The Fatigue Saga, or where I've been

As I'm sure some of you have guessed, my blogging has tapered off a bit in the last few months. I'm trying to correct that now, but I figured I owed you an explanation.

At the end of September and beginning of October, I got two viral infections pretty much back-to-back. I bounced back...somewhat...but not completely. Then the fatigue set in, big time.

After a few weeks, I went to the doctor and asked her to run some tests to rule out anything obvious (anemia, Vitamin D deficiency, etc). I also asked her to run an Epstein-Barr virus titer to check for mono/glandular fever. The symptoms were eerily similar to what I had about six years ago when I had mono. I'm not sure if the doctor checked for Epstein-Barr specifically, nor did I ask (I call her Dr. Bitchyface, and I try to have as little to do with her as possible). All the other tests, however, came back normal.

Although I have no definitive diagnosis, I'm still leaning towards mono simply because the symptoms have persisted for so long and seem to have limited connection to mood and anxiety.

The fatigue is starting to lift. I'm mostly back to normal. I still have a day or two a week when all I want to do is sleep, and no amount of coffee can convince me otherwise. It's taken a massive toll on my productivity, which is hard for me to deal with. I'm on the home stretch for my book, which means I need every last ounce of energy I can get.

So that's where I've been and where I am. I'm on the upswing now, and I hope to keep it that way.

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12 comments:

Sarah said...

Be good to yourself, Carrie. Take good care.

KrisB said...

Glad you are healing. I'm looking forward to your new book!

hm said...

Who knows why some infections/illnesses take longer to bounce back from than others? Not listening to your body's needs won't help you heal faster though, so I'm glad you're taking naps and taking it easy when you need to, even if that's hard to do.

Keep taking care of yourself and getting better. Can't wait to read your book.

Kelly said...

Ugh, no fun... fatigue is one of the worst feelings in my book. Glad things are starting to get back to normal for you and I hope they get even better.

Anonymous said...

Hoping you feel better soon. Take as much time for yourself as you need. Your health is what matters most.

Katie said...

Sorry to hear that Carrie! What a pain in the butt for you as well. I'm glad things are picking up again now anyway, take care of yourself :)

Emily said...

I can certainly understand how freakin' frustrating that is. I too don't like to feel like I can't be productive and do the things that I want/need to do. Keep taking care of yourself and practicing self-love. I'll try to send you some energy vibes from the West coast!

Cammy said...

I really hate to hear that things have been so rough for you. Kudos to you for being proactive in trying to get an answer about what's going on; it's frustrating when you *know* something isn't right in your body but tests aren't picking up on a cause. Hang in there and take it easy, pushing yourself too much just prolong the whole recovery.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear this Carrie.. I thought you were just busy... Epstein Barr virus is awful. I had it in 1993. Felt like I was dying.

Glad you're on the upswing though! xx

The Dandelion Girl said...

I don't feel like you owe an explanation (it's good to know you're okay -- well getting to be okay again), but it's your blog... you know?

hope you start to feel better though... I'm glad I've never had that before... doesn't sound fun at all :/

Bev Mattocks Osborne said...

Look after yourself, Carrie. What book are you writing?

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I'm a science writer, a jewelry design artist, a bookworm, a complete geek, and mom to a wonderful kitty. I am also recovering from a decade-plus battle with anorexia nervosa. I believe that complete recovery is possible, and that the first step along that path is full nutrition.

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nour·ish: (v); to sustain with food or nutriment; supply with what is necessary for life, health, and growth; to cherish, foster, keep alive; to strengthen, build up, or promote



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