Last Tuesday, the day after we got back from our weekend away, one which was very busy... I felt like a truck had hit me. At least I felt exhausted and slept in till after 9. My tiredness reminded me of how I felt this time last year when I was diagnosed with Barmah Forrest virus. Barmah Forrest virus (BFV) is similar to Ross River Fever Both are Australian diseases, spread by mosquito bites, which can leave the sufferer aching, tired, feverish etc. BFV was only identified in 1974 and not a lot is known about it. The information available on line is scant and is usually incorporated with information on Ross River Fever, which is much better known and researched it seems.
I thought little about my one "down" day. By Wednesday I was back to normal and put my tiredness down to increasing age, and perhaps a slight lack of resilience caused by the illness 12 months before. I even managed to run 5 km twice during the rest of the week. I noticed I was aching in my muscles a bit more but put it down to the extra running.
Monday morning this week I woke up with a pounding headache. Cold weather had struck and I happily stayed tucked up in bed for a few more hours although I was rather stunned to realise I had slept on and off till after 10.30. I made an appointment at 4.30 with my Dr to check out my blocked ear - its been annoying me for a week. I went out to do a few jobs got home at 1.30 and went to bed and slept for almost 3 hours. I woke up just in time to get to my Dr's appointment. This wasn't right. It was just like I had felt with BFV 12 months ago. My muscles had been aching ever since my running and now this tiredness. Oh no.
I was hoping my Dr would say that no, it doesn't recur, that's just an old wives tale. Unfortunately she didn't say that. She said not a lot is known about BFV. She went through my records and said that my last blood test in December was equivocal. That whilst I had developed some (insert medical jargon here... img or something like that) I hadn't developed (Insert more medical jargon here ima or the like) She said she thought it was possible for it to recur and so she has ordered more blood tests. Sigh. For the record. I don't want to have BFV again. Ok. I like having energy to do things. I don't mind the excuse to sleep in and not do housework when I don't want to... but I would rather do that cause that is what I choose to do, not because I can barely drag myself around..
Despite my big afternoon sleep I was in bed not long after 10 last night. I woke at 7. Note I said woke. I snuggled in bed for another hour. It was chilly out. (for my non Australian readers. Most of our houses, especially in Queensland, don't have central heating. So whilst we don't get as cold as you do in your northern climes...what it is outside is just about what it is inside. A Norwegian boy living in a nearby town once told me that he had never been as cold as he had been in Queensland cause our homes get cold)
Its also going to play havoc with my Fitbit stats. I could barely manage 6000 steps yesterday and Sophie and Frances are both several thousand steps ahead of me. Woe is me !
I went down for my blood test this morning only to find that my Dr had added an extra test or two and I hadn't read the slip and it was to be a fasting one. So... will try again tomorrow. My Doctor is off on 2 weeks leave now so I will have to see another member of the team to get my results.
And to add to my woes.... my laptop died on Friday night and of course I haven't backed it up in yonks. Fixit Guy found the extended warranty stuff and I rang them yesterday and they sent information so one of the jobs I did this morning after I didn't have my blood tests was to post off the laptop to get it fixed. According to my warranty I should be able to get a 'loaner' if they are going to take more than 5 days to fix it. That will be interesting to see if they are actually going to do that. Some how I bet they try to wriggle out of it. Fortunately I have my girlfriends little mini computer she loaned me last year to take overseas and which I keep forgetting to give back to her. The spell check on it isn't as good and the shift key doesn't always work so apologies for any missed capitals.
And I am back in bed this afternoon.. I thought I would have a little rest and play on the computer. My body is saying SLEEP. I don't want to sleep. That means something is wrong and I don't want to be unwell.
Enough whining. I don't even have any pretty pictures to insert. Nothing that fits in with the overall theme of this post. I found a picture of the virus though so its not totally boring
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| Structure of barmah forest virus by cryo-electron microscopy |
Some links to find out more about Barmah Forrest virus
http://medent.usyd.edu.au/fact/ross%20river%20&%20barmah%20forest.htm
http://access.health.qld.gov.au/hid/InfectionsandParasites/Viralinfections/barmahForestVirus_fs.asp
So sorry that you aren't feeling well. I hope your test results come back quickly so you can figure out what the issue is. Thoughts and prayers for you.
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