How walking to the bathroom can be harder than running a marathon

[ronr]

http://www.cortjohnson.org/blog/2015/09/25/walking-marathon-me-cfs-case-study/

Another great article by Cort Johnson about a doctor who was at the peak of physical fitness who was smashed with what they call ME/CFS.  A bit of a long read but well worth the time.

Poor doctor, but if more of them went through this kind of experience maybe something significant would happen in the research and development stages.
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Talking about taking research into your own hands. Mark Vink is a physician in the Netherlands who suddenly fell ill with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). He wasn't just your typical physician; he also happened to have a brown belt in judo, was the former captain of a Dutch national field hockey championship team and was a marathoner  and triathlete. In other words, the guy was a stud who loved to test himself physically – the last person anyone would ever expect to get ME/CFS. Or end up bed bound. Or end up using a six yard tramp from his bed to the bathroom to test his exercise capacity.

After a patient of his with pneumonia coughed in his face, Vink's energy and endurance quickly tanked. He estimated that from one day to the next he lost 70-80% of the power in his legs. Very quickly this former marathoner was unable to walk 30 yards without having to rest for 15 minutes. He also began to experience severe dizziness, headaches (for the first time in his life), problems sleeping. Graded exercise therapy (GET) caused him to relapse further and he ended up bedridden.

Read more: How Walking to Bathroom Can Be Harder Than Running a Marathon: A Doctor's ME/CFS Case Study http://www.cortjohnson.org/blog/2015/09/25/walking-marathon-me-cfs-case-study/

[denny]

I hope he was one who didnt believe.

[foxgrove]

Well... he sure believes now!!!  I hope he's able to regain enough function to go back to work and pass on some of that hard won knowledge.  That's what I see as the biggest issue... the folks who are the sickest are the least visible.  All the public sees are the folks who can still have a life for the most part.  Sad, bug I do talk to folks as much as my body will allow.  I know y'all try to do the same within reason and sense... some times and some folks you just can't talk to

[countryboy]

Very interesting read even if it did take a while to worm my way through all of it.  Makes you wonder how many there are like him as far as failing that fast.  Shocking to say the least.  I would think that there are quite a few that are that far down the ladder, but I would think that if there were quite a few that went down that fast you would hear more about it.

No matter how we try to protect ourselves from getting to that shape, not much can be done once you start down the slide.
Too bad he is not one of the top 10 guys to write a story like this, if he was then we might have found someone to start the ball rolling in our fight.   

The guy does know how to write, I'll give him a lot of credit for that. 

[denny]

You made it sound too good CB. I had to read some of it.
It leaves me wondering if there isnt a wayt to lower the production of lactade.

[looneylane]

  Its never easy for me to understand these guys

[denny]

It is getting harder loony.

[DEL]

It is amazing how quickly one's life can change...for some of us the process took years but people like this doctor were totally

screwed overnight. What should be scary to people is this guy was damn-near Bionic heath-wise and STILL wound up like us.

[looneylane]

Most will never understand especially when we look healthy on the outside.

[DEL]

People need to get past this "looks" idea of health...just this last year I know of two people personally who didn't look even

remotely sick and they both laid down one day and just died-no warning whatsoever. One was my age (46) and the other

was 60.

I'll be the first to admit I'm overweight and never been much of an athlete but I've always been able to do manual labor and my

duties at the prison....yet Fibro snuck up on me and kicked my ass just as nice as you please. Many of you were in better shape

yet that didn't offer any protection.

No one asks for it...but unfortunately that's not a requirement...

[db]

This case suggest that any fatigue should be checked for key blood factors.  I would bet most doctors don't think of it.  I had a 10 minute stress test once which really wiped me out.   

However I passed! 

I have never had the doctors try to figure out what is wrong with be.  I have been diagnosed with chronic myofascial pain but they don't seem to know how to evaluate it.  They just do static medicine. 

Anyways, the article suggest this is something worth looking into.  It fits with my condition although I am not nearly so bad. 

db

[looneylane]

Had to reduce my physical involvement again volunteering so in trade I agreed to teach fire safety for another department and be a remote Incident commander who goes to any complex fire scene to help keep things under control and keep members safe. This may entail doing investigation work on a basic level. I know that job so well it won't take any more energy than driving the truck to the scene. The police write the main report anyways with our guidance.

[foxgrove]

Very glad that you were able to find more accommodation in your fire duties Looney..  That's great that you get to pass your hard earned knowledge down to the next generation of smokies.  Bravo!!

[ronr]

 

[looneylane]

Thanks guys. It's not easy for me to step back but I am having less and less choice in the matter it is either quit or reduce. Been fighting vertigo for three days right now and just starting to feel better