I've had a really good four days. Last week I spent 5 or 6 days with some kind of stomach infection (second one of the fall) which was pretty bad. But the last four days I've been wrapping up my class and marking, marking, marking. The whole time I've been feeling pretty decent. I've had to go in to the U for a few hours the last 3 days and I've managed OK. I mean I'm no ball of energy, but the ill feeling has been quite minor.
Yesterday was the final class and one of the students presented a lesson and activity that included running. I could have just passed and "observed" the activity, but instead I participated. My compromise what that I mostly walked. However, at one point I jogged a little and while doing it I was thinking, "This is so nice". "It's been so long" and "Wow, am I ever out of shape!". As I crash from physical activity I wondered yesterday whether I would crash, and if so, when. This morning I woke up and thought I'd gotten away with it. Well it's been exactly 24 hours and it hit at about 22 hours. The immune and fatigue symptoms arrived like a freight train.
It makes the cerebral part of me think about what M.E. really is? I figure:
1. There must be some kind of "damage" happening when I'm active. Something related to energy metabolism. Something that takes 24 to 36 hours to hit the immune and/or metabolic system.
2. Or, if it's some kind of virus, the activity (physical stress) does something to the virus to make it more active....It could be like chicken pox which, once you've had it, lays latent in your body until your immune system becomes super stressed for some reason and you get an outbreak of shingles.
Whatever the case, this is both an interesting and stupid illness.
http://www.cfidsassociation.org/ Have a look at the past webinar archive page (there are links to webinars from main page and you just keep clicking until you see archive). There is a study they have funded about post-exertional malaise which shows bio-markers at different times after the exertion - i found it really interesting. I can't remember which webinar gives best overview of it. I think the Viral Connection one gives a summary of it near the start, but can't promise!
ReplyDeleteGlad you have been coping fairly well, but RUNNING? Hope you recover quickly ;)
Thanks for the link ashy, I have attended a few of the webinars - they're great. I don't remember one on PEM though? I'll have to check it out....sometimes it seems like the research is achingly slow. Esp. since I've been dealing with the PEM now for over 8 years.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, the running was stupid...oh well - live and learn (or live and not learn as the case may be ha ha ha ha).
I think you summed that up really well. I couldn't have said it any better. I think my most frustrating symptom is the malaise. It makes it so hard to 'handle' this illness. I hope you get to feeling better soon. Sorry I haven't been around. I hope you forgive me my tardiness!
ReplyDeleteHi Dominique:)
ReplyDeleteNo worries. I know you've been busy. Still, we could spend our whole day readings blogs and never get to them all!!! I don't expect people to read or comment on any of my blogs. (That being said, I do enjoy seeing your comments on here from time to time - thanks!)
Oh, I agree...the fatigue and PEM is so frustrating. My mind wants to go and do and my body thinks it does..and then..Bam! Recently there was a great 4 part series on PEM through CFIDS. Worth printing off and readng..keeping it close by for me helps as a reminder. Wishing you well.
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