...DEFEAT Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: ...............................................................You don't have to live with it
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No Power – CFS Patients Get It

11/1/2011

2 Comments

 
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© 2011 TSM
Two months ago Hurricane Irene knocked out our power for five days.  This week it was a heavy, Fall snow storm that put us in the dark for three days.  We just got our power back Tuesday evening and we’ve been busy since then getting our household and our lives back to normalcy.

During the outage, I was thinking about how we often take for granted the watts that invisibly supply the energy we have come to depend on to power our lights, heat, refrigeration and cooking.  We don’t really think about the mechanics of how it’s produced, delivered and consumed.  It reminded me of how I lived before I was sick with ME/CFS.  I gave little thought to how my body generated energy, delivered it to my cells and how I, at times, recklessly consumed it as if there was no limit.  My type A personality was go, go, go even when I had colds or the flu.  That changed abruptly when I came down with CFS.

Now that I am well, my first thoughts are still focused on whether or not I have the energy to take on what has been set before me.  Sometimes it’s a choice.  Often it’s a responsibility.  And I am cautious to evaluate what I can handle and under what conditions I can do it.  I’m especially clued into looking for partners to help get something done.  I had learned the hard way when I was recovering from CFS that the final task of simply carrying the heavy bags into the kitchen from the car and putting the food away could be the tipping point that turned an otherwise successful trip to the grocery store into a CFS setback.

What have you learned about your ‘energy envelope’?  How do you keep your urge to go, go, go in check?  What strategies have you developed?  Please COMMENT or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them.  You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net.

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

Be Well Again,

Martha

2 Comments
Tim B
11/2/2011 08:18:32 pm

Your blog really resonated with me this week. At one time, I read an article about fibromyalgia, from an organization which seemed to have a great deal of knowledge on how it often develops. What it said was that many who come down with that syndrome relate that they had gone beyond a point going past where they exceeded the amount of energy available within themselves.

I spoke with a woman a couple of years ago who related how she had worked for a copying company, when producing things like brochures was much more involved than it is today with computers and contemporary software. Something went wrong with the first run so she worked through the night, pushing herself relentlessly. She said that she achieved her goal but felt the effects of the exhaustion for months afterward. Although this had happened years before, it was clear that it was still a poignant memory.

My CFS happened after two years of one stressful thing in my business after another, I remember feeling that I just didn't feel I could get a break from it. Two other events happened one after another, just two days apart, where I felt my energy was tapped, on the second occasion I just felt spent. The day following I started to feel ill, and still I worked on something until later in that day, I simply had to take a break and rest. That was the onset of this onset of illness for me.

I have learned that nothing is more important in life than safeguarding our health, which is a treasure beyond imagining. I too have thought after becoming ill at how amazing our bodies are, and the countless mechanisms within us which through a remarkable coordination keep us healthy and well. My goal is to be cognizant now of the needs of my body and paying attention to those signals that say 'slow down' or just to rest and be good to myself. It really does make a difference for me.

Reply
Martha
11/3/2011 12:28:34 pm

Many ME/CFS patients tell a similar story about physically pushing themselves beyond reason for a while just before onset of their spiral into chronic illness. I won't be doing that again. Hopefully, none of us will.

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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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