Apologies for the long absence, it was not intended but life has played it's tricks again and forced me to reassess my priorities.
For the last year, I have been focusing on work and getting myself back in working in London. It was a difficult transition and to be honest, one that has not been easy. Around September, I was stuck down by 2 chest infections in quick succession and never fully recovered.
This started a long battle to find out why I wasn't recovering like a normal 30 year old. First it was carpal Tunnel Syndrome, due to the tingling in my hands so off to nerve conduction studies and physio I went but the fatigue grew unmanageable and I spent my weekends recovering, blaming the aches and pains down to adjusting to working back in London and hitting 30.
However this became unmanageable in April and off I went back to the doctor who began to have concerns that I might have something more serious such as MS so I was referred to a neurologist with a four month wait! Further to this, blood tests were ordered to rule out everything to thyroid issue and vitamin issues. All the time, I was assured that it was likely it wasn't serious. I found I was vitamin D deficient which is quite common in our climates, with all the sun we get! So I was advised to get myself to Holland and Barrett. However in the long term, this course of treatment hasn't worked out even with a higher exposure to the sun now it is summer and a trip to Marseille where we saw plenty of sun and my new GP, who has been supportive has prescribed me a higher dose that I take once a week.
I was faced with the hard decision to tell work that I couldn't cope with hours I was doing and this was in someways the best decision I
made as I was sent off to see a private neurologist who ordered MRI of my brain and spinal cord. As you can imagine this was a terrifying time and the Internet does little to settle your fears when you are a natural worrier like myself.
Fortunately my MRI came back clear which was outstanding news, however this left me unclear about what steps to take next as my neurologist thought I had chronic breathing issues and referred me to a specialist who was £130 an hour so well out of my price bracket so I was back to the drawing board and back to the GP. By this point I had been signed off with modified hours for 4 months so naturally was becoming worried that on going illness would lead me to unemployment.
I had noticed more and more symptoms such as an inability to control my body temperature, poor thought processes and memory, nausea and increasingly painful legs and feet once I had walked short distances. On this visit to the GP, I went prepared with a written list of all my symptoms as I found that I got flustered once a GP started to talk to me but this time, she listened to me and my concerns and finally I feel that I can be winning the battle to actually find out what is wrong with me and hopefully start to battle my way back. It is thought that I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME so I am now awaiting a referral to a CFS Clinic unless further blood tests point us in a different direction.
I feel fortunate that I only appear to be moderately affected at the moment and that I learnt very quick when I have pushed myself too far, even an extra couple of hours at work over the course of the week or a day out with my friends can push me over the edge and I need to spend the next day resting in bed or on sofa with my kitties.
You also begin to notice that your emotions also tire easily and you find yourself losin patience quickly with the ones you love who are trying to help me. Even as I type this, I feel my body temperature rising and my brain slowing and struggling to spell words.
This blog is to document an honest account my journey for people who are on their way to diagnosis with this condition and want reassurance that what they are experiencing isn't all in their head as I have thought on a number of occasions and been made to feel by doctors along the way. I struggled to find blogs from CFS sufferers and as each persons experience is different, it is good to know that other people understand your struggle even if each one is personal and unique
K x
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