It’s been a while since i’ve written. Just didn’t want to get in on the ups and downs of the process anymore. So 6 weeks ago I started on a Testosterone treatment. On Monday I’m going to see my doctor and request a release to work.

It wasn’t just the testosterone. I also switched migraine medicines within the last two weeks and that is helping a lot as well. I now am more likely to feel tired than fatigued – though I still feel both. Mostly though i’m just ungodly weak from simply being unable to exercise.

It didn’t matter what I do – work up slowly or quickly, hold a lower level of activity over time, push through a mild case of fatigue, etc… In the end I always wound up laid up for days. I simply couldn’t exercise. At all.

I’m not all the way back, but i’m so much better than i’ve been in so long. When I first started on the Testosterone, I initially felt almost immediate relief from a constant aching that I experienced. But the fatigue stuck. It really stuck for the first month with one small break in the middle – which it turned out I overdid and spiraled right back into fatigue.

But now, while I feel weary and tired, I don’t feel the same discomfort i’ve been feeling constantly for months. And actually for 5 years I have not been able to exercise without being laid up for a bit. It was just so much worse in the last 6 to 8 months.

So soon i’ll be back. And i’m already seeing faster recovery from activity. Though this morning I pushed it maybe a tad far. So my back is killing me at a minimum. Doesn’t matter. Because based on how I feel and how i’m improving, I think by mid August I will feel the best I have felt in over 6 years.

Hurrah for me! Thanks for your patience and understanding. I’ll add more thoughts later if I can.

…is all I ask for. This week has been one of my most brutal weeks. Things were relatively stressful late last week. And I did carry down an ac unit from the attic. So I guess those might have contributed. I think in actuality dipping T levels are probably partially to blame. Whatever the case, these last few days have been absolutely terrible. 

But there is hope. Today is started my testosterone treatment. We know levels are low and fatigue is a common outcome. It doesn’t seem based on my reading that the low testosterone levels could explain it all. But they certainly should help but it could take weeks or months from what we’ve read.

My sleep study results came back and my doctor wants me to do one on site to rule out any concerns there. I dislike the idea of sleeping there but Ill do it of course. Gotta cover all the bases.

Nothing really else to report. Obviously, having a brutal week is bad on the state of my mind. I try to keep upbeat but I’ve basically been couch or bed bound all week. Hopefully most everyone else is having better times.

I’m having trouble being constructive. On one hand, I’m frequently miserable due to my health issues. On the other hand, I’m highly distracted from my own routine by the effort to end systemic racism in this country. I’m limited in what I can do due to health so I’m doing my best to raise visibility online. When I can. Because Black Lives Matter more than my own comfort. 

But, its hard to press forward when I’m so miserable like I am today. On Friday we moved another air conditioner into place due to one being broken. Yesterday was bad. But today is worse. I cant do that kind of activity without major repercussions. I seriously just want to go to bed and fall asleep and try to miss the day. 

On the recovery front, I had an MRI and completed my sleep study. The MRI results showed nothing of concern. So, based on earlier blood tests it seems I might have an issue due to low testosterone levels. And I thought that might be a good thing. Alas, I was prescribed meds for it but the insurance company has held them up. So know instead of taking a medication that should help me for the last several days, I’m simply waiting for the ok to take a medication that should help me. And I’m miserable. Thanks Obama. Seriously, fuck our health insurance system.

The journaling is supposed to help with the mental health challenges of struggling against a disability during a pandemic. But this past week, no amount of journaling (or lexapro) probably would have changed it. After struggling against something for so long it is very hard to keep a positive hopeful outlook on things.

For my part, I havent been journaling because i felt too down to journal. Kind of a catch 22 there. So I’m going to try to re-start with this and re-gain some of the lost momentum.

I think that doing board game videos was one way with which I could manage some positive outlook. But we havent been doing them as much. Jen is super busy with work. And I’m depressed and unmotivated. Also, i havent been logging my fatigue but I think it may be worse than it was before. Or maybe that is just the fatigue/depression combo.

But I made my phone calls today to keep treatment plans and testing moving.  And Ive been solo playing small card games as much as I can stand sitting at the table. And so it is. Just 2 months until my next blood letting.

I cant help but to do it to myself. I have a good day, or just a modestly ok series of days, and I think I’ve turned some kind of corner. I convince myself. I buy in. Then I quickly learn that I’m full of shit. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

I did it again. I did legitimately think I had turned a corner by Friday of last week. Again. When in reality, I followed a patter that had previously worked and had discussed before. 

