Tired vs Fatigued
I think I can actually distinguish the difference between being tired and fatigued.
I have always been a type A personality. I was always involved in sports and worked a part-time job while in high school. I also worked 3 jobs to put myself thru my first 2 years of college. After dropping out to get married and have kids, I ended up divorced a few short years later. I found a secure full-time job with excellent benefits and when I finally got back on my feet, I finished my college degree while working a full-time job and a single mom of 2 toddlers.
I don't remember feeling fatigued, maybe burned out sometimes. My drive to keep moving up the Corp Ladder and making a better life for my kids maybe distracted me from taking notice.
After I finally landed a job where I was being groomed to take over as a corp manager, I suddenly started to notice that I was sleeping later on the weekends. Then, when I did get up, it would take another hour or 2 before I could really "get going". I had remarried by then and my husband was more Type A than I was, so he would get more done around the house/yard while I was still sleeping! I was just plain tired.
With my new job, I would spend my winters in the office as a GIS analyst and my hot summers (SC)were spent out in a boat as a shoreline manager. I was athletic and used to the heat, so I was unaffected by the new physical demands of my job.
However, after a few years, I started to just come home straight from the lake, take a shower and fall right asleep on the couch. I was just plain tired. We were coaching our daughters' softball team and I started missing out on practices and some games. Supper started to become more take out and fast food. I started putting on weight and I was thinking, ok, I'm in my 40's, my metabolism is slowing down and after all, I had been burning the candle at both ends for years.
So, to me, that was just being tired. All those years of pushing myself were starting to catch up with me and I just needed to find a new strategy on how to boost my energy levels. My doctor put me on Wellbutrin and it did help. At first, I had so much energy it was insane. I started losing weight and found myself coming home from the lake and doing yard work before my showers. That's it! I just needed a little extra nudge to get me out of that funk.
Then, months later, I began having these random episodes of waking up one morning and not being able to get out of bed. I'd be fine the night before and it was like waking up with the worst hangover I've ever had! When I would try to just go to the bathroom, I would have to take breaks and rest and felt like I couldn't catch my breath at ALL! This was definitely not being tired. This was fatigue like nothing I had ever felt before.
These episodes came and went for about 8 years. I would miss weeks or months at a time from work. Each time, the diagnosis would be ambiguous....maybe Mono, maybe a mini stroke, maybe food poisoning, maybe Hepatitis A, maybe heat stroke.
Luckily, I had a solid Short Term Disability policy with my employer and never missed a paycheck or at least received a partial check for most of the times. Of course, I paid for this insurance...it wasn't a "free benefit", but it sure paid off. Quick note...if your company offers any type of short or long term disability, sign up for it right away.
Short story long, after finally being diagnosed in 2011 and beginning Copaxone right away, I still suffered 2 really bad relapses within the fist year. After the last one, I never fully recovered and after being put on light duty at work, just showing up at my office everyday was a challenge. The fatigue, weakness, left eye blindness, zero depth perception, tremors, just remained a constant. I had to give up my privilege of having a company vehicle and boat. I was too much of a liability.
Finally, my doctor took me out of work indefinitely. Again, I am so fortunate to have that disability insurance. After being out of work again for 12 weeks, my employer retired me on Long Term Disability. I still receive 66 2/3 of my salary every month. My last day of work was March 3rd, 2013.
Today, I'm actually tired and not fatigued. It's one of the first "good" days I've had since my last day of work.
I think I can actually distinguish the difference between being tired and fatigued.
I have always been a type A personality. I was always involved in sports and worked a part-time job while in high school. I also worked 3 jobs to put myself thru my first 2 years of college. After dropping out to get married and have kids, I ended up divorced a few short years later. I found a secure full-time job with excellent benefits and when I finally got back on my feet, I finished my college degree while working a full-time job and a single mom of 2 toddlers.
I don't remember feeling fatigued, maybe burned out sometimes. My drive to keep moving up the Corp Ladder and making a better life for my kids maybe distracted me from taking notice.
After I finally landed a job where I was being groomed to take over as a corp manager, I suddenly started to notice that I was sleeping later on the weekends. Then, when I did get up, it would take another hour or 2 before I could really "get going". I had remarried by then and my husband was more Type A than I was, so he would get more done around the house/yard while I was still sleeping! I was just plain tired.
With my new job, I would spend my winters in the office as a GIS analyst and my hot summers (SC)were spent out in a boat as a shoreline manager. I was athletic and used to the heat, so I was unaffected by the new physical demands of my job.
However, after a few years, I started to just come home straight from the lake, take a shower and fall right asleep on the couch. I was just plain tired. We were coaching our daughters' softball team and I started missing out on practices and some games. Supper started to become more take out and fast food. I started putting on weight and I was thinking, ok, I'm in my 40's, my metabolism is slowing down and after all, I had been burning the candle at both ends for years.
So, to me, that was just being tired. All those years of pushing myself were starting to catch up with me and I just needed to find a new strategy on how to boost my energy levels. My doctor put me on Wellbutrin and it did help. At first, I had so much energy it was insane. I started losing weight and found myself coming home from the lake and doing yard work before my showers. That's it! I just needed a little extra nudge to get me out of that funk.
Then, months later, I began having these random episodes of waking up one morning and not being able to get out of bed. I'd be fine the night before and it was like waking up with the worst hangover I've ever had! When I would try to just go to the bathroom, I would have to take breaks and rest and felt like I couldn't catch my breath at ALL! This was definitely not being tired. This was fatigue like nothing I had ever felt before.
These episodes came and went for about 8 years. I would miss weeks or months at a time from work. Each time, the diagnosis would be ambiguous....maybe Mono, maybe a mini stroke, maybe food poisoning, maybe Hepatitis A, maybe heat stroke.
Luckily, I had a solid Short Term Disability policy with my employer and never missed a paycheck or at least received a partial check for most of the times. Of course, I paid for this insurance...it wasn't a "free benefit", but it sure paid off. Quick note...if your company offers any type of short or long term disability, sign up for it right away.
Short story long, after finally being diagnosed in 2011 and beginning Copaxone right away, I still suffered 2 really bad relapses within the fist year. After the last one, I never fully recovered and after being put on light duty at work, just showing up at my office everyday was a challenge. The fatigue, weakness, left eye blindness, zero depth perception, tremors, just remained a constant. I had to give up my privilege of having a company vehicle and boat. I was too much of a liability.
Finally, my doctor took me out of work indefinitely. Again, I am so fortunate to have that disability insurance. After being out of work again for 12 weeks, my employer retired me on Long Term Disability. I still receive 66 2/3 of my salary every month. My last day of work was March 3rd, 2013.
Today, I'm actually tired and not fatigued. It's one of the first "good" days I've had since my last day of work.
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