Possible Chronic Fatigue Syndrome....advice needed

Hello everyone, 

I am looking for some advice regarding me having possible Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Prior to April 2014, I led a very full and active life working as a teacher. I used to work 60+ hours a week including most evenings and Sundays. I used to go out every Saturday and would go to the gym for about 4 hours a week completing all different types of activities. 

In April 2014, over the school Easter break, I became ill with an abscess that had to be surgically drained. Unfortunately this left with a complication known as a fistula which required further surgery. However, the following 2 rounds of surgery took place over a period of about 10 months which meant that I was left with an infected fistula track between June 2014 and April 2015 when it was finally sorted. 

During this 10 month period, my immune system didn't cope very well with being left with a permanent infection and I subsequently developed other frequent infections......tonsillitis, UTI's and Chest infections predominantly, all which had to be treated with antibiotics. Throughout my whole illness I had a permanent sore throat, having never suffered with sore throats previously, as well as fatigue from repeated infections and a frequently raised temperature. 

After recovering from the final operation, having physiotherapy and spending some time re-strengthening my leg, back and hip muscles, I was able to return to work part time in October 2015 after having 18 months off work completely. 

I now find myself a year later and still struggling to return to my pre-illness life. 

I have continued to suffer with a persistent/chronic sore throat which has never gone away since I was ill. I have managed to return to work, but only part time, at most the equivalent of 4 days a week but not necessarily 4 full days and definitely no evening or weekend work. At best, 25-30 hours a week has been my limit, so less than half of the hours I used to work before I got ill. 

I experience additional symptoms on top of the sore throat every few weeks or so which seem to go in a cycle, e.g. I have a few weeks feeling okish but by no means up to my pre-illness energy levels and a few weeks with barely any energy at all. I have continued like this for months now.

At first, I thought nothing of it as returning to work part time after 18 months was always going to be difficult but I am now a year down the line and most definitely not back to my normal self. 

The other symptoms I experience are:

- Dizziness

- Swollen lymph nodes

-Achy/painful legs in particular

-Difficulties controlling temperature - one minute I'm boiling hot, next minute freezing cold

- Feel worse after exercise, particularly when all of the above seem to be occurring at the same time

-Fatigue/lack of energy

To give an example, I went swimming on Monday morning, fairly gentle, but I have been unable to that much else this week. I have managed a very small amount of walking around the house but not much else. I haven't been to work this week at all (currently working as a supply teacher) Last night the achy/painful legs woke me up about 3am. I am currently at home resting in bed. 

I have had tests done to look at my throat - endoscopy as my GP thought my throat problem was reflux and I've also seen an ENT who similarly looked at my throat with a camera. All came back normal. The last time I mentioned the fatigue in particular combined with the sore throat I was sent for the usual battery of blood tests which again all came back normal. The ENT doctor did mention post-viral fatigue and that it would probably go away eventually but that's as far as I got. 

That was in June and I'm still not experiencing much of an improvement. 

I've described it as like having flu but without actually having the flu if that makes sense. 

I'm really just looking for people's thoughts as to whether chronic fatigue is a possibilty or not. 

Thanks

Jen

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