Lyme & Diet Updates

I had a phone appointment with my doctor today & realized I haven't updated the blog about my Lyme in a while.  There hasn't been much to report.  I have a lot more good days than bad now, which is such an improvement.  The main issues I deal with are headaches & night sweats.  I still have headaches 3-4 times a week and the night sweats are just nagging....such a pain.  The headaches hurt.  My head hurts right now.  If you don't get headaches often, be thankful.  It would be amazing to not have them consistently. 

After talking to my doctor today, here is our plan.  I am having blood work done for an ECP test, which checks for certain protein levels.  High levels indicate the presence of parasites.  Sounds freakish, but everyone has parasites in their body.  If the tests show high levels, we are going to add an herbal treatment for Babesia.  I am going to continue the homeopathic treatment for Bartonella.  My doctor thinks this could be the infection that is causing my night sweats.  Lastly, he wants me to try a meatless diets to see if it helps my headaches.  He said I might have a sensitivity to meat.  The plan is to eliminate all meat and eggs for 1 week.  If my headaches improve at all, then I will continue to see if they will go away.  If the headaches go away, I will gradually add back in different meats and eggs until I see which one bothers me.  Since we are on the new diet anyway, eliminating meat really won't be that big of a deal, especially since it may only be a couple weeks.  I wish it would help my headaches, but I have no confidence that it will.  However, I would gladly give up meat if I meant giving up the headaches too. 

Speaking of the new diet....it has gotten so much easier.  I wanted to give up after 2 days, but Darrin encouraged me to continue.  I had every excuse in the book...I like to cook & this is no fun....I like to bake & I can't....I'm hungry....it's too expensive...we can't live like this forever and function....and to top it off, we were both so grouchy the first week.  We argued nonstop.  This sounds crazy, but the withdrawals you go through mentally and physically are so strong.  After we got through that first week, it's been great ever since.  The cravings are all but gone, we are eating far less than we used to, I am sleeping much better, and the grouchiness is as good as it gets :)

We are learning new things to cook, and I will admit it's actually fun.  We bought a new food processor and I am in love.  I think Darrin secretly loves it too.

We made our own peanut butter...

...and Reece cups...

....and smoothies & ice cream & salsa & cereal, but I don't have pictures to show for those.  We've even made "sausage" patties out of ground chicken.  I think I can survive on the diet as long as I have the Reese cups and Darrin feels the same except it's all about the peanut butter for him.  I've tried versions of this diet many times & failed.  The key is having both of us do it together.  We are slowly trying to get Miles switched over too.  If you would have asked me the first week I would have said that we'll never stick with this, but I'm starting to feel like the diet might be here to stay.