CFS-Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
This lovely little, I suppose you can call it a medical disability, found it's way into my life in late November 2011 after I was diagnosed with mono (mononucleosis)
Here's a little background about CFS according to the Center for Disease Control: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating and complex disorder characterized by intense fatigue that is not improved by bed rest and that may be worsened by physical or mental activity. People with CFS most often function at a substantially lower level of activity than they were capable of before the onset of illness. The cause or causes of CFS have not been identified and no specific diagnostic tests are available.
It started in mid-November: I suddenly found myself exhausted a lot more, I had to quit clubs I had joined and was unable to find the energy to workout (I use to workout two hours a day, five days a week). I figured it was because finals were on their way and I was burdened with a lot of extra work, papers and studying so I didn't think to much of it. By the first week of December, I was suffering from, what I thought to be, a very bad cold. I had a horribly swollen throat, a painful neck, a stuffy/runny nose and a cough. I visited my campus's Student Health Services two days before I was due to leave for Winter Break so that they could give me an anti-biotic of some sort to help me contain my cold. When they said they were going to test me for mono, I rolled my eyes but agreed. A few minutes later the results were back and I was positive for mono.
Before becoming sick with mono, I knew only a few things about it. I knew it was called the "kissing disease" and that people caught it from sharing saliva, glasses, drinks, etc. with other people. My cousin suffered from mono a few years ago and she was tired for a couple weeks before fulling recovering. So, I figured, a few weeks of sleeping all day and I'd be over it. How wrong I was.
I flew home just in time because by the next day, I could barely move. If I had still been on campus, I would not have been able to get out of bed to eat or do anything to take care of myself. My throat had become so swollen I couldn't talk, I couldn't sleep because of the pain in my neck, I couldn't eat or even drink because swallowing anything was painful. I couldn't even swallow me own saliva (TMI, I am aware but it's true). My throat became so swollen that I had extreme difficultly breathing and my dad had to drive me to a doctor so that I could get (a pretty hefty amount) of steroids to help the swelling go down. For a while there was a possibility that I would have to be hospitalized. Thankfully by the next day the steroids began kicking in and the swelling went down and a few days later all the pain was gone.
About three weeks after being diagnosed, my doctor declared me no longer contagious and in about two weeks or so I could begin exercising again (I was not allowed to exercise for fear of an enlarged spleen that can occur as a result of mono). My doctor warned me that sometimes the fatigue can last up to six months, but I wasn't worried about that. My cousin was better after a few weeks so I figured I'd be fine too. I was elated and couldn't wait to get back to my life before mono. I was totally wrong.
Over a month had passed and I was still sleeping constantly, having difficulty attending classes and couldn't work out. By the beginning of January, it had been two-and-a-half months since I had worked out. I'm a gym rat and an athlete since the age of 9, so it was detrimental to me that I could not work out for that long.
I was so determined to workout; I would go running for about 20-30 minutes then do some weight training. I didn't tell my parents this because I knew my parents (my mom especially because she is a nurse) would be upset with me and tell me how reckless I was being. Don't do what I did because I should have been recovering, not pushing myself.
I am in the fourth month of suffering from CFS and I am slowly getting better while trying to balance a healthy lifestyle, classes, extracurricular activities, etc. I have been less tired but I still have days where getting out of bed is one of the hardest things and it reminds me that I'm still not fully recovered.
If you have mono or CFS (remember, I have no medical background but am offering advice based on my experience) slow down. Your body needs to recover and needs rest. Listen to your body and don't push yourself. Yes, it is going to be hard, but it is better than potentially relapsing.
