Living with fatigue
In November, the MS Trust published Living with fatigue.
Fatigue is one of the commonest symptoms of MS and can have a major impact on daily life. As an 'invisible' symptom, fatigue is often misinterpreted or misunderstood by family, friends or colleagues. The opening section of the book attempts to give some idea of what it feels like to experience fatigue, largely expressed in the words of people who live with the symptom.
As well as the direct effects of MS, many other factors can add to fatigue, including poor sleep, diet, fitness, stress and low mood, which can make it a difficult symptom to manage. For instance, if sleep problems or lack of fitness are key contributors to fatigue, any treatment regime that doesn't also consider these issues will be partially helpful at best.
The book examines a number of these contributing factors in turn and provides practical ideas and suggestions to help people manage their own fatigue.
Living With Fatigue was written in conjunction with Michelle Ennis, an MS specialist occupational therapist and illustrated with comments by people with MS who know what it is like to live with fatigue.