Crash

This is a stage of the illness which can come and go, but is generally the first initial realisation of having something seriously wrong.
The Crash stage is defined as absolute exhaustion, total and utter desperation for relying on others and no real chance of achieving anything through the day.
The main problem for this stage is that action has to be taken to remove yourself from it. All obligations have to be cleared and bed rest is the answer. Crash leaves muscle aches, headaches, joint pain from slightest movements, possibly even constant nausea and very little energy to eat and digest food and drink- for this reason indigestion is another symptom that will rear it's ugly head.
Bed rest can be boring, tedious, never-ending; leaving a feeling of desperation and through this a glimpse of optimism has to be found somewhere. Acceptance of the situation is the first step- which might take a coupe of days as dips and crashes can be confusing, usually for me a sore throat is the first sign that something isn't quite right. After acceptance come action: sleep, rest, sleep rest!
It is at these times when I keep in touch with the world through TV and radio, newspaper reviews and weather forecasts. Looking forward to particular programmes everyday, but avoiding depressing soaps and films. Chat shows and magazine shows are great for the short attention span needed and I would also watch DVDs of TV series - again looking forward to the next episode as it helped the time pass. I also joined Facebook so that I could become part of daily life and find out what friends were up to just half a mile away. Emails everyday, or when I was able, became a good source of encouragement too.
It may seem like a giving-up option, but when bed rest is needed, for the body to heal this is a good option. By scheduling a sleep every afternoon I had a good indicator of when more activity can be added. As the weeks went by I noticed that less and less sleep was necessary, so I added little activities instead. I bought a few magazines to read, managed a bit of knitting, started searching and reading more about the illness online everyday and this was combined with a little yoga on a daily basis, with meditations and audio books.
If recovery is not monitored with careful pacing or little obstacles appear that are unavoidable like a virus or family situation, crash will happen during recovery. It will be less of a disastrous crash; more of a hiccup, but similar responses are required. Complete bed rest being one and just slipping back to a quieter routine, being another. I know one of the best things for me in these times is to avoid leaving the house, cut myself off from visitors and give myself some space. A couple of phone calls every week and an afternoon sleep every day, keeping my diet healthy and accessible, with a favourite DVD set or book to read is what usually helps me. After a couple of weeks of floating through I feel better able to pick myself up and keep going. Crash (or even just a little dip) requires acceptance and action.