Chronic Fatigue

Ok, so in the course of my flu I have been alternatively sympathetic to the dying, the perpetually sick, and the chronically pained. Now that I'm pulling out of it, my thoughts move to another class I never really gave much credit to, before: the chronically fatigued.

I never gave much thought to the whole chronic-fatigue thing, though I was mildly suspicious of it, like probably 90% of the American populace. "Shuuuure you're feeling tired all the time. Uh-huh. That must be terrible. Now why don't you get out of bed and get a job?" I felt reasonably safe in assuming it was a mental thing. But then a friend of mine, who was neither lazy nor stupid, came down with it, and I had to reevaluate. And recently I found my college roommate's wife is similarly afflicted.

Now my heart really goes out to them, because it's been three or four days since I've been hacking-coughing-sneezing sick, but I still feel as weak as a kitten. I managed to work on Thursday and Friday ok, but I could barely keep up with the kids in the back yard. I spent a couple hours with them today, and was so beat I had to sleep an hour and a half to recover. So I keep telling myself I'll get better . . . but days go by and I'm not better, and I'm starting to think, jeez, what if I never pull out of this. What if I stay tired forever?

Cherish your vitality while you've got it.