Poll Structural Issues in ME/CFS: The Chicken or the Egg? (Part 2)

[Lissa]

If you enjoyed Part 1 of "The Chicken or the Egg?", you'll want to contribute to this one as well.

If nothing else the results will give us more things to scratch our heads and pontificate over!

 

[Lissa]

I also might add that the time frames here are meant to be wide open in terms of WHEN the injury vs infections happened. Only concerned here with the ORDER they happened in.

For instance I had several different structural injuries over the years, and also had several hard to kick infections.... but in my case the injuries predated the final flu-like illness that became the descent into full blown, disabling ME/CFS.

 

[Cort]

Very interesting.. now to do Pt I!

 

[Snow Leopard]

Was relatively fit, healthy and rapid onset when I was a teenager.

 

[Upgrayedd]

I was an avid runner and biker prior to getting sick. Then I had a tumor removed from a nerve in my thigh. But, probably more importantly, I had two months of horrific constant pain before the surgery due to a biopsy that injured my nerve.

That was followed by a rapid descent which included a reactivation of EBV, fainting spells, hypersensitivity to light and sound, insomnia, POTS, PEM, air hunger, carpel tunnel, and do I even have to say it? Profound debilitating fatigue.

 

[Merida]

Thanks, Lissa for the interesting survey. I checked that I never had a viral infection, but I remembered that 10 years ( 1988) before the injury I had a very weird virus and was very sick. Had hives even from wrist watch pressure. Developed severe sulfite allergy. Got terrible asthma, some fatigue, severe sinus problems, chronic throat clearing, more. - symptoms lasted nearly a year. This virus reoccurred each October, but lessened over about 5 years. So, I am really confused now.

 

[Lissa]

Thanks, Lissa for the interesting survey. I checked that I never had a viral infection, but I remembered that 10 years ( 1988) before the injury I had a very weird virus and was very sick. Had hives even from wrist watch pressure. Developed severe sulfite allergy. Got terrible asthma, some fatigue, severe sinus problems, chronic throat clearing, more. - symptoms lasted nearly a year. This virus reoccurred each October, but lessened over about 5 years. So, I am really confused now.

Yes @Merida -- very confusing! The more I think back, the more I wonder. I just posted on "part 1" about something else I just remembered.

And dialing it all back to high school-- is when I had pneumonia and also got mono the 1st time. Did I have spinal/head injuries before that? ???

Ummm I fell off a bike rack when I was a kid- was sitting on it and lost my balance because my feet didn't touch the ground. Landed on my back and knocked the wind out of me. Would I have attributed that to anything? I wouldn't think so but geez... ????

Then college age--- fell off a horse - wrenched my shoulder and got whiplash. Wound up with my 2nd case of mono my senior year. After having been the fittest I've ever been in my life. (In college I used to sprint a mile every day, walk two miles, and also play an hour of solo racquetball every day.)

Struggled with energy problems on and off over the years ever since. Lots more injuries and illnesses, yada yaa, insert my tale from part 1 of the survey and here we are. Been disabled with ME/CFS since 2010. Mostly housebound, but better than I was at first, thanks to the loads of supplements I take!

 

[Merida]

@Lissa
Very interesting. I remember talking to a young guy who had been in a motorcycle accident - had 22 broken bones. Sever years later he did not have pain, neuro symptoms, or fatigue. So, I end up back to the idea that there is something different about us - probably structural - that makes returning to a state of 'balance' very difficult.

 

[Merida]

And we have a leaky blood- brain barrier?