Finding out news about myself is enlightening and really validating…. and also really sad sometimes. 🥺

I was at physical therapy today, and my physical therapist is helping me with my Chronic Fatigue. So far, I’ve only had tests that rule OUT Chronic Fatigue, but there’s no tests to prove someone has it.

There are tests to prove symptoms, though!

I had to walk back and forth along the hall for 6 minutes.

6 minutes. Not a marathon. Well, unless you’re me.

After 3 minutes I started breathing hard. 4 minutes my headache was getting worse. 5 minutes I was debating my life choices for how fast I had started walking, and 6 minutes just felt crappy.

“Crappy” is hard to explain (hence, “crappy”), but I’ll give it a go: my head feels unwell, like it specifically should not be higher than my body anymore; I need to lie down. I’m also getting brain fog: words are escaping me even more than usual. I’m trying to catch my breath. My legs and feet feel clumsy from exertion. My whole body just feels heavy and completely exhausted.

Apparently this is Dysautonomia, where the body can’t regulate the autonomic nervous system such as heart rate and blood pressure, which spiked crazy high during my little work out. At least now I have numbers! I have proof! I can prove I feel “crappy” when I do too much!

A half hour to an hour later,  my legs feel shaky, my brain fog is probably pretty apparent to someone trying to have a decent conversation with me, and I feel really unwell and like I need to lie down.

Hours later I’m still lying in bed. I finally feel up for talking, and I feel like I might be able to drag myself to the kitchen to heat up a microwave meal. Maybe.

I can only hope I’ll be recovered by tomorrow.

But I probably won’t be.

All from 6 minutes of walking!

Do you know how discouraging and frustrating that is?!?! Imagine walking for 6 minutes and being wiped out for at least a day. And it mainly started in my late 20s. I don’t know why. I’m not used to it.

But I am learning to be content with what I have. My fur babies are pretty great, after all. I’m sharing my bed with two of them as I write this.

I would encourage you to think of normal activities you do every day and think of how your life would be affected if you felt crushed after 6 minutes of certain activities, longer or shorter with others.

Thanks so much for your interest, care, and time. I appreciate you reading what’s on my heart to share with you, and I hope it touches your heart as well. ❤️‍🩹