It is day two of the most excellent RABlogWeek and the topic for today is "how to manage fatigue" .  I find that a most ironic title, as I am not sure that I can even do that..."manage" fatigue; I do believe however, that it manages me.  

I wish I could say that there was a salve, or some ritual chant, or perhaps having your house saged that would then help you to manage your fatigue....but there really is no one size fits all for how to do this.  When you have invisible illnesses sometimes you are better at convincing yourself and the rest of the world that everything is"fine" when we know....it really isn't.  

I have severe sleep apnea; so one of the most crucial steps I need to take is to ensure that my Vadar mask is a) clean b) plugged in..c) sized to fit....and voila...I can then lay my weary head down and ....once the hum of the machine kicks in, I can then breathe....well...at least not STOP breathing.  And that usually enables me to have a few decent hours sleep...by a few, I mean at least 6.  I am not sure how many of those are "deep sleep" hours, but my Fitbit will tell me that I am "restless 7 times " a night...give or take.  I think that just means that my highly anxiety-laden mind is running ragged...

But I do generally wake up feeling more refreshed than not when I wear my Vadar mask.  

I have to ensure that I read some brain candy literature before I go to sleep...no more medical reports, diagnostic manuals, or self - help books, those are NOT helpful for a decent nights' sleep.....here are some of the current books that I have found on Kindle and they are HILARIOUS...forgive me that I choose only female authors, I am on a "female narrative" kick....

here they are: 

"Yes Please" by Amy Poehler  (hilarious story of her life, witty, acerbic, and just what I love about strong, funny women; they are bizzare and confident in their bizzareness....lol ) 

"Why Not Me" by Mindy Kaling  (another hilarious memoir from a witty woman trying to break out into the highly male-dominated culture of comedy)

"Let's Pretend This Never Happened" and "Furiously Happy"  by Jenny Lawson: THESE  ARE  SO incredibly funny....it is a "mostly true" memoirs of Jenny....and it has a hilarious stream-of-crazy-consciousness style of prose that just makes me laugh out loud. 

"Hyperbole and a Half" by Allie Bosh.....made me laugh out loud....often.  Very candid moments about depression and coping.... This one will make you snort out loud...

Hope these help others.  

Fatigue impacts every day of my life...I try to pace myself; but that  sometimes means I don't shower some days and just stay home...or ..it means that when I go grocery shopping, I use an electric wheelchair and not my walker....it all depends on the day......

wishing you all health and happiness....as we slog through this life with chronic illness!!