I have had Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) since March 2002. Both of my sons also got ME/CFS at ages 6 and 10. Our younger son fully recovered after 10 years of mild illness. Our older son still has ME/CFS and also has Lyme disease plus two other tick infections. This blog is about how our family lives with chronic illness, with a focus on improving our conditions and enjoying our lives in spite of these challenges.
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Thursday, March 30, 2006
It Was Good While It Lasted
Well, that was an exciting run - one whole day of feeling good. Wahoo!
My allergies started to act up again last evening, and I woke up feeling awful this morning. This is something that has fascinated me ever since I first got sick with CFIDS...how can you sleep for 9 hours and wake up feeling worse than when you went to bed?? I'm doing OK now, just not full of energy like yesterday.
So, did my allergies make me feel poorly today or did I do too much yesterday, kicking off a post-exertional crash that made me over-react to allergens? Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
I seem to have developed a new allergy in the past week- how exciting! For the past 10 years, I've had fairly low-level allergies to dust mites and molds that are pretty much the same year-round. I take some allergy medications and don't think too much about it. Last week, after our overnight at the beach, my eyes suddenly became horribly irritated - sore and constantly watering. Yesterday was the only day in the past ten days that I've been able to wear my contacts (and I don't have much patience for glasses!). This happened to me last summer when we went to South Dakota, but it's rare for me to have such an acute allergic reaction here at home.
I saw my doctor today, just my every-few-months check-up. I'm very fortunate to have a doctor who understand CFIDS. She's often not able to do much other than listen, record new symptoms, and refill my prescriptions, but it's still comforting to see her, to know that she's there in my corner if I need her. She had some suggestions today for additional allergy medications and told me that allergies are off the chart for everyone around here right now. I guess we're paying for our unusually warm winter.
So, I'll try the things she suggested and will hopefully get some relief for my poor eyes. Of course, the irritated eyes aren't the real problem; when allergies flare up, so do all my other CFS symptoms. The achy legs and lack of energy are far worse than having to wear glasses.
I'm very much looking forward to camping this weekend. It's always so relaxing for the four of us to get away together, with no stress or pressures. Now I just need to get through the next 24 hours of packing and preparation.
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