Dealing with fatigue pre-diagnosis

Hi all,

Psoriasis nurse and endocrine doc both think I have something going on with my heart: I am struggling with breathlessness which isn’t explained by my asthma and is worse when lying down, along with chest pain, palpitations, upper abdomen distension and tenderness, skin mottling, slight pitting oedema on my lower legs, slight swelling in hands which is on/off, and quite visible heartbeat (I’m not slim by any means). I just had an echo yesterday to look in particular at the pulmonary arteries. Sonographer said there wasn’t anything he needed anyone to look at while I was still there but that was it.

I’m hoping for answers but my main struggle right now is fatigue: I’m a 2nd year uni student and am finding it really hard to deal with. Breathlessness is stressful but I can manage life with it whereas fatigue is making staying on top of my work increasingly difficult. I’m dreading Thursday as I have an appointment up at campus at 10, then class from 11-1 and 2-4, then choir (I leave just before 6 and get back shortly after 10). That’s a long day for me and then I have a CT enterography on Friday back at home. What can I do?

[woodlandwonders]

Hello,

I have been manageing crippling fatigue for 12 years now and please believe me when I say pushing on through NEVER works.

Please talk to your student manager and explain. I'm sure they would excuse you and help with lecture notes. Is the meeting vital? Could you do it on the phone . Could you maybe miss the choir this week?

I know there is a lot of 'miss' in that paragraph but if you take steps now they will work out less in the long run.

Please just think about you and your health. Life is a challenge but without good health it can be a real b***h

Take care

[Hidden]

Sorry I’m only just replying now! The day after I posted this, lots of things changed: my uni stopped on-site teaching and my choir suspended rehearsals. Now working through life on a more relaxed basis workwise as I cannot leave the house for the next 12 weeks due to having a severe respiratory condition.

Not heard anything back about my echo yet, but I also cannot go to the post room and haven’t been able to all week. I can email the post room on Monday to see if they have any mail for me but I don’t know how the lockdown and the extra pressure on the NHS might affect me getting results back? I don’t want bad results — nobody wants bad results, really — but I do worry that it’ll come back completely normal and it’ll be back to square one. Surely it can’t be all in my head? You can physically see my heart beating all the time and like I say I’m not slim. It might sound odd but it would be less reassuring to hear that everything looked normal than to hear that yes, something is going on and you’re not going mad

[woodlandwonders in reply to Hidden]

Hey Mainsdours,

Didn't see that you had replied. I completely understand. I could have kissed my consultant when, after 10 years, he worked out what was wrong. Countless GPS were more than happy to tell me it was all in my head. It destroys your confidence in yourself.

I really hope you find the person to believe and help you. Stay as well as you can xs