Hi Don,
YUP that was a big kick up the bum and it hurt you big bully...haha...no thanks so much for writing that. You are right I probably can do something about it, even if it is 3 mintues in the bathroom to just close my eyes and chill.
I really spat it on the weekend. Im soooo sick of feel tired and exhausted all the time that I said to everyone around me...enough is enough...I care about my course, but its not going to kill me...So its about time I got real about ym health and started looking after myself. So, I had placement yesterday which was great but I had a migraine all day and just wanted to fall asleep.
I came home, cooked myself lemongrass fish soup and then went to bed at 8pm. I have never been in bed that early. I said to myself, stuff work, im ehausted (was planning on doing pilates, but could barely keep my eyes open)!! I slept from 8pm last night till 8:30am this morning. OH my god. I could believe it. I didnt sleep all the way through, and of course it was broke sleep, but who cares, my head was on the pillow for that long.
I still woke up feeling groggy, tired and fatigued, but im really really trying to make an effort, get down time and sleep as much as I can. At the moment, I really dont care about exercise (a bit of yoga here and there) but for me the most important thing right now is to start feeling good, because ive been feeling like for so long, i cant remember what it feels like to energy thats not artificial.
Thanks for the big kick up the bum Don, I needed it. Your like my guardian angel that keeps me on track and from killing myself. I guess I always thought, im 23, what damage can I possibly do...You only do damage when your older...But seriously, right now, feel like im 65years old, not 23. And I feel myself ageing really quickly.
I want to feel good, so im going to do everything I can to get there. I dont care if it takes me 3 years. Im on a mission....to wake up and actually feel good and refreshed and to want to go for a walk or do something because I feel like it...
take care.
thanks for everything
stace

ok, well my results came back from the 24 hour cortisol testing and everything was perfectly normal and within the healthy range....hmmmm....ok....this has me stumped. So if my cortisols are fine, what on earth is wrong with me and why am I soooo bloody tired.
The only other thing I can think of is that I may have (based on all the symptoms) intermittent high and low cortisols since I have all the symptoms there such as, muscle aches and pain (almost as if I have the flu, but without the actual cold) constant fatigue, feeling unrefreshed even after 11 hours of sleep days in a row, blurred vision, headaches, dizziness whenever i get up from somewhere and always broken sleep. I never sleep through a whole night solid without waking up for no reason, even if its not to go to the bathroom.
Im so gald they the test came back normal...maybe its simply just fatigue and that my body is trying to recover. Ive been working really super hard on my diet to get the best nutrition everytime I eat. The only problem there is I cant eat all the food. Ive lost my apetite and just cant fit that last meal in, im eating my snacks when Im full, and ive always been told to eat only when im hungry. That would be like 7 hours after ive eaten now.
so, yes, im a little baffled, but glad about everything being clear. So does that mean i dont have burnt out adrenals and should follow a healthy adrenal plan (depending on what my results are for the insulin test?)
cheers
stacey

well, i just got my serum fasted (12 hours) insulin levels back and everything was normal. ok, so now what? this is really wierd. My triglyceride levels were high after a 12 hour fast but my endocrinologist beleives that this is because I was on the pill....grrrrr.....I have no idea what to do. Everythings back normal but seriously I feel like I have chronic fatigue.......very frustrating.
maybe someone else can make sense out of this for me.
stacey

Hi Stacey,

Sounds like your body just needs more time to heal. If you've only been on SP for a couple of weeks you probably just need to be patient. Sleep as much and as long as you can, listen to your body and give it what it needs. You will begin to heal when you make your health the priority in your life.

Hang in there, you'll feel better soon.

Di

Hi Stace,

It's a good thing that your tests are coming back in the normal range. My guess is that you're doing something about your health in time - before you've done damage to your body that could take a long time to recover.

What Di says is right on the mark. Give it as long as it takes.

My guess is that (based on previous posts) your major challenge is stress management. I'm so proud of you for taking time to relax, and especially prioritizing sleep over more work! (I think you'll find over time that a lot of the "necessary" work isn't necessary after all. And if it is, someone else needs to pitch in and help.)

Now, make your down time a priority. Get regular sleep hours (even if you don't sleep through the whole night). Your health is worth far more than any job, class, degree or any amount of money. Remember this: You're worth it!

Eat well. Relax often. You'll begin to feel better, and your whole world will take on a new perspective!

Blessings,

-Don

Thankyou Di and Don for your posts. You are both very right. I think all I need it is time to heal, by sleeping as much as I can, eating all the good food my body needs and learning a bit more about relaxation and stress management. I have been super busy these past few days and can feel really stressed throughout the day, so I have been taking 5 minutes to myself to just breathe slowly and slow my mind down. Yesterday was a crazy day, so I took the evening off to relax with my partner and sleep.
I guess the only problem is my sleep. I cant sleep all the way through the night and wake up 2-3 times just to roll over or go to the bathroom.
Is there anything that might help me with sleep. I know in TSP that she talks about not sleeping in the afternoon for a power nap and waiting till evening, but sometimes I just can hold off.
Im going to see a naturopath on sat to talk about my fatigue etc and maybe she can give me a massive dose of vitamins to get my immune system up and going, or better yet, give me some relaxation techniques.
Thanks guys for the posts and for looking out for me...it means a lot.
stace

Hi Stace,


Well said! I don't know if it's becoming apparent to you yet, but the things you are "saying" have taken on a different tone, just over the last few days.

