Fatigue can show up in different ways in the body. Since my stroke, I’ve experienced sleepiness, headaches, slowed reflexes and responses, poor concentration, tired/watery eyes, sensitivity to noises and lights, and dizziness. Here’s an article discussing fatigue in more depth: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/fatigue
Defining my Fatigue: Physical Body and Eyes/Brain
I’ve experienced two types of fatigue: one that affects my physical body, making me feel extremely tired, and making my reflexes and motions seem slow and zombie-like, and one that affects my eyes and brain, where my concentration and focus are off. I feel dizzy and have headaches; I have tired and watery eyes, and I become sensitive to sounds and lights around me. If my eyes and brain fatigue are not addressed immediately, I will experience physical body fatigue.
My Physical Body Fatigue Cause
In my last post Using the CPAP Machine for 20 Days, I briefly discussed my fatigue and its likely cause. I was referring to my physical body fatigue. Today, I’m happy to report that the physical body fatigue has eased tremendously! It’s been over one month since I started using a CPAP machine and two weeks since I’ve had an iron infusion. I’m so thrilled to have more energy throughout the day!
My Post-Stroke Physical Body Fatigue Experience
Even before my stroke, I would feel tired throughout the day – you could easily catch me yawning. After the stroke happened, my tiredness worsened. I felt like a zombie all day. My reflexes were slow. I felt like I was walking in slow motion – ready to fall asleep as soon as I sat down or after I did a regular, less strenuous activity.
One of my therapy goals was to increase my endurance but that seemed like an impossible task at the time. Taking public transportation to my therapy appointments and then performing the physical therapy exercises took a lot out of me. I’m excited now that I can work on my physical therapy goal to increase my endurance levels!
If you feel extremely tired most of the day, please have your doctor examine you for sleep apnea or iron deficiency. I wish that I checked sooner! My post-stroke fatigue isn’t completely gone though. If my eyes/brain fatigue is not addressed, I will start experiencing physical body fatigue. In my next post, I will discuss my experiences with eyes/brain fatigue and how I manage my symptoms.