I wish I were "tired"

Recently, some patients with CFS and FMS have said how frustrating it is to say that one of the main symptoms is being tired all the time.... and to get the response from a healthy person, "Yeah, I'm tired all the time too." The overpowering fatigue can be a truly disabling symptom for people with this family of illnesses, yet it is one of the hardest to make others understand, because "tired" seems like something that everyone goes through sometimes. "Tired" is bad, is good, is frustrating, is a sign of a busy and demanding life.... but "tired" doesn't sound like a disability.

My response is..... I WISH I WERE 'TIRED.' Because I remember what 'tired' felt like, and one day I aspire to stop being Fibro Fatigued and be merely 'tired' like everyone else. I remember the feeling of being tired at the end of a day, and longing for rest or sleep, knowing that if I rested, I would recover from being tired. I remember being tired at the end of a long day, after doing a lot, wishing I could do more but feeling like I'm satisfied that I tired myself out doing a lot. I remember the physical feeling of being tired after a long workout, a hike, playing sports, knowing I could go to my edge and then recover stronger than ever. I remember being tired but being able to push past the tiredness and just drag myself along because I had things I "needed" to do that "couldn't wait." After years of "Fibro Fatigue", I long for the days when I was just "tired."

Tired is......
I'm tired, I can't wait to get into a warm bath and relax.

Fibro Fatigued is.....
I know I should take a bath but I don't have enough energy to walk to the bathroom, turn on the faucet, take my clothes off..... oh, man, I can't even think about it. I'll just sit here achey and sweaty and feel guilty for not being able to take a bath.


Tired is.....
I really want to go to this party, but I'm so tired. Well maybe I'll go just for a little while, and leave early. At least that way I'll see my friends and have some fun.

Fibro Fatigued is......
I can't move. I can't even remember that anything is going on outside my body. I don't remember which day it is, where the party is, anything.

Tired is.....
I'm tired, I'm going to just veg in front of the TV.

Fibro Fatigued is......
I can't handle the noise and stimulation of the TV, it feels like being on a roller coaster ride. I lie down with no TV, no music. If I can't sleep, I just stare at the wall in a stupor.

Tired is....
A yoga class or a brisk walk, some sort of workout, will help me sleep fully. I am tired but I'll force myself to get some exercise.

Fibro Fatigued is.....
I don't have awareness or control over my muscles. If I try to work out, I make jerky movements, slip and fall, get injured.

Tired is.....
I feel like resting. I think I could sleep if I lay down for a nap.

Fibro Fatigued is......
I don't want to rest, there is something I really am enjoying, and then I involuntarily fall into a deep sleep, regardless of what is going on around me.

Tired is.....
I'm looking forward to going to bed, because I will sleep and wake up refreshed.

Fibro Fatigued is.....
I'm already frustrated, because I sleep and I don't feel any better, I don't know how long this will last or when I will be able to function again.

Tired is.....
I'm just relaxing with my thoughts.

Fibro Fatigued is.....
I can't keep a thought in my head. I can't focus on anything and time goes by like I'm in a coma.

On a "good" day, when I am at my peak functioning.... I am Tired.