Life After Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (cfs)

I guess like most normal people, I became accustomed to good health and fitness and took both for granted over my working life

I only mention this because it took me a little time to realise that the persistent headaches and sluggish feeling that I was experiencing at the time could perhaps more than overdoing it with the current workload

The tiredness was different than what I ever experienced before and the loss of motivation was something I could never have been accused of in the past.

I had attempted to 'work the feeling off' but this only seemed to exasperate the condition even more and increase other difficulties such poor concentration, reduced attention span, poor short term memory, difficulty to plan or organise my thoughts, difficulty 'finding the right words' to say, and feeling disorientated on occasions

Many months later and numerous tests in a process of elimination and, consultations with doctors, the diagnostic conclusion was that was a possibility that I could be suffering from an illness called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. (CFS)

As the cause of CFS is unknown so there's also no specific treatment. In my case I was prescribed medicines to relieve the symptoms: i.e.; painkillers for muscle pains and headaches and antidepressants for mood swings, and told to rest and take it easy Meanwhile my condition became worse

However, the specialist, who finally put me on the road to recovery, explained that in his opinion I could have contacted the original virus around fifteen years ago from a severe case of food poisoning, and recent events had triggered off the illness

Based on his research his view was that the illness was due to a biochemical disturbance within the nervous system in the brain. And these complex neurotransmitters become disturbed by the illness process, and therefore he proposed an equally complex cocktail of medication to regulate these neurotransmitters individually.

He could prescribe medication tailor made to the stage of my condition that would address these complex chemical disturbances, but at lot would depend on my attitude to the possibility of making a full recovery.

Along with his prescribed medication he recommended a modified activity program for both mental and physical activities.

This would require the day organised into a clearly defined programme in order to keep all activity under control in a manageable way. This should cover the time from after breakfast to evening mealtimes and apply to every day of the week.

This was the hardest part. In an ideal world, we'd all have balanced and perfect lifestyles. We'd all love to find more time for rest and be free of stress, but these things just aren't always possible in the real world.

There is no "quick fix" method of recovery; it involves self-discipline, patience and perseverance. Ideally it will also involve plenty of support from family, friends. Often it is this support, particularly in the form of dealing with the day-to-day practicalities of life, which make it possible to stick to the programme.