Fatigue and the Crash

Hmmm, explaining the fatigue in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. We've all been tired before. Does fatigue really need explaining? Well, yes and no.

You have all been tired before. You have probably even been exhausted before. That is what it feels like. However, I bet that when you went to sleep, the exhaustion went away. For me, that never happens. I wake up feeling just as tired as when I went to bed. It is like being in a desert, dying of thirst, and finally reaching an oasis. You take a long drink of water, expecting relief – but you are just as thirsty as before. You can never, ever quench that thirst.

The reason for that is that people with CFS have dysfunctional mitochondria, which simply means we don't produce energy very well. Think of it this way: if energy were money, and sleep were your “job,” then normal people basically get paid like a Fortune 500 CEO. I, however, am a Chinese sweatshop worker. Normal people spend their energy lavishly on such luxuries as “running errands” or “visiting with friends” or “helping kids with homework.” I have to live within a very tight energy “budget” just to make it through the day.

Thankfully, I have a small energy “window” in the middle of the day. For a few hours, depending on how I'm doing that day, I feel nearly normal. It's kind of like catching your second wind. This is when my mind is clear and I can get a few things done. But, I have to be very careful, because if I overdo it, then I risk THE CRASH.

The Crash breeds fear in the heart of every person with CFS. It happens when you push yourself too far. You spend more energy than you have, and you pay dearly for it! When a crash happens, your symptoms are magnified tenfold. The energy window slams shut. The exhaustion is so severe you have to go to bed. You are incapable of doing anything at all. You are completely out of commission for at least 24 hours, but it can take a week or longer to slowly come out of it and find your way back to “normal.”

Tomorrow, I'll tell you what I do to manage CFS.