CFS Tuesday

(our ongoing series about life with CFS)

Yes, it's Wednesday. I just realized that I completely forgot about CFS Tuesday. Let's talk about why, because it is an interesting look at life with CFS.

My brother is on the staff of Virginia Tech. Thankfully, he was not injured in the shootings on Monday. Thankfully, he has a cell phone so my parents and I were able to speak to him very soon after the shootings. However, I spent most of Monday glued to the television. Even though my brother is ok, I am still very upset by these shootings. I am spending a lot time thinking about the VT community. The campus is beautiful, and it is hard to imagine what it is like now.

So Monday was a high stress day. And CFS and stress do not mix. Stress is a guaranteed path to exacerbation of all symptoms. By Monday evening, I was physically and emotionally exhausted. My pain escalated; my sore throat resurfaced. An upper respiratory virus that I thought I had recovered from came back with a vengeance.

Tuesday passed in a blur. I spent the day in bed, only coming downstairs for dinner and a little television. I slept a fair amount, and my throat has become very painful. My tonsils are red and swollen, and my congestion has increased. I'm hitting it with all the OTC drugs I can, and monitoring my temperature for any sign of fever.

Now on Wednesday morning, I'm wondering what happened to the week. I forgot about CFS Tuesday, and maybe half a dozen other things. I lost last week to the respiratory virus, and now I've lost a few more days. This week illustrates one of the challenges of life with CFS. A deviation from the norm, and unexpected stress, has consequences for days afterwards. I can't work a little harder to catch up. I still only get two hours or less a day of functionality. Navigating the uneven waters of life is tricky when it is so difficult to keep yourself on even keel.