Every once in a while there's a thread about how to describe fatigue, or cog fog, or lhermittes, etc. We do a pretty good job of describing it to EACH OTHER, and that's great. It's helplful to know we're "not crazy" and that other people experience the same things.

But how do we describe our various quirky symptoms so that "outsiders" understand them? I'd be interested in what things have worked for you to get somebody to say, "Oh, NOW I get it!"

For example, the other day I was talking with a friend, and I knew he was underestimating MS fatigue. So I said to him, "Remember right after you had surgery, and you decided to go make yourself a sandwich, and halfway through you were so exhausted you didn't know how you were going to drag yourself back to the sofa? And you were so exhausted from that little effort that you weren't even hungry anymore?"

He nodded his head, and I said, "Well, that's what MS fatigue feels like. Sometimes after I make the sandwich, and sometimes it's already there and I don't WANT to make the sandwich."

He said, "Oh, NOW I get it." And he probably does, at least somewhat.