CFS/ME. Introducing myself

Hi all,

I'm a first time blogger, this is my first ever post! Oh, sorry, first post on my own site, but second ever post.

I'm doing this mainly because I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME) at the beginning of this year. This condition did not just spring up out of the blue but I believe the tendency towards it has existed within me almost all my life.

I am now 59 years old and 15 years ago when I was 43 I had a nervous breakdown which I'm certain only made the tendency towards CFS MUCH more likely for me.

A sequence of events have unfolded in my life which have led to my present situation and if I can help anyone else understand what's happening in their lives to hopefully prevent or minimise some of the experiences I've had then this blog will make me very happy :-)

I'll start with how CFS affects me today, right here, right now, and then go back and explain how I think everything connects.

Today I feel like crap...I think that word is allowed :-) I worked yesterday (only do 8 hours a week now) and today I feel terrible.
I didn't manage to get to sleep last night until around 11pm  ( late for me but becoming more 'Normal' unfortunately). I woke around 8.30, also late but normal these days. My nose immediately began streaming and I started sneezing and that was enough to tell me how the day was going to go.

So I got up and got the box of tissues, let my dogs out then made breakfast between sneezing and blowing. Obviously my immune system is down today, again. :(

I am very, very weary today. CFS affects me moderately to severely. This means I am not bedridden but am mostly housebound and am down to about 35/30% of normal function/energy levels I had say 2 years ago. CFS not only affects the physical body but also the mental body so it's like a double whammy effect on your system. You can be physical and/or mentally fatigued.

I consider myself lucky that I am not as severely affected as I know so many of you who may be reading this are.

My life now  involves maybe  half an hour of gardening a week when I was often in my garden two or three times a week for half a day at a time.

I used to spend days researching family history , i.e. being very focused, concentrating all day online . I can only do that for an hour or so now without having to take a break. It is very rare that I can take my dogs for a walk now. Worst of all I have 3 grandchildren who live here in town.  I help look after them  sometimes but it is extremely hard work and that is the last thing it should be.

Brain fog affects me too. If I concentrate/focus on something, reading, writing, work, physical activity, the computer, etc then I end up with a migraine. In fact I have almost daily migraines. Not fun at all.