In theory, being told to go home and sleep for three days sounds good, right? Yeah, well in practice it's not so much fun.
I have a mystery illness. Some sort of virus that makes me ridiculously tired (as in I fell asleep in the doctor's waiting room and am afraid to close my eyes at red lights) has been making my life hell for weeks. It got to the point that I went in early this month and asked for a battery of blood tests because I just knew I had some dread form of anemia that was doing this. I don't. Despite eating almost nothing with substantial iron and avoiding iron supplements like the plague because of side effects, I am not anemic at all. My B vitamin levels are also fine. I still felt like hell.
Went back in last week and asked for more tests because I was still tired and had also developed a weird red rash--like little pin pricks--on my legs. He guessed it was probably some virus that would run its course in 7-10 days. He did a full blood count to check for the basics and those results also showed no problem. Meanwhile, I spent the weekend in bed, barely able to get up and do anything. The doctor had given me a scip for Wellbutrin because we thought maybe it was depression.
I was almost at my wits' end Mondaywhen I got official word that my test results were all normal again --I took off work and went BACK to the doctor Tuesday. This time I saw the nurse practitioner and she asked me a zillion questions, checked the rash, which has increased on my shins, but not spread past my legs yet. She ordered another round of bloodwork--8 vials--checking for everything under the sun from mono (the most obvious) to parvo (I thought this was a dog disease?) to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (no tick bites that I'm aware of) to lupus (btdt with the testing and it was negative the last time, but that was about five years ago). She told me that I could take off the rest of the week and just sleep. Sleep will do as much as anything else to help me recover and getting overly tired will just make it worse.
So yesterday I slept like the dead for three hours in the middle of the day. I only woke up because I had to go pick up the kids. Today I'm at home alone and the thought of just hanging out in bed all day is a little depressing. There is only so much to look at on the internet and television during the day sort of sucks. I'm sure that by 10 I'll be sound asleep, of course because I'm yawning right now. I absolutely must go to the grocery store today. Sadly, that is the highlight of my day and if I don't sleep before I go, I'll be throwing weird things in my basket. Last night I went to just get some must-haves, namely bread, and came home with milk, cheese, bagels, juice bisquick, and totally forgot to get the bread. Ugh.
Yeah, I know--poor Kim. Stay in bed for three days and sleep, watch tv and play online. But seriously, it's not nearly as much fun as I thought it would be.
12 comments:
Jeez Kim, that sucks. Does the rash itch at all? I guess the positive side is that you are eliminating all kinds of bad things it could be through all the bloodwork.
Take advantage of your time and sleep. {{hugs}}
It DOES suck that you are so tired all the time, however I refuse to feel bad that you are taking long naps all week. :-)
As a graduate student, I fully support your desire to sleep as much as humanly possible. It's healthy!
Trade you. You can sit at my desk and listen to the stupid woman who can't do her own job but wants to do mine and I'll do the sleeping for you.
Hang in there Kimmah! Hope life gets better for you soon!
Lupus testing? Really. Do you have family history too?
And if it weren't for the rash, I'd ask about your blood pressure. Your tiredness sounds sooooooo much like what I deal with when my bp gets too high/low. Along with migraines. I could sleep for days. And yes, I am afraid to drive during those times too.
*hugs*
various answers
1. the rash doesn't itch. it's tiny red pin pricks below the skin--petechiae, I think. It's not a really rare thing and haas generated no real panic from anyone thus far. In a more severe form it can be a sign of low blood platelets, but mine is very minimal.
2. I didn't fall asleep today--then agian, I didn't try to. I was reading a book. I wore myself going to Burger King. I was rocking in my chair trying to stay awake. I literally wasn't sure I would make it home without just collapsing. Then I came home and just boohooed for no apparent reason other than I was freaked out by getting so tired from doing nothing other than sitting up. Weird.
3. No family history of lupus that I am aware of. I've had this battery of tests run before. My sed rate comes back elevated (or some rate), but when the specialized tests are run, I'm normal.
4. My blood pressure was 118/80 last Monday, similar to that on last Tuesday and it was 108/64 on my last visit. Not really low, although the 108/64 is the lowest I can ever remember it being. I'm usually right around 110/70ish.
5. The rash is fading--beginning to wonder if it is totally unrelated.
6. I had a killer headache today--not a migraine. Just a dull ache. I am blaming it on the tanning bed (might as well sleep and get a tan at the same time, no?), but I don't really know what caused it.
Thank you all for your comments, btw. I'm a whiner from time to time and I hate that, but W. is more than tired of hearing how miserable I feel and sometimes it seems like I'm just going to scream if I can't unload what I'm thinking.
I just want to get some answers. My biggest fear is that all of this bloodwork is going to be normal, too. Then what? I'm guessing Chronic Fatigue is going to get bandied about soon.
Well I hope it's not CFS! And it's probably not. Be better, Kim. If you like - I will take a nap for you!
I'm out of school now and will be willing to take naps for her. I'll do my best!
Are you feeling any better, Kimmah?
Did they mention Fibromyalgia?
That severe fatigue is so draining, don't worry about appearing lazy, you want for to sleep, you just sleep, are lay about, don't push yourself.
I Lvoe You!
Hope you feel better. I had some weird thing a few years back where I had a red rash on my legs, and I was sick. I recall being really cold, then hot, then cold, then hot and tired. I too was tested for a boatload of stuff, including the spotted fever thing too.
I just got better. Nothing was figured out.
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