ME/CFS Is More Than Feeling Tired

I don’t feel tired; I feel like I body slammed a brick wall, not as much in the pain as in the “Ugh, I can’t move or think now” sensation. I feel like I’m five decades older than I am. I feel like I’m unplugged in the dark. 

That's how my memoir starts because people need to know that, despite the silly name chronic fatigue syndrome, individuals can have any of a list of dozens of symptoms. For me, the worst symptom is brain fog. Concentrating, thinking, planning, deciding, and listening can be paralyzing.

By the way, I submitted my book proposal to a publisher last month. Tell me, what's your reaction to that first paragraph? I'd love to know what readers think!

Photo: Rob MacEwen, Flickr Creative Commons

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Darla Nagel is an editor and writing tutor who has an invisible chronic illness. She wants to help other patients and enlighten health care professionals about our experiences. If you’d like to be alerted whenever she writes a new post, sign up by e-mailing darla.nagel@gmail.com.