First of all there are different types of muscle weakness: true and perceived. What I was thinking about today is how much muscle weakness in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is actual physical weakness and how much is perceived by our brain to be weakness. I don't know about you, but nobody has actually tested my muscle strength in different situations or during a flare-up. I may have pushed on the doctor's hand or something as she pushed back, but I don't remember. One thing I do know is I have never been hooked up to any monitors or any devices that would empirically compile evidence for actual muscle strength. The only thing I have to go by is how I feel.
However, after leaving the house for the first time in two months, I am convinced that my muscle strength is definitely affected after this last flare-up. All I did was go to the hair salon and walk around the corner to a small antique mall. But it was hard: I got very shaky the more I walked about, and then I began to lightly perspire, and I felt quite pale. I was glad I could make it back to the car, and I live in a small town. So it did not take long to get home.
Have you had similar experiences? Join me on facebook, so we can talk about it:
