As you’ve probably read in some of my posts fatigue has been a real issue.  Not just from care giving but in 2014 my adrenal system collapsed.  I’ve not recovered yet.   The fatigue has been nasty and last week I thought I had the flu.  I just felt miserable.  The worst was the day I needed to take mom to her doctor appointment.  It was almost 40 miles away and I was a vomitous mess.  Every few miles I had to pull over and lose it.  Add to that I had a nasty headache.  It took everything I had to get mom there and when we arrived, I dropped her off and told her to handle things herself.  Considering a lot of people knew her I didn’t see it as an issue.

As soon as I parked the car I rested my head against the window and in an instant was having wild and weird dreams.  I’m not sure how long I “slept” but eventually I moved to the back seat.  Mom came out later with an attendant who was helping her.  Now I had to make it home.  She was scared and insisted on driving.  Um…no.  How do you say no to someone with her diagnosis?  Did I mention she ran over 2 trees while driving the golf cart around?  (She hasn’t driven since).

Anyway I drove 45 mph and I still barely made it.  Again, every few miles I was wretching so violently I wet my pants.  (TMI I know, just being raw here…and anonymous).  I wanted nothing more than to just lay down in the bushes beside the road but I had to get mom home.  Finally we made it and I collapsed in bed.

A few days later I discovered I was covered in itchy red dots everywhere.  We live in chigger and mosquito-land so I didn’t think it a big deal.  But mom insisted I go to the doctor.  I begrudgingly complied.  At the doctor appointment everyone including myself thought maybe it was oak mites.  I guess they’re particularly bad this year.  I had never heard of them.  But just in case the doc ordered a Lyme disease tider as well as a Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) test.  I kind of wondered if I had Lyme disease because of my fatigue issues.

It was only about 4 days later and I received a call.  Not the one where they leave a message and tell you everything is fine but the one that says to call them back.  I did and would you believe it?  I tested positive for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever!  It was on the low end but it was still a positive test.  So I’m on doxycyclene and some vitamins.  I’m doing much better although I can still overdo it.

Well, mom was right.  Even though I am her caregiver, it’s still good to listen to mom.