I agree that people are tired out and exhausted from coping with pain and illness.
When I use the word Fatigue I mean it like it is used in oncology or MS. After radiation some pts. would have trouble getting out of a chair to get a glass of water. When Fatigue strikes me I find that I will think about how badly I really need that glass of water as it's so hard to find the energy to walk to the kitchen or get up from the chair.
I wish there was a better word to describe what we are suffering from but my physician friend said the radiation analogy would make better sense to most doctors . She said (internal med.) so many patients (all kinds) complain of tiredness and "fatigue"that it becomes meaningless as a symptom.
Maybe we should have a contest for the best word to describe how we feel because fatigue just doesn't get it!