Now it's more than 5 years since I started chasing a diagnosis, and coming up on 3 since I was diagnosed, and STILL the hardest symptom for me to deal with (especially relating to other people) is the fatigue.

People who have never experienced chronic debilitating fatigue are just not going to get it. Doesn't matter how willing they are to try. Doesn't matter how many "It feels sorta like..." examples we give them.

When I explain that "sorry, I'm too tired", or "sorry, I will BE too tired if I do that/go there", I try to duck and run before the sincerely motivated dear people start trying to "help" by suggesting I take a nap ahead of time, leave early, rest the next day, etc.

Yup, those things sometimes work, but if they suggest those ideas and I STILL say no, it sounds as though I'm saying "Whatever you want me to do, or think I SHOULD do, or think I will enjoy just isn't worth all the effort it would take for me to do it."

And guess what? That's usually what I'm saying. Oh well.