Friday 24 September 2010

So very tired......

I find it difficult to understand the difference between being tired and fatigued. Is there a difference or are they two different words for the same thing? Initially I always took fatigue to be a word which was associated with extreme tiredness, rather than just being a bit tired, but I am not really sure.

I would never describe myself at fatigued. I am always able to function, however much I would prefer to be lounging in bed! At the moment I feel more than my normal tiredness. Pre MS I used to go down the pub until midnight (not drinking) and get up to start work at 6am the next morning, not to say I wouldn't be tired, but it would take me one relaxing evening and a relatively early night to recover. Now, well I work in a much more sensible job but still need to be in bed by 10pm to get up at 6.40am, and 10pm really is the latest and can't be maintained comfortably all week.

I survive busy weekends by trying to be sensible as much as possible and then go to bed at 8pm for a couple of nights to try and catch up. Recently, well since the beginning of July, I have had runs of 2 or 3 weekends on the trot when the whole weekend is taken up with events which involve something to tire me out - driving, lifeguarding, organising/running events, drinking (alcohol), more travelling.

Now I know I don't help myself, I am overweight and get NO exercise, but that has been the same forever and things are progressively getting worse, or so it seems to me. I suppose the thing is that I don't really give myself a chance. I sleep badly through portions of the night fairly regularly, often sleep talking and walking and when I do get the chance to relax there is always too much to be done. I do spend time doing not a lot but I don't think that is enough. I need to sort out my sleep and I need to start getting some exercise - 2 things to start with anyway.

This weekend we are off to the CAMRA Ascot Beer Festival, held at Ascot Racecourse. It is a day time thing and will not be strenuous but I won't get a lie in and I suspect it will be a relatively late night (midnight latest though!). As I have felt shattered all week, even after showering which normally perks me up, I decided a lie in and an early finish was called for - so I took a half day. Got up an hour late, worked 3h 45m (ish) and have come home, had a nap and sat on the sofa (with a few light chores added for good measure!) - I am hoping to have a really fun day tomorrow and keep my eyes open!

I have a scheduled MS Nurse appointment at the beginning of November and I plan to take a note prompting me to ask about tiredness and sleep, also my bowels which have not been the same since the relapse I had in 2008 when I became constipated. It's not as though I am ever constipated any more but my bowels just don't seems to work properly. I am sure the stool takes too long to move along as my motions are always large and hard and I have to push, I never get the bowels doing the evacuation work themselves.......such a lovely subject!

Before anyone worries, this was a sudden change associated with a relapse in 2008 after which things almost got back to normal. Since then things have got gradually more noticeable, however I have no other bowel symptoms and given the length of time I am sure nothing more sinister is going on (oh and in no way is my weight reducing...) - I will ask my MS Nurse about it though.

On that lovely note I will end my post!

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