Sickness in australia

[sqbr]

Still sick, but not quite as miserably so. Have decided to try using Chronic Fatigue Syndrome resources to figure out what's making feel so terrible all the time, since while I don't know that I do have big-CF Chronic Fatigue, I do definitely have small-cf chronic fatigue, and the way you diagnose big-CF fatigue is by testing for all the things that cause small-cf fatigue, so either I get diagnosed with one of those or I tun out to have big-CF S after all.
I emailed the WA ME/CFS society to ask if they have any GPs they recommend who are less likely to tell me I just need to eat more vegetables *mutter*, I must remember the one I was seeing in Nedlands back in 2003ish before I ran out of money and patience since he at least was willing to send me in for tests and specialists rather than brushing me off.

Also, since someone asked, a big version of my "Australia" icon. And yes, I was too lazy to finish off the bits I knew would get cropped :)

Comments

[stephbg.livejournal.com]

Has anyone ever raised fibromyalgia as a possible diagnosis? Do you get pain and stiffness? I'll grant you the name isn't much more helpful than CF - it's a "we've eliminated most of the things we're willing to test for but acknowledge that you're still sick" kind of diagnosis. Unfortuately the beige diet isn't enough to eliminate the fibro itself, so the winter weather is hitting hard.

As for helpful GP, nope. I have a friendly one, but he's not big on the inspiration.

Good luck with it all. You seem to be doing a good job of staying sane, at least in public :P

[alias_sqbr]

Yes, I do get stiffness and pain sometimes and have considered fibromyalgia, but fatigue and "flu like symptoms" are more the issue most of the time, and looking at the lists of symptoms I think CFS is a closer fit. Afaict (and I could be wrong) the basic "test for everything else and see" approach is the same anyway, and you decide which "thing you can't test for" you have at the end of the process and work from there.

Good luck with it all. You seem to be doing a good job of staying sane, at least in public :P

Thanks! My reaction to things I'm weird about is to get all repressed and not talk about them, so I come across as much saner than I really am :)

[auntpol.livejournal.com]

there's a good doctor at the uni doctor's. She wants to send everyone for every test imaginable. But...you're not student or staff anymore, so that doesn't help you.

[alias_sqbr]

I think I can still go there, it just costs more (which is why I stopped) Certainly I could probably persuade them to let me, given that I have a pre-existing account from when I was a student and would be going for a specific reason. Which dr is it?

[auntpol.livejournal.com]

Dr. Julia Kermode. Srsly, she's massively into tests for basically any ailment. I don't see why she'd be different for Chronic Fatigue!

[alias_sqbr]

Cool, I'll keep her in mind, thanks.

[lilysea.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this! I follow your fatigue stuff with interest, given my own
wildly fluctuating energy levels and sometimes limited number of spoons...

Please keep posting it! (:

I'm currently on day 11 of a really bad cough/cold[1], so...

[1] Went to the GP and she said "I know it's really annoying, but it's not
serious, so go away."

[alias_sqbr]

Yes, fatigue and issues with energy is one of those problems a lot of people have to a greater or lesser degree, and it's so hard to know what to do about it, so sharing is good.

Ew, 11 days is way too long. How annoying. Is it bronchitis? I had that a while ago, it hung on for ages after the cold itself had gone. But then it went away, so there's hope! :)

[fred-mouse.livejournal.com]

doctors - I'm told that one of the people who used to specialise in CFS has retired, which was depressing. I haven't had any luck at all in finding someone any good in dealing with fatigue problems, but I haven't looked very far. I had found a doctor who was competent at acute problems, and willing to try to deal with chronic problems, but wasn't getting anywhere, and the bugger has gone and moved to Vic Park, which means I'm going to have to get used to another one.

But if you find someone who is any good, please let me know.

Oh, and the hardest bit I found with my GP - getting the message through that when I say 'tired all the time' I don't mean the kind of tired you get when you haven't had enough sleep!

[alias_sqbr]

when I say 'tired all the time' I don't mean the kind of tired you get when you haven't had enough sleep!

God yes.