Friday, October 21, 2011

digging for the why of exhaustion

Yesterday I took a sick day.  This exhaustion thing that I've been battling was worse than ever, and it was a day when I could move life around a bit without causing any major crises, so I did.  Slept from 8-12:30, uninterrupted.  Ate lunch and then dozed on and off in front of HGTV until 5.  Was up on the couch, having supper and looking at the computer a bit for a little less than 3 hours, and then back to bed for the night.  My body did not resist the opportunity for sleep and rest.  


Needing a day off work kicks this whole thing into a different category.  I've been fighting this thing for, I can't remember, either 2 or 3 weeks now.  But it's one thing to be wiped out yet able to work - quite another to start calling off.  This means I'm running out of time to figure it out.  If it's not better by Monday, I guess I'll have to see a doctor.  (This morning I feel GREAT and am hoping that yesterday did the trick.)  


Lots of people have put forth things for me to consider, and of course I've spent quite a bit of time pondering it on my own.  Possibilities that I have looked at and dismissed include:


  • Maybe I'm not getting enough calories.  Nope, I've looked at that.  While I'm making a lot of extremely healthy choices and eating a ton of veggies, this is still a very relaxed approach overall and I'm getting enough calories not to be tired from that.
  • Maybe it's a sugar issue.  I considered that pretty seriously for a bit.  I DID find that cutting out my morning smoothie helped with the morning sleepiness - apparently all that natural sugar from fruit along with the honey and cherry juice concentrate was just too much for my mornings.  But beyond an occasional dessert when I'm out and about, I don't do much sugar at all.  So it's not that.  
  • Maybe I'm not getting enough protein.  I suspected that at first, but then started being more deliberate, where protein is concerned.  I feel pretty confident that protein's not the issue at this point.
  • Some have wondered if I need supplements.  But I'm taking a B-complex vitamin along with C, Iron, Fish Oil, and Cinnamon.  A friend talked to me about Zinc, but after researching I am reluctant to add a supplement for that as "too much" is a dangerous thing and my very healthy diet should be handling that issue.  
  • A friend sent me a list of thyroid symptoms to consider, but the only one I have from the whole list is the fatigue.  So I don't think that's probably it.
  • Another friend asked in an email I read this morning whether there is a CO detector in my apartment.  I'll be checking on that, but I'd be very surprised if there were not.  
 Of course I started with the theory that my body is fighting a bug that I was exposed to, and I'm not totally over that theory.  I read someone on Facebook last night who said that bug is lasting a couple of weeks.  So I still think it's possible that I have that but my body (because of my very healthy living) is able to *mostly but not completely* fight it off.  Which is why I'm still holding out hope that this thing will leave me within the next couple of days.  


I hope that's true.  While occasional periods of fatigue have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, this time just doesn't seem to fit.  In the past, I think, a lot of it was related to depression and/or the fact that I just didn't live very healthy.  But I'm not depressed right now and I'm living healthier than I ever have.  In the past, I think, sometimes it was just because I was an overwhelmed single mom carrying too many loads at once.  And while I AM still adjusting to the changes in my life from the Chicago-to-Rock Island move, I wouldn't think the change should be enough to wipe me out this badly (though I guess I am 45 now and not 25, so maybe I just don't adapt as quickly...who knows.)  

Anyway I am so over talking about myself this morning, and I'd be stunned if anyone made it through this whole long ponder.  Just putting it all on the page, as sometimes writing things down reveals truths to me that I didn't see when it was all in my head.  





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