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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Small Fiber Neuropathy: What helps?
Neuropathy | Last Active: Sep 18, 2023 | Replies (25)Comment receiving replies
I just turned 62. I am so different from the person I had prepared to be at this age. After 7 years of chronic pain and fatigue, I am starting to lose my fight. My rheumatologist insists that I have fibromyalgia, and punch biopsy confirms SFN also. How can this happen? I won’t go through how active I was even just a few years ago. Now the least bit of exercise or activity (gardening, shopping) buys me an evening of relentless pain in my back, knees and hips. My muscle tone is diminishing, and I’ve gained weight. Since it’s an invisible illness, it’s hard for friends to understand.
Today I volunteered at the animal shelter. I was using a stepladder to clean a cat kennel. Up and down, with supplies and food. It was only two steps. It was so incredibly painful, and tonight I’ve been crying out with pain every time I get up from my chair.
Trying to figure out how to keep adjusting and adjusting to my changing future. Sorry to sound so negative, but I’m worn down right now.
Replies to "I just turned 62. I am so different from the person I had prepared to be..."
Dear @julbpat, please know that you are not alone in this fight. I also experience similar symptom. I find it a challenge now to do any tasks I used to be able to do easily. I can still do them now, but afterward pain comes at a vengeance. I still force myself to do them because it's the only kind of exercise I can get these days. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep doing this. I have been on intermittent fast to try to keep my weight down from little activity, so far it has helped me not gaining weight. I hope you feel better and wishing you well.
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If it's any help to find others with your condition, here I am.
After finishing up 15 months of heavy chemo for Lymphoma, the good news was it is currently non detected. The problem after finishing chemo was terrible fatigue, and an increase in chronic pain. The only thing that allowed me to get up for work in the morning is Adderall.
I'm a 68 year old male who has played sports my entire life and woke up everyday at 6:00 to go to the gym. These days (with Adderall), I'm lucky if I can start out for work at 9. During the past 2 years, I've had 2 complicated Cervical surgeries and a visit from Covid in January, my symptoms have gotten worse. When I bring it up to my Oncologist, he looks at me like "sorry, I did my job" and never has any suggestion that the fatigue could be caused from the chemo. I've seen so many specialists who have the same answer; Everything looks fine, you should be happy. My quality of life is non existent right now, without any answers