It went like this: Lay low and do very little activity for an extended period such as a week. Enjoy a period of greater energy such as a few days. Crash like the world is ending.

So yes, thank you for checking in on another episode of I am a Complete Idiot.

Another two days. Another two days of fatigue. With that said, I generally continue to see enough energy to be productive. However, it occurs to me this may partially be due to the fact that I limited my activity last week. With activity back in a low range, that might have left energy to tap into.  Anyhow, here is a quick recap.

On Monday, my fatigue wasn’t too bad in terms of achiness, but I was exhausted all day. It never really hurts but most of the time I am tired and my body is achy. Then on days like Monday, I have minimal achiness but I’m still completely sapped. This means I am limited in what I can do – both physically and especially mentally.

Yesterday was a typical day. Lots of fatigue. But I managed to push through a bunch of it and get some stuff done. I wouldn’t say it was a highly productive day – but it wasn’t one of those days where I managed nothing.

Today, I am doing ok. But Ive got the achy fatigue factor and my back is starting to kill me. I just don’t have much core strength right now. And I cant do the work I need to to get it back. So in time I will, but that means I have to watch and not overdo it. Which I almost certainly have today. Despite the achy fatigue I have managed to get a lot done – mostly sorting through bills and such.

This post was from yesterday morning. It did not publish for some reason.

It has been a few days since Ive written. And Ive learned some things about my fatigue and the blood letting in the thereafter. Last Tuesday I went through my first rite of blood letting (and no – I will never refer to it as anything other than blood letting). 

Wednesday was incredible. Except for a few hours in the afternoon, which were fixed through rest, I was fatigue free. Now the fatigue was heavy when it occurred. So that was a negative. But it had been a long while since I’d had so little fatigue in a day. It felt like heaven.

Thursday was brutal. Heavy fatigue. Very tired. Exactly what you’d expect. And the fatigue continued into and through the weekend.

However, I was actually quite active for a couple of those days. Friday I had a very high step count. The kind of step count that usually meant major suffering. I did some cleaning in the attic. I even carried some loads of books (no more than 8 at a time) upstairs as part of a re-shelving plan.  I even had a zoom gaming session where we played Detective – A Modern Crime Game. Side Note: This is serious fun.

And not surprisingly, on Saturday, I was heavily fatigued. But I managed a bunch of games – though mostly quick ones. And while my step count was low – it wasn’t abysmally low. So I had a productive day despite the fatigue. So my energy wasn’t entirely drained.

Now Sunday, I remained fatigued, but not quite as much. I managed two zoom sessions with family plus games. I managed a normal amount of steps as well. 

And this morning, it is early, but I am not fatigued as of yet. I can feel some early signs that it is likely coming – but this is better than I have any right to feel. Don’t get me wrong. I’m totally sapped. But I think Ill get a few things done today. I feel my brain power will be particularly low. Well see about that. But this beats full on fatigue all the time. So I feel there are some mid-term benefits here that are most likely due to the blood letting. But it also seems clear that my doctors are right and that there are multiple factors impacting my fatigue. As it certainly persists.

Well, I did not wake up free of fatigue like I hoped.  In fact, this morning completely sucks. But I’ve managed to deal with several medical and fiscal matters. Now I have to decide what to do with the rest of my day.  The hardest part of that is figuring out what I’m up for. The fatigue is telling me it isn’t much. Alas, the trials of fatigue continue…

Today was promising. Except for a few hours in the afternoon, I was fatigue free. I did have some general tiredness. And my mind is a bit scrambled today. I think the changes in my body are promising but messing with me a little too. Still, today was a blessing. Yesterday was the lowest of lows for me. 

So what is next? I have some doctors appointments in the next two days. If I wake up tomorrow without fatigue I see no reason not to return to work. Then its just a matter of working on my conditioning. I am so ridiculously out of shape. It’s been too difficult to walk. I don’t think I’ve walked more than 1/2 mile (in a day!) without repercussions for months. 

And if all goes as planned, more board game reviews, music posts, and perhaps even some music creation. So much ahead of me if I can find and maintain reasonably good health. 

A12pm. Wednesday. May 6.

After years of experiencing at least some fatigue almost every day, I have started my day today with minimal, if any, fatigue. The secret seems to be the blood letting (aka blood donation) process I went through yesterday. I’m knocking on wood and pleading to the goddess that we have solved this thing. I am so ready for this to be over. But I wanted to, cautiously, share the potential good news.