After many years of pushing myself to do more, pacing myself and not overdoing it has been a learning experience. I can’t do as much as I used to do and trying to do more, even on the days when I feel better and have more energy, never pays off. I end up hitting a wall and simply need more recovery time. I take Cymbalta. I haven’t taken a muscle relaxer but have often wondered if that would be helpful for me.

I have asthma, sleep apnea, Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, and chronic kidney disease along with fibromyalgia and am plagued by chronic fatigue. Prior to all of this, I was very physically active, I was a competitive volleyball player and race walker. I ran the Chicago marathon at the age of 35 and was very lean.

As chronic pain and fatigue became a way of life in my late 30s, my days of being physically active ended. My BMI is now an unhealthy 36+. I have been on a low cal, gluten-restricted and dairy-free diet for the past 5 months but have only lost about 5 lbs. It is very discouraging. I am pre-diabetic and am very concerned about developing diabetes given my chronic kidney disease. I keep plowing away.