Lurking Symptoms

You know, when I first started experiencing CFS, I wasn't even sure I had enough symptoms to qualify. I had the fatigue, cognitive problems, and headaches. Were my lymph nodes sore? I didn't know -- I had never really paid attention to lymph nodes before. How about a sore throat? Everyone gets sore throats, right? Were the ones I experienced "frequent" or normal? Was I experiencing "post-exertional malaise"? Who knew? I felt like crap all the time; how can you quantify if it was actually worse after exercise or activity?

As I've settled into this disease, I am now able to recognize lurking symptoms. They may be overshadowed by the major symptoms I experience, but now I know they are there. Yes, I get frequent sore throats, but more importantly I recognize them as a warning signal -- I overdid it the day before, and now I need to take it easy. Maybe the joint and muscle pain I feel in the morning isn't just from getting old. Hey, my lymph nodes do bother me from time to time! Plus, I'm sensitive to cold and I get night sweats; I'm sensitive to light and sound; I have itchy eyes, eye spasms and tinnitus; I have a whole heck of a lot of cognitive problems; I have dizziness and neurally mediated hypotension; and I have TMJ.

So, yes. I guess I do have CFS after all.