Fibromyalgia Support Group

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What stage of tired are you?

scootermom
scootermom
Hey everyone,
After living with Fibromyalgia with Chronic Fatigue for many years, I have classified my symptoms of tiredness.
Stage I: regular, stable everyday CF tiredness. Still able to read and drive, but never energetic.
Stage II : moderate CF tiredness. Arms and legs getting tired, loss of power. Scratchy feeling in eyes, and muscle pain starting in spine and thorax.Need utmost effort for driving or reading. Feel urgent need to rest, or will enter stage III.Recovery possible, but if not resting in time, will proceed to stage III.
Stage III: Beyond tired. Muscle weakness and pain in arms and legs, feeling as if each limb weighs 100 lbs. Dizziness, feeling like passing out.Cannot drive, read, talk on phone or watch tv. Too tired to eat. Need to lie down in quiet room with eyes closed. No recovery on same day. Effects may last 2-3 days.

These are my symptoms. How many of you can identify? Do you have your own pain or fatigue rating scale?
AngelaJo
AngelaJo
I feel like i am permanently in stage II lately. Had a long day yesterday and a very bad night last night was up till 330am with pain before i dozed for a bit so today been in stage III no way would i of driven today
bluesun
bluesun
I yo-yo back and forth between all 3, sometimes all in the same day. Last couple of weeks I was running on empty pushing through stages II and III. Hardly had any sleep for like a week because I was so stressed out over a few things going on. Body finally gave into exhaustion a few nights ago and I conked out. I was so glad to finally SLEEP. Feeling better now. Still stressed out but at least I don't feel like I'm going to collapse at any moment anymore.
reneer02
reneer02
I'm in Stage II most days. I'm so very tired of feeling this way! Even after a shower in the morning I want to go back to bed and not go to work!
camas
camas
Nice job defining tiredness by stages.

I'm in stage I 70% of the time, never, never, never energetic, but able to carry on.

Stage II 25% of the time and stage III only rarely because I've learned to stop and regroup before I get to that point.

Good post.
marsharebel
marsharebel
I think I'm in a 3. I went to the market today, came home and collapsed for hours. Getting dressed is a big deal. I can eat though, even when I can't read or drive from being too dizzy.
kimberh
kimberh
I am like bluesun in that I yo-yo through all three stages. Yesterday was a Stage 3. I got up at 5a, went back to bed at 6:30a, Got up again at 10a, went back to bed at 12:30p. Got up at 5p, went back to bed at 9:30p. Didn't get up until 7a this morning. On Stage III days, it's a wipeout! The ONLY thing good about Stage III is that I am actually tired enough to sleep when I go to bed!
WhiteDolphin
WhiteDolphin
It is 2:21am, I jumped online to DS, scrolled just a tad in the fibro forum and this one jumped out at me.."What state of tired are you"? and I think hmmm well it's 2:21am on a Thursday night. I'm tired but wired and cannot sleep. Hmmm I wonder if theres a category for "insomniac tired" LOL!
tyzz27
tyzz27
I fluctuate between stages and because I have co dependent issues I push myself to breaking point and then snap and people that I love and want to give everything to. I keep trying to convince myself that my tiredness is simply because Im fat and lazy and have no motivation to do anything but thankfully have a fiance and friends who remind me Im sick and have chronic pain which is bound to leave me tired.

Thanks scootermom for putting this post up.
gkneez
gkneez
I usually spend my time on one and two. Today it's a three. It's all I can do to check out you guys. I just get so lonely when I feel that bad.
scootermom
scootermom
Thanks everyone for your comments. Of course defining FM tiredness in only three stages is limiting, but it seems to resonate with everyone.

Gkneez, I understand the feeling of lonelyness when you are in Stage III. Life seems to go on without you. I wish there were easy ways to cope, but it remains a tough situation. I try to pamper myself a little on days with extreme fatigue, by means of a special chocolate treat, or having a pot of tea and cookies next to my bed.

Bluesun and Kimber, glad you got some sleep!

Angela and White dolphin, insomnia is the worst, hope it has resolved in the mean time.

Reneer, you are a hero for still being able to work with stage II tiredness.

Marsharebel, I hope you have recovered from your crash. And thanks Camas and tyzz27, for the compliment!
josie106
josie106
Scooter mom, this is an awesome idea. Not only for ourselves but for people who want to understand, or when we have difficulty explaining it to others....like our doctors.

I have been shifting between stages 2 & 3 for almost a year. I notice when I am at stage 1, I consider that a good day. I have also noticed when I am in stage 3, other big symptoms show up- like migraines or IBS flares...etc. Because we know SO well..misery does love company!
bonniemc
bonniemc
I liked your description of the stages of tiredness of fibro. I am usually wandering around in a stage two, but that stage 3 sneaks in when I don't know enough to slow down. I have always been a pusher. Oh how I hate that I can't get up and go like I used to. Feel like I have nobody in my life that understands this. So I am quiet about it, which of course doesn't help. Am hoping that being here will help me to not feel so alone and defeated. Thank you for your post.
LeoX3
LeoX3
Hmmm... Is there a stage for "zombified"? I live in Stage 2 half the time, and spike to Stage 3 too often for my liking, because my blasted pain masks it difficult to sleep. Argh*headdesk*.

My rating scale is

Functional and Grateful
Half-functional
Forget Function, I'm Toast

Or as Hubby calls them, "Happy Cat, Sleepy Cat, Do Not Disturb Cat". Har har har. *eyeroll*
whitneynelson
whitneynelson
I fluctuate between the three but today is a II heading to a III I barely have any time to rest having my beautiful two year old daughter with major food allergies to almost everything I have to prepare 3 meals a day from scratch for and two puppies and my husband who works 40 hrs a week plus Go's to school full time so he really isn't able to help much when I have a bad day .some days I want to just curl into a ball and cry because I feel so lonely bit I don't have the strength or energy to go out .but I try and take one day at a time and breathe that's all I can do .
CajunTiger
CajunTiger
What a great post! Never thought to rank it this way, but its perfect!!

Like many others, I can totally identify with this. Many, many days I am in State I. Then lots of times, by 2 pm or so, I hit State II. If I can catch a nap, I stay there.

If its crazy, and I'm pushing through with little or no rest, then Stage III. I'll add nausea to my symptom list of that stage. Not sure why. But those days are brutal.

Thanks for this, scootermom.....gotta show this to hubby, as a quick guide to how my day is. I think he will love the idea of the scale.

HUGS from down south :)
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