Dear friends, family and readers,
As you may have noticed, I have not been posting on my blog for some time now - since February to be exact. Let me offer my apology for not offering an explanation sooner.
The reason for my absence was because of a severe flare in my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It has been the most serious one in over two years. This particular flair came on very suddenly. Most of my normal activities which I had become accustomed to doing quickly fell by the wayside. Most days during the last three months I felt like a character straight out of the "Walking Dead" - the zombie ones!
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a type of autoimmune disorder. It is similar to more well-known illness such as Lupus or Multiple Sclerosis. Unlike either of those illnesses, however, my illness is not as physically devastating. CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) has no known cause or cure. It is a mysterious illness which afflicts a relatively small percentage of the adult population. It's estimated that approximately one million Americans have CFS. This severe illness goes by other names such as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (or ME for short). Another popular name for this illness is Chronic Faituge and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS). But whatever it is called, CFS is a debilitating and disabling illness.
One of the prominent symptoms of this syndrome is a persistent fatigue that will not go away even with proper rest. This fatigue is both physical and cognitive. It makes someone with CFS want to crash much of the time. And even when the physical fatigue isn't as severe, mental fatigue can still immobilize you. This fatigue affects cognitive functions. I refer to this as having "brain fog" - it affects the ability to think, read and write.
I'll share more with you about my illness is subsequent posts. But today, I just wanted you to know that I am feeling much better and am on the mend. I hope to return to more regular blogging soon. I hope that as readers of this blog, you will hang in there with me as I try to continue my writing life despite of my illness.
Cheers,
Stephen
oh Steve - I feel your pain (and exhaustion). I have had CFS since my early 20s. (I am now 55). Back then there was no diagnosis and the general consensus on dealing with it was 'can't you just PUSH yourself a bit more?' I remember once there was an experimental treatment that helped - injected germanium, which of course the FDA promptly pulled from the market. It's that mental fatigue that is the real killer. The physical can be helped by spending the day (or several) in bed but that mental fog wreaks havoc with every area of life. I have 2 sons that have never known the normalcy of living in a clean organized apartment with a Mom that could maintain it without spending days on end in bed just to keep the dishes clean and the laundry done. I am so glad I stopped to read your entry after seeing that wonderful pillow top that I so related to. Glad you are on the mend. I will watch for future posts.
ReplyDeleteYes, Steve, I have missed you too. I hope your flare dies down soon. Is this a long time to be so debilitated.
ReplyDeleteMy condition is fibromyalgia, which is bothering me now. With my husband's illness I'm under a lot of stress, and it is affecting me in several ways. Let us both that we will come back to "normal" soon. Bless you.