In my last post, I mentioned that I was diagnosed with Lyme disease, which surprisingly is extremely controversial. The controversy rages around all aspects of the disease, from how to diagnose it, to how to treat it, and whether or not chronic Lyme exists. Unfortunately (but fortunately for me), several of my friends have also been diagnosed with Lyme, so I was able to get information from them about the progression of the disease, doctors in the area who are Lyme "literate", and information about treatment.
My holistic physician wanted to treat using only herbs, on the premise that antibiotics aren't that effective and are dangerous. I wasn't comfortable going the herbal route and got a recommendation from another friend for a doctor in the area who has treated a lot of Lyme. That doctor wanted to put me on long-term antibiotics (six months), using a combination of three antibiotics that are pulsed (Monday, Wednesday, Friday for two weeks, with the third antibiotic added the third week, and no antibiotics the fourth week). That seemed to be a bit heavy-handed until I started reading more about the disease, and that treatment protocol makes sense. I'm also using two herbs (arteminisin and teasel) and taking a bunch of supplements, including potassium (yup, got another mineral deficiency).
In addition, I'm supposed to be on a strict gluten- and sugar-free diet (to prevent yeast infections), as well as no alcohol and no caffeine. Needless to say, I cheat a little bit.
So how's it working out? No sign of a yeast infection yet, despite the cheating. The brain fog and crushing fatigue have abated. And my running might be back to normal. My legs don't feel fatigued, my heart rate has settled down, my speed has improved, and I can run longer distances without feeling like I need to take a nap for a couple of days. I even ran two 12-mile runs this weekend! If this keeps up, I might even be able to run an ultra marathon in the spring. I'm beyond thrilled!
Knitting News
One Cloning Anemone Rib sock (aka CAR) is done. I think that mentioned in a previous post that when I first started these socks, I found the knitting to be tedious and slow. I couldn't get the hang of the cable (either with or without a cable needle) and the sock ended up in the (ever-growing) UFO bin. But I needed a second sock for vacation (I couldn't find the yarn for the second Monkey sock) and I grabbed the CAR sock. After a few false starts, it worked! I now love this sock. And in the meantime, I discovered a cure for Second Sock Syndrome. Knit only one sock, then knit one sock from a different pattern. By the time you are finished with the second first sock, you'll have forgotten what bugged you about the first first sock and you can complete the pair! So now the second Monkey is on the needles (not that the Monkey sock ever bugged me). I'll post pictures at some point (I think I've been saying that for about a year now).
I think there might also be a color work sweater in my future, but I'm making no promises. Oddly, I've been experiencing something that resembles hot flashes, which does not bode well for the sweater wearing. I think it might be a Lyme thing. It couldn't possibly be related to my age.
Happy knitting!
