Today is my fifth day of treatment, and I'm doing ok. I'm taking about 30 different things, at eight different times throughout the day. Surprisingly enough, I'm getting used to it, and it hasn't been as bad as I'd anticipated.
I've also been officially off sugar, dairy and gluten (which includes wheat, oats & barley) for almost a full week. I'm amazed about this, because I'll be honest, when I first found out that I had to eliminate these things completely, I was really discouraged. I think it would be difficult for most people to eliminate one of the three completely from their daily diets...with all three it's like, what do I eat?? With the help of some resourceful friends, and a thorough search of WalMart and Costco, I've come up with some good options for now. Obviously I can have all the fruits and veggies I want. And the other stuff will become more familiar and easier with time.
I have noticed significant improvement in the swelling in my hands, and my joint pain has improved substantially, it's still there, but I don't have to hobble around the house right now. I've also got a lot more energy. I feel alert and awake, which is unusual for me in the past few months. The last two days I've been able to wake up without an alarm clock at 7am. That hasn't happened in several years!
Anyway, I'm not sure if these things have to do with the diet, supplements & medications I've begun, or if it's just part of the natural cycles that have been happening all along. For the last several months I've noticed that I will have 2 or 3 "good" days -- days where I have more energy and less pain than others -- and then I will have 4 or 5 "bad" days -- these are the days where it's hard to get out of bed. It doesn't really matter...I've enjoyed having the energy and the slight reprieve from the pain. Whoohoo!
I scheduled my next appointment yesterday also. I'll see the doctor again on Monday, March 2nd. That's when I'll start antibiotic therapy. I'm not really looking forward to that, since I haven't heard fun things about it. But at the same time I'm told the antibiotics are what really help, and after you've made it through the first few months, you feel significantly better.
Candy,
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what became of your visit to the Lyme Dr. I'm sorry to hear that it is confirmed but you're probably also releived to finally know what is going on so you can properly address it. Good luck with your treatment. Thanks for keeping us in the know.
Are you still off of sugar, gluten, and dairy? With the treatment I am on, it includes all of that, plus no soy, peanuts or yeast so I've been able to find some good recipes but I am also interested in finding out what you have. I have only been on my treatment for two weeks but I feel a significant increase in energy whereas before I could barely make it to work and back.
ReplyDeleteI also want to hear more about your new nutrition and how that is helping.
Thanks, Cat