h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi UG I have wanted to drop by before but haven't.
I did peek at your journal before coming to post.

I have talked to smurfles and Tefkat about chronic health problems, depression and mis-diagnoses before. Sorry to hear you have your own battles.

When you have become a complaining *go getter* that cannot get up an go like normal ,it's "normal" to be a bit depressed! The Dr start to act as if you came that way after many years in which they are unable to diagnose you Not!

Some depression is an endless black hole you cannot explain. There is a depression of chilhood traumas and PTSD too among others. Those can play an additional part in the makeup of a reactive depression.

This is the way I have had it explained to me anyway.
A reactive depression can flucuate between frustration and depression and ok times, particuarly when it is about health. A reactive depression starts with a specific new problem and can get considerably better using some practical hands on problem solving and time (answers help)it can return with changes and additional losses.

There are sleep disorders that sound similar to some of what you have described. My family has narcolepsy - apnea and unusual seizures.I went through a period of being diagnosed with CFIDS(CFS) - ME(probably still present as secondary complication to surgery)- Sleep (apnea)and seizure disorders. I am not sure of many details for you but I understand a bit about them in general.

Good Luck with your battle.
I hope I have not intruded.
Please feel free to visit me anytime

Hi Abbi

I have read your words of wisdom many times, both to Tefkat and Smurfles and have learnt a lot and been given plenty of food for thought.

For quite some time now I have had extremely painful knee joints, often preventing me from climbing stairs, and as we have an upstairs toilet only, and I also suffer from "frequency and urgency" of the bladder, there were some quite comical scenes of me climbing the stairs on my hands and knees, desperately trying not to wet myself, and when I finally arrived at the required destination, finding my knees would not bend to let me sit!!


I succumbed to an overwhelming tiredness sometime towards the end of last October, and, although I got up and got ready for work every night, one night I just couldn't physically do it! I tried to dress, but it took me half an hour just to get my footwear on! I had to go to work because at that time I was the only one with keys to let the rest of them in. It was a superhuman effort, believe me and as soon as I got there I asked one of the lads to drive me back home.

From then on, I regressed more and more into my shell, did not want to eat or talk, and slept for days on end. The inactiveness compounded the trouble in my knees so that it became impossible to get them comfortable. Eventually I fell into the awful pattern of being awake and wanting to go to sleep, but when I tried to sleep, I couldn't, but I couldn't stay awake either!!!!

I am back at work now, and when I say nothing has much changed, I suppose to a certain extent it must have, because I do not require the superhuman effort to get here. But my knees still hurt, and my tiredness is just the same, I am in a constant state of stupor, neither well slept, nor well awake.

I have undergone the usual blood tests, (thyroid, diabetes etc. etc.) and they have all come up negative. I have been tested for thyroid 3 times, but they say the results are very satisfactory. I have been X-rayed ("No more wear and tear than would be expected for a woman of your age and weight") and other bodily fluids have undergone the microscope. I have now been given anti-inflammatories and pain killers and also told that my blood pressure is too high "but that will only change if you lose weight." 180 over 108 at the last count.

Us Grannies need to be up and doing! There are grandchildren to play with, and gardens to plant and at this very moment both thoughts fill me with regrettable dread.

I bet you wish you had never posted, don't you, Abbi? I am sorry I have gone on so long. I am sure I have missed bits out - another problem to me is a very poor memory, which is either "my time of life", or I am going senile, or I am just too tired to think, or the filing cabinet is full!

Thank you for dropping by and taking an interest.

Take care Universal Granny

You sure sound a lot like an person with CFIDS or ME to me. Even the bladder and memory. Did you have a flu, bad food or any illness in the couple of months before that began?

Fibromyalgia can also take hold after an accident or surgery and is confused or overlayed (or the same thing)as the other two.

It is a mystery to me why there are records of these symptoms as far back as man has studied yet no definitive laboratory test so it is still common to question the patient rather than the disease. It was Icelanders disease and many other things at different times. It is all too easy for someone that sees a patient a few times a year to forget about it when not generally progressing or not rapidly. But you are not improving either

I had an article that said most diagnosed with CFS end up with another diagnosis. Usually a form of arthritis that does not give a positive on Rhuematoid tests. There are a few that do not do that but yet are considered to be a Rhuematoid process.

The sleep-wake problems are certainly enough to do much of it but not all and you still do not know why that started usually. Sleeping quality is very big for the above diagnosis and also for having your normal brain power and patience and intellect. It also feels very much like low grade depression because as you say you are neither awake nor alseep

It is very frustrating to know you are not yourself and not know why, even more so when the professionals are willing to blow you off.
I do not mind supporting another person in this sort of struggle at all. Last thing you need is to feel odd thinking you're alone in it!

I hope things start to look up.
I cannot help but notice you have a sense of humor and that sure can help! Very Nice meeting you, hope to see you around soon

UG

Oops!



UG

Hi Abbi

Health news? Well, yes, I have got some news but it's a bit like one of those comedy sketches good news/bad news/good news/bad news.

The good news is that my cholestoral level is very good.

The bad news is that my Body Mass Index is 1.5 ABOVE the HIGHEST danger point level.

The good news is that the tablets are working to bring the blood pressure down.

The bad news is that they can eventually cause kidney damage and failure.

And so it goes on....

I also had news that a distant relative had died, and my ex-husband contacted me to discuss our possible mutual attendance and organising flowers. He then went into a long diatribe about how this relative was only 10 years older than himself (and my ex is the same age as me) and how that meant we all had only about 10 years of our life left and hadn't we better start living it..... and generally "Oh, woe is me!" which, of course, was just what I wanted to hear!!!!!!

I should have expected it, he writes drama for a living, and he lives life like a drama! We're still friends though.

How is everything in your world? I hope it is all good.

Take care Universal Granny