I totally understand your frustration of living with CFS. I am 23, and have been to several doctors for the past 3 years, trying to find out what was causing all of my horrible symptoms. I have had a ton of tests/blood work done for all of the diseases that mimic CFS. It started out with me fainting frequently, I was hospitalized for a week. I had fainted in my younger years for no known cause and that lead the doctors to thinking it was a problem with my heart. During my hospital stay, I had an e.p. study done on my heart, and a loop recorder implanted. Everything came back normal. The doctors did however notice that I had orthostatic hypotension , an abnormal e.k.g ,and very low blood pressure. I was put on Midodrine for several months after leaving the hospital, and referred to a Cardiologist to keep an eye on the low blood pressure and what may be causing it. Months after , the cardiologist told me I don't need to come back to see her, and there is nothing wrong with my heart.  She claimed I may have depression. That really upset me because I knew I wasn't depressed, I was just very annoyed with everything that was happening to my body. Shortly after , I started noticing more and more fatigue that would not go away. Exhaustion from doing nothing but day to day activities. Eventually I was in bed for months, feeling severe nausea, and severe flu symptoms. They lasted for what seemed like forever!!! I had no idea what was happening to me. I swore I had cancer and was dying. That's exactly what it felt like /feels like. . . especially when youre energetic, happy,upbeat and feeling great ,then one day you feel like you came down with a flu that never goes away.  I'd rather have the actual flu than this ,because at least I know it will ease up and go away soon, and I'll be feeling normal in no time. I continued going to different doctors trying to find out the cause... All I got in response was, you're depressed, youre depressed!!!! I became so fed up with all of these doctors, which are supposed to help people and make them feel better, telling me I'm depressed without even knowing me ,or caring about what I am going through. I decided  to go to a physcologist ,to get an evaluation. All of those careless doctors had me thinking maybe I am mentally ill. After three visits to the physcologist, she discharged me telling me there is no reason at all for me to be seeing her. I am mentally fine. After that, I continued going from doctor to doctor, have had several shrug and tell me they don't have a clue as to what's causing my symptoms, interrupt me while explaining my situation, etc....I went to an Endocrinologist to see if he was able to find a diagnosis. All he found was that my corisol levels were very high for a long time after several different tests.  While getting another blood test one doctor ordered for me, I was talking to the lab worker drawing my blood and she started telling me about a great doctor whom she recommended I go see. She said it sounds like a thyroid issue and I agreed. I set an appointment with the doctor she had recommended, and I kid you not, within a month, I had my diagnosis of CFS. This doctor began running test after test to rule out everything possible ... I was in the office every week getting blood work and tests done... The first couple tests came back normal, then after that , is when the doctor started seeing abnormalities in the test results. The first thing he saw , that made him really dig deeper into what's causing this, was that my CBGs were extremely high. (Cortisol Binding Globulins) like I said earlier, I had a past of high cortisol levels. But CBGs are different than just regular cortisol.  He ordered several other tests and called me telling me I have CFS. I was shocked yet relieved. Now, I am at peace knowing what it is, rather than stressing and worrying that I'm dying of something.. Although CFS can make you feel like that at times, I try to rest on the fact that I am not, its just how the illness is. For me, the illness is up and down. Some days are great (I say great comparing to my worst days, nothing great like I felt before I came down with CFS) I am able to workout, go without a nap, have minimal pain and symptoms. Other days are terrible, as today is, i can't get out of bed, I am extremely exhausted after a full night sleep, light headed, severe pounding headache ,joint pain , feels like someone is pinching my entire spine (from the top of my cervical spine down to my lumbar spine)nausea and feel like I have the flu. (Even on better days, i always have one symptom or another, often several at a time. Here are a few to list, brain fog , feels like im drunk/ drugged when im completely sober, sensitive to heat/cold, dizziness/light headed.. Everything goes black and i get wobbly when standing , swollen lymph nodes in neck that hurt to touch, random sore scratchy throat, hot flashes that wont go away and feel like i have a fever, very achy joints that feel like i just ran a marathon or they are badly bruised.and all other crazy symptoms along this line. )When yesterday I was fine. Not only do I have to suffer with CFS, but on top of that I have other medical issues/difficulties.I'm only 23 and I feel like I'm 80.and I'm not saying that to be funny, I'm saying it because its true, I'm always in severe pain, I have migraines, my neck is messed up from fainting in the past, have buldging discs and arthritis in neck and lower back.Have been having lung/ breathing difficulties lately , not sure why. Going to see an allergist/pulmonary doctor soon to see what's going on there, until then I have a nebulizer machine to help me breathe when my lungs and chest tighten up ,cause me to gasp for air and become very lightheaded... I have endometriosis, have been dealing with that since I was 11. Runs in my family ,and I'm the lucky one out of my two older sisters who got it. (Hardly lucky) I have a ruptured tendon and bone spur in foot which will need surgery eventually. I have myofascial pain syndrome . All of this is way too much for one person to go through. I wouldn't wish what I suffer with upon my worse enemy. Its horrible and I pray that god will heal me one day. Until then, I do what I can, when I can... And I'm not hard on myself for not being able to do something that was planned , I wanted to do, or needed to get done. When symptoms of CFS flare up, that comes first, everything else must be put on hold until you have the energy to do it. My entire body feels like it has a ton of bricks weighing me down. Every move I make hurts horribly ! In a way, I feel like this illness rules my life and has taken over me. I feel like I can't do all that I was able, but I still try doing what I love to do , just lightly and in moderation now. I never know how I will feel from day to day. I had to leave my job as a local Beauty Advisor, and am now babysitting a few days a week to make some money.  I can't work a real job ,at least not now. I was calling out too much and having to leave early from feeling so terrible.

I hope everyone who reads this got something out of it. If you have any questions about anything CFS related, I will be more than happy to help. I understand the illness throughly, I live it ! Only people with CFS understand what it feels like!!! Normal people say, you look great ,how can you be sick?! I hate that!!!! People can sympathize what we suffer with , but no one REALLY knows until they experience it themselves, I for one, wish that no one would have to suffer through any pain or sickness, CFS being one of them. I will never know how my life would be right now, if I weren't living with CFS. There are several things /dreams that I have wanted to accomplish, that have been put on hold for years now because of this. All I can do , is get support from people who know what it feels like, people who sympathize with me,and prayer. God is allowing this for whatever reason, and I will never know that reason. I need to keep fighting through this !!!! We all do !!!