Feeling down due to fatigue & undiagnosed health issues

[Elizabeth CP]

I haven't been using the forums much apart from a couple of responses to others posts. I stopped as I was too busy & trying to keep up with the forums was becoming too stressful. In September My husband went to Europe which was great although tiring due to the pace of the tour we did. Unfortunately a few days before returning home I fell heavily on concrete steps hurting my right side. I continued on relying on icepacks to manage the pain. I couldn't sleep because of the pain when lying down. The last day I came down with a bad cold which developed into a chest infection later on. The pain eased after 6 weeks & I recovered from the chest infection but have ongoing problems with fatigue & abdominal discomfort. My GP arranged pathology tests. The blood tests are normal but urine isn't. Today I was sent for a ultrasound of kidneys & bladder. Next week I have a gastroscopy & colonoscopy. My stress levels seem to be escalating out of proportion each time I see the GP & get sent for more tests. Prior to my accident my mental health issues were settling down but the last week it is much worse. I have lost my temper a few times in the last week without much provocation. This is not normal for me. I have been on a diet for several months but I am now finding it really hard to stick to it I just want to go & eat food I know will make me feel worse. The diet is a healthy one which I normally find easy to stick to because the food is satisfying.

I just want to get back on track & feel in control of my life & not feel so stressed & down. I also feel guilty for feeling this way because There is no confirmation of a serious illness.

[Guest_1055]

Good night Elizabeth

xx

[MarkJT]

ECP, you are doing the right thing by focusing on dealing with the tiredness as if you push yourself you will only get more tired. When we are having the waves of emotion that come in, it is a very much a balancing act.

It is like when the body goes into flight/fight mode - the parts of the body that are not needed essentially shut down so that additional energy can be focused on the critical aspects of the body that are needed.

When you say you are not accomplishing much, I am here to tell you that you are wrong. You are accomplishing plenty, it is you just cannot physically see it. To be able to control your yourself and concentrate on doing what you need to do to get through the day, that is accomplishment.

You have not failed at the practical stuff, you have merely deferred them to another day for when you are feeling mentally better. I see you post as a positive one, you were not feeling great so you eased up to look after yourself.

Mark.

[Elizabeth CP]

Thanks Mark & Shell, I appreciate your caring remarks. I was always very goal orientated even as a young child. I remember being desperate to start school & once I started I was desperate to learn as much as possible. In many ways this has been a positive characteristic but later it became a problem as I relied on reaching goals to have any self esteem & when anything stopped me I felt like a failure.

How long do I try resting to see if that helps the fatigue before assuming it is my mental state causing problems so I need to push myself to exercise more or do more.

[MarkJT]

Elizabeth, goal setting is a double edged sword that is for sure. I used to set impossible standards for myself and it was only going to dark depths that made me realise this.

I now set goals but they are achievable. I set different goals at different levels. When i was training for a marathon, I set a goal of 15kms, the 21.1kms, then 25kms, then 30kms then 35kms all the while keeping the ultimate goal of 42.2kms in the back of my mind. As I ticked off each one, i moved onto the next.

Hard to say how long you have to rest as if you wake up feeling okay then you may find that you can exercise well but the next day, if you are feeling crap, then you may not exercise as well because your mind is just not into it.

Have you ever seen a dietitian? Might be worthwhile a visit to make sure that your diet is good. When that gets the tick off then you know you are fueling your body right. Tick that off the list.

Mark.

[Elizabeth CP]

Thanks Mark. I try to set achievable goals. Your method of setting smaller goals as stepping stones to the ultimate goal is the only way to do it. Success is a great motivator. I don't know that a dietician can help me at this time. I was a health professional so I have a reasonable understanding of what a healthy diet looks like. Although I am guilty of sometimes eating junk I eat plenty of vegetables & food from all food groups but I need to drink more water. I am trying to walk each day but I have other goals around the house eg painting rooms which I struggle with

[MarkJT]

ECP, great that you are educated in the diet so absolutely no need to see a dietician. We can tick that box off.

When you wake up are you physically or mentally tired or both?

I had a crap day yesterday and I know i am going to be mentally tired the rest of the week as it took that much brain juice out of me. At least i know this and I know why. The not knowing is the hardest thing to get your head around as it is so hard to make adjustments to fix it.

After a walk, do you feel energised? Sometimes I find that i don't want to exercise as i feel tired but after forcing myself to exercise, i feel good. Just have to get over the initial "cant be bothered".

Mark.

[Elizabeth CP]

Thanks Mark, I hope you are feeling better today. I feel like I haven't had enough sleep when I wake up each morning even though I go to bed before 10 pm & haven't been trying to get up before 7 am or later. Even staying in bed later doesn't change it. I think I'm physically & mentally tired. I am a bit better than a week ago when recovering from a cold but not much. I am managing a walk each day but not feeling energised by it. I was hoping by spending a week really trying to get enough sleep & not pushing myself during the day I would improve. I have had so many tests over the last few months which have shown up minor issues but nothing which explains the tiredness or can be fixed.

I thought I was doing better re my depression & had some goals I was working on but now feel I'm flat & unsure how to change. Summer is often bad for me but this year has been milder weather & relatively low fire risk so that doesn't explain my feeling low.

I think I need to continue getting enough sleep & doing the regular exercise but will need to start to push myself to work on other goals to see if i can feel better by doing more. I just have to work out an effective plan to avoid overdoing things & making it worse.

[MarkJT]

ECP, i can certainly understand the feeling tired. I had it when i was first on meds and for about 8 weeks i was physically and mentally tired but at least i knew why.

Don't underestimate the power that depression could have over you. I am wondering if that is having a larger effect on you than you realise? How are you being treated for that?

I am like you in that summer is not my fave season. I actually love winter and the cold. I'm a penguin i reckon! People say that when it is raining that it is a horrible day, i just don't see that. I see an opportunity to run in the rain which is just so refreshing.

Mark.

[Elizabeth CP]

Thanks Mark I am not on meds because I couldn't cope with the side effects. I tried quite a few different ones & they made no noticeable difference to my mood but the side effects made me terrible One affected my speech. Several caused extreme agitation which didn't settle over the weeks I persisted with the meds. I am seeing psychologist but he has just made the sessions less frequent. Having someone to talk to has helped me to put things in perspective & helped me deal with problems as they arose. The last few years have been a roller coaster ride with short periods when things look up but then things go wrong mainly due to my husbands condition but I have had several injuries & illnesses myself & other family issues/ pressures. At the moment there have been no significant problems to explain my fatigue.

[MarkJT]

ECP, that must be so confusing and annoying not to know what is causing the fatigue. I'm just about out of suggestions.

I'm a little concerned that your psych has made your sessions further apart. It should be up to you how often you have your sessions. As you pointed out, talking about it helps, that is the whole point of it all. Did he/she give reasons as to why this is now happening?

Mark.