Exhaustion: The Leap from Fatigue

For many who suffer from chronic illness, the one symptom most have is fatigue. It is constant tiredness which does not go away. No matter how much sleep a person gets, he can wake up feeling just as tired (or sometimes even more tired) than before falling asleep.

For the last week, I have been struggling to get things done. I push myself to fight through the fatigue. My body revolts. It screams in pain. I concentrate even harder at the task which is before me. Suddenly, exhaustion hits. For me, this is the point in which my body shuts down. It does not matter how urgent or necessary something is, my body refuses to function.

I lay on my bed. My head screams in pain. My muscles throb with pain. My brain is a hot mess. Nothing makes sense. All I want to do is sleep, but I am beyond tired. Sleep is fleeting.

Exhaustion is probably one the most frustrating symptoms for someone who has chronic illness. Many people cannot imagine what it is like to hit this brick wall called exhaustion. It does not matter how much will power or desire a person has to complete a task, once exhaustion arrives, the body refuses to cooperate.