MS Lassitude Fatigue

Anyone with MS deals with others who think they know what is going on and try to relate. These people mean well but it can be a real struggle for the one with MS. When it comes to MS fatigue, comments like "I get really tired too" can be discouraging. The other day I read a blog post about fatigue and it made me think of doing a poem of sorts about the differences of 'being tired' vs MS fatigue. I'll have to save that for another day. Today however I would like to share the National MS Society's definition of lassitude fatigue. This is different from what I might call 'secondary fatigue' which would be fatigue brought on for a reason (like maybe your legs are hurting really bad during the night and you are unable to get sleep; as a result you are fatigued the next day).

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Lassitude fatigue:

• Generally occurs on a daily basis
• May occur early in the morning, even after a restful night’s sleep
• Tends to worsen as the day progresses
• Tends to be aggravated by heat and humidity
• Comes on easily and suddenly
• Is generally more severe than normal fatigue
• Is more likely to interfere with daily responsibilities

MS-related fatigue does not appear to be directly correlated with either depression or the degree of physical impairment.

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Some days I may start off pretty good but then all the sudden my body starts buzzing or vibrating inside and I know fatigue will hit within the half hour or so and hit HARD.  Like thousands of pounds of bricks are attached to my body and I am sinking into the floor. I recently heard a man describe it like this. Everyone experiences 'fatigue' whether they have MS or not. Someone without MS will relate your MS fatigue to the fatigue THEY have but that is like comparing an atomic bomb with a firecracker. Yeah, they both explode, however there is a huge difference in the impact.

I'll return some day soon with a little poem.