MS and Fatigue - That Invisible Brick Wall

With MS the F word is FATIGUE! Most people get it but not all and in varying degrees. Sometimes it is very bothersome and many things can trigger it so one feels even worse. Being tired is different than being fatigued.

Sleep takes care of tiredness but not fatigue and that is the problem. This was one of first big symptoms I started to have and it was unrelenting and over powering. I started to miss days at work and even if I got there felt like doing nothing. If it was a warm day then I felt like someone had poured Jell-O in me and poured cement on top of me, I could barely move!

NO matter how much sleep I got it didn’t help. I would go to bed exhausted and get up feeling tired and drained. Well in time I got diagnosed with MS and to this day no one really understands why this is such a problem with MS but it is!

I can fall asleep anywhere at any time (I try not to of course). I have sat in the DR’s office doing the usual waiting and looking at floor and thinking, “would anyone mind if I just curled up and went to sleep” that’s how it is sometimes.

SO through the years this is what I have done to fight this.

• I got a handicapped Placard so at least I have some strength left to go shopping or whatever.
• Minimize the amount of walking I have to do when away from home.
• On occasion use a wheel chair, scooter or something similar so I can enjoy what ever it is I want to do and that also gives me a place to “sit”.
• Try to avoid warm places or outings for that really builds up fatigue.
• Try to stay in cooler places, use AC and fans. This helps in drawing out the heat and you feel more with it.
• Don’t over tax myself.
• Ask for help when I start to feel too fatigued.
• Break down my goals more so that I CAN do them.
• I use MOTIVATION a lot for this really spurs me on if Fatigue is gnawing at me.
• Every so often I have to give in to it for the invisible brick wall just stops me cold. I just go lay down let the tears roll, feel mad about the whole thing and try to relax and go to sleep for awhile. Then I say OK time is UP and onward again.
• I find light exercise and Tai Chi help.
• Sometimes too much sleep is not good.
• Do things that I really love it helps keep me going.
• Take a nap before I do something that might make me fatigued.
• I don’t take any meds for this because I am allergic to so much and keep in mind a lot of meds can also make fatigue worse.
• Get plenty of fresh air, springtime is perfect for that not to mention a visual feast for the eyes.
• The number one thing I do is JUST TRY TO WORK THROUGH OR AROUND IT.
• I wrestle with this every day and I know it is going to be there. So I give myself plenty of time to do things and don’t expect so much out of myself as I used to.
• I am always on the look out for better ways to do things too and try to keep things simple and easy.

I may not win the war on this but one day at a time as with all MS things and eventually I get somewhere. I have learned to live with it but more on MY terms :)

By Holly