Since the end of May (it is now end of Oct as of this writing) I have gradually slid into illness and am working with doctors but have gotten nowhere in diagnosing an issue as I wait weeks for an available appointment with the next specialist. I am getting desperate.
The main symptom I have is chronic fatigue, especially as it comes to exercise. I can walk and do the basic things in life, I can even sprint a few paces after my young son, but as soon as I go to run for exercise, my body is as if it shuts down. I Googled around to see that it is Exercise Intolerance. I have a few bad moments during the day, especially in the morning and again in the evening, where I yawn uncontrollably, have headaches, back and sometimes muscle aches and feel hung over (even though I did not drink alcohol), and feel nausea and dizzy, and sometimes mildly with foggy brain. It has gradually gotten worse, noticeable, say, ever second week.
I have been working with my PCP doctor. We did all the usual blood and urine tests (roughly 50-75 in total) to "rule out" kidney, liver, Lyme (tests three separate times over last 5 months) and so much more. All levels check perfect. The only level that we are keeping an eye on is Vitamin D, which is only slightly elevated but still in healthy range. (I did spend a lot of time outside over the last few weeks, and I do consume Vitamin D in food and vitamin, so this might be just a function of that.)
I am getting frustrated at the glacial pace of my treatment. Because I am not an emergency case, I need to wait until the next specialist after the previous found nothing. I have been to my regular doctor several times, the Endocrinologist twice, and next up is Rheumatologist. I suspect I'll continue to be bounced around.
I'm not sure what to do. Of course I am waiting for the next appointment, but I am ill and getting worse and no longer wan to wait. I am hoping somebody reads this and has an idea.
More information:
I am a long time runner who has 25 consistent years of running along with many marathons. I had a normal year, where I logged two marathons this year, the last being in May, and now I cannot even run a mile. It's as if my lungs do not process oxygen to the muscles. I just cannot feel comfortable no matter how slow I go. I am unable to get my heart rate up. What's strange about this is that I can do physical activities. In the last few months, I built a patio. I did okay even though I struggled through some symptoms. My legs feel heavy, as if congested, but there is no noticeable swelling. This came on gradually, and to be honest I think I noticed this on and off, albeit very mildly, over the last three years.
Speaking of which, three years ago I came down with Lyme Disease. I caught it right away, as it knocked me into my bed with deathly symptoms. I was on medication before the bullseye came. But the disease ran rough. Many of the symptoms I have now mirror those then, though I realize many conditions do. I have to be fair and say that since then I always think about Lyme and if I am still being impacted by it, as every once in a while something in the body reminds me of it symptom wise. Recently I was tested three times, and each time it came back negative. Is it possible to have Lyme but test negative? I was told I had tests that would look for Lyme in the blood AND another test to check for markers to indicate Lyme had been there. And both are negative each time.