Fatigue - how do you deal with it?

[lizw]

In the spirit of 'take what you like and leave the rest' I thought those of us who suffer fatigue as part of their illness, may like to share what they do to cope with this.

I dunno about everyone else but my energy levels now span about 4 - 5 hours max then I am done for the day!

Here's a few things I do to live with fatigue:

I only do the important/pressing stuff - cooking, cleaning, walking the dog,work, recovery stuff etc.. so myself and daughter can eat, are clean and well fed, and the dog is happy.

I say no to going and drinking coffee with friends more often because then I find I have energy to attended to the above.

I sleep in every Saturday and Sunday, getting 11/12 hrs sleep each nite.

I try and have nana naps in the afternoons or at least lie down and watch TV for a couple of hours.

If I have something on, like when my sister was married recently, the week leading up to it I force myself to lie in bed for a few hours every afternoon, so I can last the distance.

Look forward to hearing what everyone else does.
Liz

[Sugah]

I sleep walk a lot! Seriously...it is frustrating. I will on occasion overdo it knowingly - and accept that I will pay the consequences later.

I did find one dietary change that seems to have improved my energy level. Although I'm not advocating it for everyone, I have more energy and seem less susceptible to cold & other illnesses that we seem to pass around since I stopped eating meat about sixteen months ago.

Peace & Love,
Sugah

[ksos]

Wow, Liz. Excellent topic and I think I cope with my fatigue in one way that you said you did. I take a nap in the afternoon, sometime more than one.

However, there are many days I feel like Sug. 5-6 hours and that is it for me. I sort of "fag out" (my own word creation which just means "to lay around and do nothing) for the day. If I have a job interview at 2:00 PM, I will sleep up until 11:00 AM, and then get ready for the meeting. After I am done, I am home sleeping within 20 minutes. I become wiped out by doing activities that require me to move around or think a lot. I also go to two NA meetings a day, but I go to one in the morning and one at night, so I can "rejuvenate" before my trek!

I never was like this and much of it has to do with my medication's side effects. I also limit my social activities to less than 2 hours, and I will make it clear to anyone I am with that I have to leave and go home.

My fatigue is also tied into my being unemployed. It actually is tiring to not work, at least for me.

[DesertEyes]

Great subject

In addition to all of the above, I give my friends in the program an opportunity to be of service. By giving _me_ rides When I'm "out of gas" and still need to do some errand I call around and see who can give me a ride. I then buy them a cup of coffee, or soda, and sit and listen to them tell me all about their life. I don't give any advice, just listen.

It's amazing how many people are lonely, and just want somebody to talk to. It works out great for both of us, I get a ride and they get a friend.

Mike

[jazpoppy]

liz;

I too am tired all the time. I feel embarrassed to say this, but I sometimes (most of the time lately) can't get out of bed until 2pm or later. I get a lot of migraines from stress lately and have to nap if I have one with a cold pack on my head. I take naps in the afternoons on the days I do get up before 9am. I find it hard to function at all, I can't even get up enough energy to do the dishes and household basics, poor bf has to do it! I feel like a zero loser, but I believe its because my pain has increased and when my pain meds stop working and pain gets worse, I feel much more tired and get many more headaches. I'm tired of bed rest! I want to start working soon, I may have a P/T job coming up, so my doctor is going to get an earful at my July 1st appointment. I hope she increases my pain medication, and can help to get me off stupid muscle relaxers for extra pain so that I don't have that to create more tiredness! That was her answer to my breakthrough pain, take Flexeril 3X a day (10mg) they make me flat out tired! Then take one or two Soma at night, with Restoril for insomnia, well my insomnia seems to be cleared up now that I'm feeling so drugged all the time! I hate it, so I skip a lot of the prescriptions but then I'm in so much more pain and my meds are not working (same dose for over a year with no increase and no breakthrough pain medication non-narcotic or narcotic added, so I used tylenol and tons of motrin which is bad for my stomach and liver!) ARGH! I want a life! I currently have none. Its 2am and I am going to bed now, hope I'm up by noon. Take care!

Sincerely;

Jaz

[ksos]

I am sort of like Jaz in that I need to take my meds, but if I do, that is it in terms of fatigue...Ever since my doc raised my pain meds last week, I have taken much less than I ever took before, simply because I have to be "on"...

I hate laying around, also, but last week, I was dying from just heading out to job interviews, in which case, I did not take any pills at all--as I said last time, my doc says I slur really badly and I can just imagine what I must sound like on an interview!

Actually, I do not even want to imagine it, and I have another interview on Tuesday at 2:30 PM, which is a time where I usually take my "second" dose of meds. I do not even want to take any that day but I need to follow the minimum amount so I do not feel horrific pain....

[barb dwyer]

I've learned that my thoroxin stuff only allots me 'x' amount of energy for the day.

I have to be very careful NOT to overextend that amount of activity, or I'll 'pay' for it the next day -
headache, extreme fatigue, nausea, far more pain that 'usual'.

For example -

day before yesterday - I went with my neighbor to Wal mart.
I had my list, but they've rearranged the entire wal mart and things were in different places, and I got lost a few times trying to find items. Making for a longer trip than I'd prepared for.

But I made it!

Well...
yesterday - I was recliner-ridden.
I knew I was going too far with all that walking,
but it really couldn't be helped.
The only thing in my favor with that was
I don''t have to get up and go to work right now.

I could afford the time for the medication to 'build back up' in my system.
i've learned that takes two days to do.

So - that's how *I* had to deal with the fatigue.
I've had to learn where the limits of my present dose of thyroid medication will let me go...
and do everything not to exceed that for now.

[Toomutch]

I too have 4-5 good hour each day, it is so frustrating.
I work for a school so I have the summers off. Beginning Aug 12 I will be back at work for 8 hours a day. It makes me nervous. With 4 kids at home, a husband and 2 dogs- I dont know if I will be able to do it all.

[barb dwyer]

too -
something I've learned in recovery -

I can't look to this fall...
I have to be right now.
I mean, here... in the now.

I'm in no shape to even THINK about going back to work - but I might have to.

But I don't have to ... today.

I know there's inevitable things we have to think of...
but I guess what I'm trying to say is-
if I don't HAVE to think about it today - I'm' not gonna.

Believe me when I say I live pretty hand to mouth.
There *is* no more lowerin of the bar for me.
It's a trailer park speed bump as it is.

But if I go off thinking about how am I gonna get through the winter -
I'll go nuts.

What I do -
is I do what I can today....
if there's something I can to today to get the winter better prepared for -
I do that much.

I hope this makes sense.

[Toomutch]

Yes Barb, it does make sense. I try not to think too far ahead, but it is difficult at times.

[barb dwyer]

I know, hon.

This is one of those 'trust' times we all hear to death in the rooms.
And it bites on occasion.

I felt lame posting that,
but was whatcha called 'compelled' to at the same time.