A personalities that won’t allow us to be sick.  Do we think it’s a sign of weakness?  Do we view ourselves as immune?  Or have we gotten away with it so often that we think it’s just an inconvenient hurdle?  Whatever it is, we stubbornly refuse to let an illness slow us down.  Then a cruel thing labeled ME/CFS happens to us.  And the old ‘push through it’ strategy not only fails us, it makes us sicker.

An important piece of my recovery was not only acknowledging that I WAS sick, it was allowing myself to BE sick.  For me, it was a tough pill to swallow.  But eventually, I had to recognize that if I wanted to be fully well again, I needed to a patient for a while.  Simply, I needed to be sick and be a patient.  Full disclosure, it took me almost two years to finally get this through my stubborn head.  

This entry marks two years since I started blogging.  And I want to thank everyone who has participated and contributed to the conversation either on-line or via e-mail.  It takes dedication to the long haul to get well and I’m dedicated to staying the course with you just like my supporters stuck with me during my long return to health.  So are you allowing yourself to be sick?  Are you acting like a patient?  Please COMMENT on this blog or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them with your permission.  You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net.  And Guest Blogs are most welcome!

Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays.  And consider being part of the conversation.

Be Well Again,

Martha

2 Comments
Tim Boland
8/17/2013 01:21:30 pm


There is a story I read some time ago Martha, from times past. I’m not sure if it’s fiction but it seems to fit this idea you mention of pushing on. It is winter, and a father who works hard becomes sick. He rests a little and then goes out into the snow to cut some wood, despite signs from his body that he needs to heal and rest. He works very hard, becomes even more sick and then promptly dies. It’s told in a way where it’s supposed to be somewhat comical because in our modern day, well we would just know better, wouldn’t we?

Even in our times when we probably know better, there is a temptation after becoming sick and then when we’ve recovered or nearly so, to go right back at it. A few months after first becoming sick, I came to Idaho and over only a couple of weeks, felt much better and truly happy. But I felt the obligations and the draw to pleasures of my life from before, not understanding the illness. So on returning home, I returned to many of my old ways and the CFS came right back, this time more intensely than before.

Now I try my best to rest whenever I feel tiredness coming on and to not push myself, though I have days when I do that. It’s generally the next day that I feel the ‘after effects’. Keeping the way to wellness in mind has helped me enormously over the past few years.

Reply
Martha
8/18/2013 03:31:31 am

It is hard in our 'hurry up' culture to rest and create space for self care especially when many of those around us don't think we're really sick. It's up to us to be steadfast in our knowledge that we need to be patients and listen to what our bodies are telling us. Thanks Tim!

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    Hello,  I'm
    Martha Kilcoyne

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    After struggling with CFS for four years I am fortunate now to be fully well and making choices about how I want to live my healthy life.  One choice is to be an active part of the CFS community and to offer one voice from the fully recoverd to the dialogue.  I'm glad you're here!   For more about me, here's my Bio.

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