I used to think "fatigue" just meant "tired." Now I know the difference. "Tired" gets relieved with rest. "Fatigue" doesn't. Fatigue is like wearing a full body suit made of lead. "Tired" sends you to sit on the edge of the bed and lie down for a refreshing 25-minute nap. Fatigue causes you to literally crawl up into bed, panting. Fatigue causes me to have to sit several times at the kitchen table just to get through dinner preparation. Fatigue will cause me to grab the closest thing to rest my head on -- even if it's a box of Milk Bone dog biscuits (true story).
My daughter says she would want fatigue over the pain of Fibromyalgia if she had a choice. I think she thinks it's the same thing as Tired. It's not. Hey, yeah the pain hurts. The pain can be terrible, but I guess I am learning to cope with it. Fatigue is a different beast.
"Maybe if you got more sleep"
I sleep 7 or more hours each day and have a 2 hour nap most days.
"Maybe if you ate better."
I eat a balanced diet and eat vegetables. I also take several vitamins a day. I even did a vegetarian diet for a couple weeks and there was no difference in symptoms.
"Maybe if you drank more water."
I drink a lot of water. If only it was so simple. Seems like if drinking more water was the cure for Fibromyalgia, at least one of the many doctors or scientists researching it would have thought of that by now!
But thanks for your concern and advice anyway.
Fibromyalgia is a neurological, central nervous system condition. I would do well to remember this myself and not label myself unfairly as lazy or useless. I am working through this medical problem.
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