CFS Relapse?! Also Q's about exercise

[Kitty8675309]

Hi,
a while ago, a posted some questions here about CFS. My questions were answered by several people, and I appreciate that so much! As it turns out, I did have a CFS/Mono disease (Doctors aren't sure which) but have fully recovered. .... Or so I thought. For two months after my episode (more like SEASON) of Mono/CFS I was great! Helping around the house, handling more activities, etc,. Then slowly, I am starting to return to my tired state, and getting dizzy spells again, having trouble walking, ... I am actually pretty scared because i DO NOT want to go through that again. But is it possible? Could it come back that quickly? Or did I start doing too much, too soon?  If the latter is the case, how can I slowly get up my endurance? And, I'm still in Middle School, so is it reasonable to tell my P.E. coach my situation?
I know this was a long post, (with lots of questions) so thanks so much for reading it.

[Kitty8675309]

Hi everyone,
I've read all your posts, and I'm going to try and get an appointment with my doctor soon, but meanwhile, I'm trying out beginners Yoga, just so I can SLOWLY gain back muscles, and just help me relax. Any suggestions/thoughts about Yoga? has anyone ever tried it?
Thanks again, and hope you all had a great holiday!

[rwilli]

I too had FMS at a young age. I just wish I had known it. There are not any hard and fast rules I have found. Try to keep active but not push yourself to much. I know that is hard to do/understand. It can change hourly/daily. I am now 65 and still trying to keep up with FM. About the time I learn the rules they change.

You will need to keep in touch with how you are feeling at all times. Try to find the levels that you can function at without putting yourself into a flare. That is hard to do. This time of year is hard on all of us. You will probably find that changes in the weather can cause pain/fatigue.

  My mantra now is .go slow.....I wish I knew that at your age. And then try to do it.    Good luck,   rwilli

[VaBreeze]

Most who have CFS recall having been ill with a virus (esp. Mono) beforehand.  That is one of the thoughts behind CFS.  You can relapse at any time...unfortunately.  I think you should get back with your physician first thing to ward off what you can in the early stages (as it may be an infection).  You should be able to obtain a note from them excusing you from P.E. at school.  

I hope you feel better soon.  Take care.

[Kitty8675309]

Thanks for your post! If it was mono, can mono can relapse?

[RobinHood70]

If it was a "season", that's more likely to be mono, though as I understand it, some younger people will actually recover from CFS much faster than adults will (if they do at all).  But to answer your main question, yes, for those who have been lucky enough to recover from CFS, relapses aren't only possible, they're quite common.

And yes, ABSOLUTELY you should tell your PE coach the situation.  You should probably be excused from PE altogether (possibly in favour of some kind of rehab), as strenuous activity will make CFS significantly worse.  If your doctors have reason to suspect CFS and if they've done their reading, they should be more than willing to write you a note...though many doctors charge extra for doctor's notes.