Day 3... Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Question to Ponder: Exercise

So currently I actually do exercise with the label of which I was given, which is chronic fatigue syndrome. I fall into a more “mild case”, at the moment that is. So I will describe what I physically did and then how I felt doing it.

This morning I woke up at five. I took my time getting out of bed. Gathered my clothes for the day, are a yogurt and then hopped in the car. I grabbed a large iced coffee on the way to the gym. While I was at the gym, I did heavy machine presses with some ab work in between sets. I then followed that up with three sets of alternative facts single arm dumbbell flat press. I was fairly strong this morning, tho my rotator cuff acted up on me a bit.

I then went to work after chilling out in the car for a bit. I am a P.E and Health teacher. I refereed some games of capture the flag and in health I was grading presentations. On the outside, it seemed like a fairly low- stress day.

after school I picked up a few beers and then headed to the golf course and walked nine holes of golf. I then came home, made some grilled chicken, ate, showered, and now I’m laying in bed writing this reflection...

I sound like I’m in good health. Heck, it even sounds like an active day! I must be feeling fine, right? Unfortunately, that is not the case...

From the moment I woke up I had horribly heavy limbs, dizziness and brain fog. Several times I forgot where I had placed things. During my workout the fog and dizziness increased despite the coffee I had been drinking. Throughout the day at school as I was teaching I felt so fatigued that I could have melted through the floor: yet I was simultaneously ramped up, to the point that I was simultaneously feeling palpitations and shortness of breathe. Although to my students I may have looked okay, on the inside I know that I am performing at only a fraction of what I can achieve had I been not been experiencing these symptoms.

These sensations cannot be simply due to anxiety, for I had positive and optimistic emotional states throughout the day. At one point, in my spare time I dribbled around a basketball and shot some hoops and after a few minutes I was completely dizzy and lightheaded with my heart going nuts...

I also know that this is not due to a structural problem with my body: all my blood tests have come back within normal ranges, and heart imaging has come back okay. Also, as recently as Tuesday I had jogged three and a half miles at home in under a half an hour with only minimal post exertion malaise...

This means that, my body is perpetually sending out all of these “danger messages” due to unconscious, threatening emotions, stress, and conditioned responses. The pain and symptoms are very real, and feel just as bad as someone who may have severe heart disease or pulmonary disease or diabetes, but my symptoms are neuropathic in origin.

I know this because: In the past, my symptoms originated from stressful work situations.

my symptoms have eased with reduction of work stresses, obligations and responsibilities (not 100 percent but very close)

my symptoms have reduced in the past due to the knowledge that my brain was producing them (although I have not yet gotten this type of relief yet this time)

my symptoms increase when I expose myself to triggers too fast and too frequently (ie. Not working at all to working full time 5-days per week, even though the amount of physical activity may not have changed or changed minimally)

I have many of the personality traits which lead to the development of TMS.

My story REEKS of TMS....

Anyways, just wanted to share simply to get this off my chest. I hope someone with my particular syndrome finds this to be helpful.

Goodnight

 

It sounds like you have done a great drop tracking your symptoms to connect them with periods of stress - that is a huge help. I was moderately active when I "had" CFS, but I felt, similar to you, like at any point I could crash and then would have trouble getting going again. The program helped me recover fully, so you if you have any doubts or questions, feel free to message me. Good luck!