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Illness And Discouragement

So, my chronic fatigue continues. Allergy testing has ruled out allergies as a cause. Blood testing has ruled out adrenal fatigue, thyroid problems, and so forth. I consulted with a sleep doctor, who said it’s not a matter of sleep apnea or anything like that. I have fooled around with my diet to see if […]

So, my chronic fatigue continues. Allergy testing has ruled out allergies as a cause. Blood testing has ruled out adrenal fatigue, thyroid problems, and so forth. I consulted with a sleep doctor, who said it’s not a matter of sleep apnea or anything like that. I have fooled around with my diet to see if that could be the cause. Nothing changes.

And yet, here I am for the second day running, wiped out. Yesterday morning I woke up feeling fine, opened the back door, sneezed 10 times in a row, and was wiped out for the day. Came home from church and went to bed, and slept for three hours. Still not back to normal today.

Nobody knows why this is. The only clue I have is that just before I have these attacks, my hands and feet get really cold (Raynaud’s syndrome).

A few years ago, a friend of mine said he suffered from chronic fatigue. I knew it was real for him, and that he really did suffer. Doctors couldn’t figure out what the deal was, which made him even more frustrated. I couldn’t empathize. I mean, I felt bad for him, but his experience was so far outside of my own that I found it very hard to grasp what he was going through.

Now I get it. I really do. It’s hard to feel miserable most of the time, and to not want to leave the house because you’re so worn out. It’s even harder when the doctors can’t figure out what’s causing it. It’s such a terrible cliche to say so, but honestly, young people take good health for granted to a shocking degree. You think it’s normal, until it isn’t.

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