When I (reluctantly) tell people that I have arthritis, the conversation usually becomes about pain. Obviously that is a main factor in life with arthritis but, for me at least, it’s the arthritis-related fatigue that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
At the end of a day spent walking round and generally living life with people who don’t have JIA, it’s not unusual for me to feel completely wiped out. The real frustration comes from feeling exhausted but not being able to sleep or rest because I’m in discomfort or pain.
It’s sometimes hard for me to tell the difference between fatigue and just being tired because I’ve not had enough sleep, but either way I find it best to get ahead before I get completely exhausted.
I know if I’ve been away from home or made a long journey I’m going to need a day or so to relax and recuperate. Though I might be able to push my way through the fatigue initially, I know that if I don’t catch up on rest I’m going to make matters worse.
Helpfully, there is a brand new section here on Arthur’s Place that has experiences from fellow arthritis warriors (including yours truly) and tips from professionals to help you Tackle Tiredness Today.
And if you have any tips on how you battle through the tiredness fog, we’d love it if you could share them in our Facebook group, Arthur’s Place Social.
Meet Collette and other friendly folk on Arthur’s Place Social, our Facebook Group
(Any opinions expressed in Collette’s blog are not necessarily shared by Arthur’s Place. Nothing that you read in Collette’s blog constitutes medical advice.)
