Courtesy of Graphic Stock Images.

Courtesy of Graphic Stock Images.

Didn’t I already miss one post this month? Wasn’t I supposed to share a guest post on Saturday? Did someone change the schedule and not tell me?

Oh how I wish.

Here’s the short explanation: I was too tired to write it. Here’s the reason why (and the transition into the longer explanation): adrenal fatigue is kicking my butt.

In early 2013, after having gained a ridiculous amount of weight (despite eating well and exercising regularly), suffering day-altering headaches, and switching to the productivity-hindering schedule of work two days, spend two days on the couch, I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue (among other things).

In a nutshell, adrenal fatigue makes you tired. Not, “I work three jobs, have a family, am training for a marathon, and decided to write a book tired,” but “You mean I have to get out of bed…again?” tired. In a nutshell, “You may look and act relatively normal with adrenal fatigue and may not have any obvious signs of physical illness, yet you live with a general sense of unwellness, tiredness or “gray” feelings. (www.adrenalfatigue.org).

Years ago I would have called it bunk. I would have told someone with AF to eat better, exercise more, get on a better sleep schedule, etc. If only it were that easy. Perhaps the most frustrating part (for me) was sitting on the couch knowing I had work to do, wanting to do the work, but literally staring at my computer for hours while my brain and hands tried to figure out what to do first.

After a few trips to my naturopathic doctor for some tests, he started me on some supplements and a tincture. Within the first few weeks my energy level increased. My “energy-crash” days dropped from 3-4 a week to one a week to every other week to once a month. It took a while to get there, but I finally regained control of my body, going 2-3 months at a time before I needed to take a rest day. Then this summer hit…

Long story even longer, the AF is back with a vengeance. After weeks of random light-headedness, a couple of dizzy spells, crazy-realistic dreams, and the worst energy crash I’ve had in more than a year (seriously – five days on the couch), my doctor gave me the bad news: stress-induced adrenal fatigue. Before he starts running tests and switching meds, he wants me to reduce the stress in my life. Having my left leg amputated would be easier.

I’m just now starting the stress-reducing process (mostly because I’ve spent a lot of the past week on the couch trying to rest), which means a slight alteration to my blog schedule, though it doesn’t excuse the missed posts this month. In an attempt to keep to my schedule without adding too much extra work, I’m going to share some older posts with you (I had some good thoughts and observations five years ago). You can look for the first repost this week.

Thanks for sticking with me during this longer-than-usual post. I’ve got to take advantage of the energy surges when I have them!