I'm worried about my health

[JenSquid]

I haven't felt very good lately. For the past two weeks, I've been extremely tired, seemingly no matter what I do. Even after I wake up, and persisting throughout the day, I have no energy whatsoever. Moreover, I feel as if my head is in a fog. I'm not sure if lightheaded is the right way to describe it, but I keep having instances where I suddenly feel out of it. Especially worrisome is the fact these occur while/after eating. Of course, I also feel sick to my stomach a lot as well. A few headaches too. My hands and feet ache for seemingly no reason (though that could just be psychosomatic... or early arthritis). What's more is I'm not sleeping well. Normally I get about nine hours a night, but despite my exhaustion, I'm waking up after about six.

This has me really, really worried. I'm not used to worrying about my health, but this has me legitimately scared. If I'm lucky, it's related to exhaustion, and should let up after I'm rested. I've been going non-stop for about two years now, and this set in about a week after I got out of school, just enough time for fatigue to catch up with me. However, I've been exhausted before, even enough to have micro-sleeps, and it's never been anywhere near this bad, or persistent, before.

What I'm really afraid of, is that it could be diabetes. Diabetes scares me the way few diseases do. Honestly, every description I've heard of it sounds hellish. Doubly so, since I like sweet foods, and I have a major, major, major phobia of all things blood. Needles squick me out. I can't even read about the human circulatory system without feeling nauseous. The idea of having to do daily blood work... or injections... (shudder). Honestly this has always scared me enough that I would say if I ever got diabetes, I'd just kill myself. Significantly less painful that way. The thing is, I can't say I honestly want to die. Not any more at least. The past several years have been spent finding a reason to live again, after years of having no hope for the future. Moreover, earlier this year I broke my long standing soda addiction, and I've been trying to clean up my diet, so to have this come after taking such steps feels like a slap in the face. Also frustrating is the fact that that addiction was the byproduct of something I couldn't do anything about (I spent a summer working 60 hour weeks, where I was constantly placed on a different shift, and since then I constantly have to fight my own circadian rhythm, being nocturnal in a inflexibly diurnal world. I needed the caffeine).

All of this has got me really down, and really scared. It was enough to ruin my 30th birthday a little over a week ago, and I spent the other night at work hiding in a corner sobbing. I don't want to die yet. I don't want to be sick, but I don't seem to be getting better. I'm still a wreck, and I really hope that some of the symptoms are just psychosomatic manifestations of my fears. I should really go see a doctor about this, except I don't have one, and haven't for years. Couldn't afford one without insurance. I applied for Medicaid earlier this year, but I still haven't heard back from them (I imagine the ACA has generated a colossal backlog). The company I work for keeps a nurse on hand, so I'll probably go talk to her later this week. Best I can do.

Still, I'm not doing too well. I'm scared.

;_;

[JLT1]

Sounds like Lyme's disease.  It does not sound like diabetics.  But, get to the nurse and explain the health insurance problem.  You might go to a cash only doc-in-a-box: $20-$30 gets you in and seen.

Get better Jen,

Hugs,

Me. 

[MacG]

It could be so many things. Stuff you can do on your own:
Take a vitamin that includes iron

Practice all the "get good sleep" stuff like no caffeine after noon (or so), no alcohol or eating a bug meal right before bed, practice relaxing

Try a little exercise (no, really)

Things that come to mind to check:
Blood test (sorry) including thyroid and iron
Check for sleep apnea (one need not be overweight to have this and it can really affect energy)
Get enough water
Depression can drain your energy, so if you think you might be depressed, it's a good idea to see a counselor. You might have this as a benefit through work. Like three visits through something called... EAP?

Ok. That's all I know from my own experience. I wish you luck and health.

[Monkeymel]

Get your iron levels checked. Are you on HRT? There is a recent thread about exhaustion related to stopping T production. And there is also something called "over stress" which is the counter part of "burnout". Overstress tends to leave brain functioning ok but body exhausted. Aching like flu.

If you changed your diet you might also benefit for a detox - variety of online resources for this but luck one which makes sense. These are nothing special but rules like multiple small meals a day; no root vegetables at night; eat 2-3 hours before sleeping.

I know it's scary when the body takes over and brain fog descends - but take charge and talk to the nurse.

[JenSquid]

Well, I talked to the nurse, and the first thing she suggested (jokingly) was that I could be pregnant. Somehow I don't think that's it. More seriously, she said it sounded more like a vitamin deficiency, most likely vitamin B. She still recomended seeing a doctor if things persist, but I think I'm going to start taking a vitamin supplement and see if it helps.

The other thing that was brought up, both by the nurse and by my mother, was sleep apnea. Now, I know I snore, and I have bad dust allergies, so it's certainly a possibility. Especially since I've had as much trouble sleeping lately as I have. Afterall, you're not going to get much rest if you can't breathe.

Still, I felt better last night than I did all last week, and now I have some things to try, which puts my mind more at ease. Also, thank you all for your concern and suggestions.

[Balerie]

Try and get a sleep study done. Sleep apnea does more than make you tired. It can affect your heart, cause depression, and in some cases cause cardiac arrest. I had it for about 2 years before I got tested and my life was a !living hell. I was tired even if I slept 12+ hours, I was depressed, and the it was affecting my thinking and my job performance. Now I sleep better, don't snore, and feel much better every morning when I wake up. More information cabs found here http://www.sleepapnea.org and incan tell you that after I read a few testimonials it really opened my eyes to the fact of just how bad things can get.