Just a thought for the posters of this board that someone might find helpful regardinf being so fatigued.

I am a 37 year old female who used to work in a rehab facility.

I was exposed to a virus called Parvo Virus (not the same virus that puppies get). It turned out that two children in the waiting room had this illness, which for children isn't too bad. But for adults who catch this, sometimes it can be very painful and debilitating.

At the onset, I had a painless but noticeable under-the-skin red rash on my forearms, nauseau, and I had one episode of what could be described as fainting.

My initial symptoms that lasted for months were severe (SEVERE) joint pain, that seemed to move inside my body - meaning that first the joints in my hands (thumbs really hurt) began to swell and ache, then it moved to my elbows, then it moved down to my knees and ankles; basically it was all my joints, but sometimes my upper extremity joints were worse, and sometimes my lower extremity joints were worse. I had a fever that was on and off, and the glands in my armpits and groin were swollen very badly.

My fatigue was so great that initially I was sleeping up to 20 hours per day, and the only time I was able to rise was when I was hungry (but I was too tired to even hold my head up) or to use the bathroom. The only thing I wanted to do was sleep or lie down to rest. Everything was an effort.

At the time, my dad was still working (he's retired now), but on warm nights after he got home from work, he would pick me up and put me in the car (I was too tired to do much but lean my head on the glass) and he and my mom would drive me out to the country to watch for deer. That was my extent of getting out for a few months.

My doctor referred me to a rheumatologist, at which time they thought I had Lupus, Aids, or Leukemia. I finally asked them not to keep telling me what they thought I had because it was scaring me.

Every week I went for blood draws to monitor the high count I had (I don't remember what they were monitoring, but I do remember that eventually, whatever it was lessened to a more acceptable level over time).

Finally, when I felt well enough to make some of my own inquiries, it turned out that another girl I worked with in the same office had also been exposed to this virus. She told me that she had a blood test for Parvo Virus, which my own doctor wasn't even familiar with.

Upon going back to my rheumatologist, I told her what I wanted my blood to be tested for (Parvo), and it did come back positive for that virus.

My exposure was over 8 years ago. It took about a full year for my severest symptoms to subside (severe joint pain and extreme fatigue). However, some people who get Parvo have residual symptoms. I will get "joint flare ups" that kind of mimics arthritis. Sometimes they are very severe for me to the point where I have needed to take a short course of steroids.

Also, Parvo Virus is a common virus. Some people who get it will not have the severe symptoms I had, although it will still show up on a blood test. The other gal in my office at the time has no residual effects from her exposure.

I hope that this information helps someone else going through a similiar hard time.