Sounds like you're doing great with meals, and you're beginning to get more sleep, and that's wonderful. It will begin to pay off in just a handful of days, and you should notice truly significant improvements in a month or six weeks.

I've come to know that you're a person of true intensity. So now it's time to direct that intensity toward stress management (not just "learning a bit more about" it ). Consider this: What if you could cut the energy you direct into stress merely in half, and begin to store that energy up for use in rebuilding and restoring your body? Now what if you could cut the remaining stress in half, and focus all of that energy like a laser beam, onto the truly important things in your life, like relationships and life goals?

You'd be unstoppable. That's my wish for you, and for everyone who really wants to be all they can be.



You don't mention that you have trouble getting to sleep, or when it is you're waking. One way to get to sleep quickly is to eat a bit of turkey half an hour before going to bed. (If you're eating vegetarian, you may be able to purchase Triptophan there in Oz. It's the active chemical in the turkey that will make you sleepy. It's now illegal here in the US.)

If you're sleeping soundly the first 4 hours, I wouldn't be too concerned. That's when you get the vast majority of body restoration.

Keep up the good work!

Blessings,

-Don

Hi Don,
thanks for the email...very motivating. I hope I am improving.
I certainly am making a HUGE effort to put my health first...at the same time....getting into the doctoral program was the hardest thing in my life...so im certainly not going to let that slip through my fingers.
I think the biggest thing I have learnt from TSP is 1) listen to my body - the symptoms I have are indicative of my body health and 2) MODERATION...
I have always been some one who does everything in excess...all or nothing kind of personality...if you cant do it perfectly and 100% dont bother doing it at all.
TSP has taught me to just do little bits, and to never feel like a failure. Ages ago, If I had a piece of chocolate, I thought I was a failure and would punish myself my hours at the gym....now if I have a square, I only have it if I truley feel like it and get over it and end up not really wanting any at all.
I think personally, TSP saved my life. Not only physically, but psychologically, I dont know where I would be now (and hate to think about it) and how much mental pain I would be in because I would be constantly pushing myself and always saying that my efforts were never good enough.
I have allowed myself to sleep when im tired, to eat what I feel my body needs, not because of what I think I should be eating based on the amount of carbs it has in it or the number of calories. I dont even count calories any more, I eat when Im full, eat just eat for health and for my body, not for my psychological satisfaction of having a 'good day'.
So, yup i am learning and i want to keep on learning. I came home from a massive day at uni yesterday, had a yummy dinner of roast vegies and fish and was in bed by 8pm and asleep by 9pm and never woke up till 7am. Thats 10hours straight....I cant remember the last time that happened. I saw the naturopath today, did some work and was feeling really tired, so I went and had a sleep from 5-6pm and felt so much better. So, yup im sleeping whenever my body says sleep and eating when it says eat and just going for a few light walks and doing some yoga. I know ill get there eventually, it will just take some time.
The naturopath I saw was great. I told her EVERYTHING...entire history and she said ok...you have put your body through some tough times...but its not totally exhausted (as she checked my eyes with a special light and said that my pupils reacted fine - she also said that my liver, kidneys and other organs looked fine).
She said that it seems that at the cellular level, you body is tired and exhausted. She said no matter how may vitamins you put in there, you body wont absorb it, because your cells are not functioning properly. She said it was most likely I still have a virus hanging around and gave me some natural stuff to get detox my body of any parasites or viruses so that she can then work on building up my immune system etc with a 'healthy base'.
She said it seems my liver is not working too well either, with the headaches, poor bowel movements and skin problems etc, but that my diet was best she had seen and I said that it was thanks to Dianne Schwarzbein and she said it was probably one of the best books she had ever read too.
So, i have to get off all vitamins etc and keep up my great diet and sleep heaps relax and drink plenty of water and go back in 2 weeks hopefully with a nice healthy system and ready for immune building.
I just wanted to say thankyou sooooo much don for being so supportive. I dont even know you, but truly think you helped me save myself from killing myself with stress, over exercise and a poor diet in 10years or so..
You have no idea how much it means....your the best...And im sure you wife knows it too...
stace

Hi Stace,



Are you kidding? You're doing great!

Do us both a favor, and go back and read all of your own posts to this thread. In the period of about 60 days (a month before your first post), you have gone from what you described as exhausted, plopped into a heap, crying uncontrollably - to someone who is already finding a balance in her life, and beginning to feel much better.

Recently, you said:



...and you said something to the effect that you wanted to experience what genuine, natural energy felt like again, instead of the artificial energy from stimulants. And from your most recents posts, you're finding that balance:



Feels good, doesn't it?

