Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Support Group

Someone once compared our limits to living in a house with invisible walls...a very small house. You keep forgetting where the walls are and walking into them.

And the faster you are going when you hit a wall, the more it hurts. So you find yourself moving around more slowly...and less and less often.

You can see the world outside...see people laughing and enjoying life...but you can't get out your transparent house...the doors are all locked and no one has a key.

How did you get CFS, and what age were you?

I believe it hit me hard when 3 major things happened in my life 12 yrs ago. Two people I loved died and my 21 yr relationship ended (all in 3 months). I think I had cfs before that, but my body was strong so it wasnt an issue.

I agree, limits are the hardest... I call it "Push and Crash mode"...soon as I feel "normal" I go go go because I couldn't get much done while I was feeling so bad...but then I pay for it bad and it takes longer to recover. When I was working... by the end of the day my coworkers would say "Are you okay you look SO TIRED" I said, I am tired! That was before I even knew I had CFS... I knew someting was wrong, but I didn't let people know, I thought if I just pushed and pushed it would eventually go away, but I pushed my body too hard and it gave out on me, literally, passed out while driving to work, ran off the road, luckily, and thankfully I didn't hit any other cars or anything at all! Don't push yourself too hard...your body will definitely make you stop.

Yes Halffull123, This is a good post. I am no longer working
because I have reached retirement age and because I beceme
too sick to work. I was always a very active person and did alot
of outdoor hiking and camping and exploring. My illness was not
always 'clearcut'. I would have inbetween times where I could be
active. Over the last 6 years of treatments, I have had 'reprieves.
I've gotten out and done things I love to do. I have pushed my
limits. If I sit too long or socialize too long, I am achy sore and
tired for the next two days. I do get rather euphoric and tend
to try to put too much into one time. But I'm learning. I need to
be reminded. I think we each learn as we go. Each person's
capabilites are different. Each person has to come to terms
with how we are. Coming to acceptance. Well Not my
favorite thing. I agree this is one of the more difficult parts.

I look for small breaks when I am with people. Little things that mean I last longer but don't disrupt things too much. Like letting someone else drive, walking slowly, sitting while others stand. If a visitor is in the bathroom, I sometimes lay down on the couch until they get back.

When I look at it altogether, it is a bit shocking. I expected to be very old before having these energy levels. It isn't this that bothers me. I expected to get this way...just not until I am old. Even the limits don't bother me that much. I'm paying bills out of child support and using food stamps to make ends meet. I don't get a lot, but being unable to work this is what I have to do. And when my kids grow up....I won't have an income at all. Then what? I'm not sure I could hold down a job for 1 day anymore. It would be amazing if I could years from now...but that just doesn't seem realistic. I don't have any way of preparing financially for that day. Unless I was a gold digger....but I can't do that kind of thing, it would be too wrong.

I think a lot of us have gone through the stage where we got stuck in cycles of "push and crash". After a while you realize that you're much better off if you can stay inside your limits and maintain a more steady lifestyle.

It's not easy, though. There's a kind of euphoria that takes over at times and we want to go back to what we were before we got sick. But if we don't rein ourselves in, the price can be very steep when the crash inevitably arrives. I get really, really bad headaches.

I try to more or less maintain a regular routine each day...physical activity in the morning, rest in the afternoons and evenings. I get more done that way...and fewer headaches. Not everyone can live that way, of course.

i do own and run my own business. sometimes when i look around i cannot believe i can do this. I have some help but not much. Im thinking about closing everday put a sign on my store front saying "SIESTA" will reopen at ....

I was in a similar situation...owning and running a small business for over fifteen years...also doing a lot of the work myself. It used to make me very sick at times.

The doctors I was seeing told me that since my blood work was fine, go ahead and push things as hard as I wanted. I wound up having an enormous crash, and I never recovered from it.

Stick with what works for you, but don't let yourself get involved in some big project where you put in a lot of really long hours. That can be a one-way street with a bad ending.