With MS, the Energy Vortex Is Real

Understanding what fatigue feels like and presents itself as from day to day is a challenge. Being able to walk from my car in the garage into the house can somedays be impossible. Then another day I may be able to accompany my friends into a boutique and browse. There are days I struggle to get out of bed and start the day.
After living with MS for a number of years I began to recognize early signs such as not picking up my left foot and causing me to stomp my big toe or stumble and fall. What I know for sure is that MS fatigue is real, at times invisible and most importantly should be taken seriously. As a 48 year woman and former State Trooper. I can now see and accept the new me and modify my days, hour by hour, minute by minute and understand that this is just the way it is. MS is a visitor that sometimes visits announced, other times as a surprise most times brings baggage that I choose to prepare for as much as possible. I pray one day it will loose my address.

Yeah when my go go fades be I'm gone gone!!

Fatigue is such a difficult case to explain to someone without MS. Still, it shouldn't put us down. I know that you prefer to be independent but this is the state of things : we should ask for a helping hand and preserve our energy as much as we can. Personally, I find it impossible to make it through the day without midday naps. Also there is medication for fatigue, maybe it would help you.. Best of luck

Thank you for sharing. Unless you live with MS, you can't understand the "hidden" effects and impact it has on your life on a day to day basis. Some days I'm great and have the energy to do it all. Other days, I struggle to just get going in the morning to try and get to the office. I am on Adderall for my brain fog and decreased executive decisioning abilities that have impacted my work. Adderall provides the energy for me to do more. Sometimes I overdo it and pay for it the next day. My diet and supplements help me as well.

As a 35 year Veteran of MS it's about time people understand this energy thing with us. They see us on a good day and think wow!!! Why is he or she not working??? They never see us on a MS day, cant feel the pain, numb-stinging-cold-burning-weak-swollen extremities-discomfort of a brace - responses to heat and cold when they are comfortable-fatigue,especially physical therapists.

There's a group of health care workers we all deal with whom I find some of the most least likely to understand MS Fatigue. These are our Physical Therapists, or at least the one's I've seen. I am not a whiner or a quitter. I'm a 35yr. MS Veteran with SPMS, and a recent knee replacement(5 days ago). Plan on doing my hip in 6 weeks. I consider my energy as a Bank Account. You can't take out more than you have. Is that too hard understand?

Thanks for all the comments. As A Mother, with a daughter who has PPMS it is good to hear all the comments so that I can better understand her condition. All of you stay strong. I pray there will be a complete healing for all MS patients very soon. The chronic pain you all have to contend with on a daily basis is tremendous.

I have spent 20 years dealing with MS, but I didn't know it was MS till this past May. Before that, I was told I had a range of illnesses that lead me down all sorts of paths. What has remained constant is the utter lack of empathy for my fatigue and disabilities.

I live in the US where hard work is the value we hold so dearly. People see me and think I am just lazy; I look fine, nothing seems wrong with you they say. No one understands MS. It's another cause that they are being asked to take a walk to support.

For a long time now I have described my fatigue as walking through water. On a good day its ankle deep, on a bad day it's up to my eyes, and I can't get out of bed. It has helped my family relate a little; they ask me now where is the water level today?

I do as much as I can when I can. Somedays I know that the cost of my energy expenditure will have to be paid tomorrow or sometime soon. So I am judicious with how I spend the energy. After all, it is our life force and creativity. So I have learned to be efficient in my work and direct with those I know, like and trust. I do not have the energy to carry my past or worry about my future; we can expend a lot of energy on unnecessary thoughts. I seek to maximize my life force every day. So, I may be the creator that I am and be larger despite the disease.