Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: How I’ve Fought To Overcome the Monster Part 1 (REVISED VERSION)

It’s horribly dreaded.

It’s pathetically debilitating.

I’ve got the retrovirus infection called simply Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. 

(Updated: March 2, 2020 … I had originally thought my illness was a prolonged cased of the flu. Then I thought it had to be Mono…even Chronic Mononucleosis. But my Nutritionist at Lifetime Fitness asked me a few questions — had a gotten a sore throat or swollen lymph glands, the answers both being no! — and I was told I had something just as difficult to bear…CFS. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.)

Back in late September of 2016 — before I ever gave a new start to this blog called Grand Vitality in my personal “Quest for Zest in Body, Soul, and Wallet” — I somehow contracted a retroviral infection at the age of 60.

And I’ve been fighting it ever since. The following paragraphs are what I first wrote when I thought I had Mono…

Well, first off, how in the world did I catch this monster that’s part of the family of viruses called Epstein-Barr?! EBV, as you surely know, is commonly referred to as “the kissing disease.” How could I have gotten it…

..when I wasn’t kissing any ladies back then? I’ve been divorced for 20 years now and wasn’t dating at the time! I had my hunches. I could have inadvertently shared eating/drinking utensils with a contagious young relative at a family dinner who wasn’t showing symptoms — a scenario that’s quite possible, I’ve learned.

Or maybe when my young niece gave me a quick peck on the mouth to say goodbye at the end of some other family get-together — she’d been officially diagnosed with it but was “over it” — she unwittingly infected me, not aware she was still contagious for a year after seeing all her own symptoms disappear.

Whatever. I got it. And I wished I hadn’t.

I eventually researched and learned from one source that the longest recorded case of Mono lasted 18 months. But there are other articles online that say there is a possibility Mono can drag on and on, month after month after month…for who knows how long?

Then there is…chronic mononucleosis. In which case your symptoms never go away.

And there is its derivative — Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Yikes.

AND THAT'S WHAT I HAVE, AFTER ALL. 

ITS MEDICAL NAME IS MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS.

I waited for months for my symptoms to go away. I wanted badly to be rid of the flu-like headaches and body aches and deep-seated fatigue in my bones and muscles. Even more, I wanted to be free of my EBV-induced depression. At times, I would have given anything just to feel an ounce of joy and real hope!

So I often felt desperate to hit the gym and pump iron again — and I did, here and there — just to get a burst of good adrenaline and endorphins. I even practiced golf on the driving range and chipping green, soaking up the sunshine and fresh air.

But it was almost impossible to do more than a little exercise at a time. Nothing more at the gym than a mere quick run-through. And I could never get through a full work day as a freelance writer.

The feeling of being totally alive for more than brief spurts, then, was gone. And for good, it seemed. I had to constantly take naps. I had to stay in bed at night for 12-14 hours. And when I woke, rather than feeling refreshed, I felt like I had just come down with the flu.

It was a battle just to get out of bed.

So….was this going to go on forever?

How to fight back?

I can’t cover it all today in this Part 1, but I will tell you what I did to at least launch my PERSONAL BATTLE AGAINST WHAT IS CALLED CFS – CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME...back when I still thought it was Mono.

1. I renewed my determination to steadily make and drink my own homemade kombucha. Though it’s an hour-long hassle to prepare every couple of weeks, I’ve felt too strongly (to ever quit doing it) the revitalizing effect of this near-miraculous immune system-building fermented treat that has all kinds of good stuff in it. Using a locally purchased, self-multiplying SCOBY — stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast — I made strawberry kombucha, ginger-lemon kombucha, and just plain ol’ lemon-and-sugar kombucha using organic black tea and organic sugar. Yum.
2. I also made home-made goat milk kefir. Same story as with the kombucha. I could definitely tell the difference in my vitality when I did or didn’t drink it. But I eventually had repercussions from the dairy — drainage, coughing — and had to stop.
3. More recently, I even purchased a refrigerated probiotic capsule supply from my D.O. here in Colorado, Mary Harrow. I knew I’d partly ruined my gut environment (where 70% or more of our immune system lives) from heavy antibiotic treatment in my youth and adult years past.  I needed all the good bacteria in my system I could get.
4. All along, from my local Whole Foods or Sprouts store I purchased cold fermented probiotic sauerkraut and kimchi . Love them both, though they’re a challenge to eat regularly because they are so full of “sour power.” I struggle often to remember to eat one of them with various meals, but it’s worth it to get the benefits of these excellent immune system builders loaded with probiotic strength.

With these four strategies…and lots of rest…                                                                 …slowly, slowly, I’ve made progress in feeling better.

But I’ve not returned yet to being able to work out vigorously. If I do more than a few reps on any weight resistance machine at LifeTime Fitness or even walk too vigorously on the road near my home, I relapse into bad flu-like symptoms within 24 hours.

So I’ve several times had to pay the price for my zeal by collapsing back into bed for a day or even two, missing life and work and everything else.

But thanks to the Maker of Heaven and Earth….!

That’s not the end of my story. I’ve recently made some discoveries. And I’m eager to tell you about them.

Maybe I can help you or someone you know. Read on to Part 2 of this blog!