So, please do read your posts in this thread. You'll answer your question for yourself, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Blessings,

-Don

Stace, you said:



You are very kind. I'm really the fortunate one - my wife, Carol, is a wonderful person and my best friend (we've been married 26 years this month, so it just may last ). Marrying her was the second-best decision I've ever made.

Blessings,

-Don

hi all,
well I thought I better let you knwo how im going. I have only improved slightly - no more headaches and fuzzy brain. But i am still chronically tired and sleep constantly. For instance, wed night I slept 9 and a half hours, then came home after uni and slept another 2.5 hours, then slepr around 9 hours last night and im still tired. Im assuming it gets better I just cant wait until then. I have tired exercising for a few days and am just completely exhausted from it. I need 1-2 days to recover from an exercise session..VERY FRUSTRATING. But my diet is really good, im eating vegies all day long, and trying to get in the protein and carbs. Im just never hungry and push myself to eat 3-4 times a day, and them im sooo full.
I have started having a vegie juice fresh each morning, my favourites are celery, carrot and cabbage or beets, carrots and an apple. yum.
so im just trying to be patient and no to push myself too hard. Uni work is crazy at the moment, so im assuming thats where all my energy is going.
I starting hatha yoga next week 2-3 times a week. and maybe if i have the energy, to fit in a bit of walking.
Im seeing my naturopath on tuesday next week, so im hoping that goes well.
Oh and im down to 2-3 green teas a week ...yay. I can seriously say I no longer rely on caffeine to stay away, unlike most of my other uni mates who have 4-5 a day.
The thing i cant believe is that If i didnt have BOA and im THIS exhausted, imagine who exhausted one would be if they had really burnt them out!!!
YIKES!
take care
stace

...to learn that patience you said you're trying to have.

If you can gain that patience (and it is a decision) in the midst of your life at the moment, it will serve you always.

If I were to venture a wild guess, I'd say you're as tired as you are to a great extent from the mental stress you're under each day. But in any case, I think you're doing exactly the right thing - getting good nutrition, mild exercise that helps your body clean out and relax, and as much rest as your body can handle. In your current environment, holding your own is a good achievement, and you may not truly see a "breakthrough" until you're through your program and your life can have more slack in it.

Yoga, stretching, good. Walking, very good (use the time to enjoy the things around you!). Don't know if you're walking outdoors, since it's still winter there, but if you do, enjoy the fresh, clean air, the birds, and all the sights. It'll help you relax.

Keep us in touch.

Blessings,

-Don

hi all,
well this week has not been a good week so far. I went to thi chiro to see if my back was out, which may explain the severe headaches and migraines. So I went today and she said my lower back and neck were severely out of plum, and referred me on to get xrays done. So I made an appointment this afternoon and I was required to stand up while the xrays were being taken. I have problems with standing up for a long period of time and low blood pressure. I passed out while having the xray taken!!!! The blood ran from my head, I become really dizzy, my vision went and had pins and needles all up my arms. As I came to it, I sat down for a while, a was read to get back up. This happened 4 times, It took over an hour to get 3 xrays done because I could stand up for any longer than 30 seconds. Ugh. I was so upset and so scared because I didnt know what was going on. A dr came in and took my blood pressure which was low.
So, I left. I drove and saw my naturopath this afternoon and told her about everything and what happened that day and that I wasnt too well over the week (suffered severe migraines etc). She said, your not going to like what im about to say, but you sound like someone with chronic fatigue syndrome. I almost cried when she said it. I thought I was getting better, but obviously not. She looked at my pupils and said they show clear signs of adrenal exhaustion. I looked pale, tired and wornout.
So, im on new herbs and and jus trying to get through all this. Im just soooo sick of feeling exhausted...and I know I know....sleep, rest and eat well.
I guess it will just take some time. Im even thinking about taking the summer off placement to rest and sleep. I think I seriously need it.
So, things havent improved, but im sticking with it. I have all my trust in TSP. And still no caffeine...Thats one positive.
stace

P.S.
The thing im confused about is that my naturopath thinks my adrenals are clearly exhausted, but all my cortisol tests came back normal...Do I need a test for adrenal function...Or should I stick with the eye test that the naturopath gave me, where she put a light in my eye, and my pupil didnt constrict, but stayed wide open...?
So, im usure if I technically have BOD or not..?

Hi Stace,



The downside of being 23 is that one typically thinks they are invincible and will live forever, and that everything has to happen instantly.

There are other simple tests for burnout besides the eye test your naturopath performed. One is to lie down for at least 15 minutes, then take your blood pressure. Then you stand up and immediately take it again. If your adrenal system is working properly, your blood pressure should rise about 10 points (don't know if that's systolic, diastolic or both). Anyway, it sounds like your BP is going down, if anything. That would seem to point to a problem such as burnout.

Here is a link to an online questionnaire that might help:

http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/burnout.php

That you're even considering pulling back on your schedule to deal with this and prioritize your health is a good sign. It may not seem like it at the moment, but you have oodles of time to accomplish things in your life!

Blessings,

-Don