Tag: weakness

Episode 21: Baby shower, or Lyme Ironman

~ Marguerite Glazer ~ Leave a comment

Would love to add a few comments to this video (it WAS the longest I’ve been out with friends haha) but the nerve pain and discomfort, along with inflammation and muscle cramping, that is going on in my fingers and hands (and arms and shoulders and all the way down to my toes) is just not conducive to that. Stop. Making breakfast is going to be a bitch. Stop. Peace, I’m out. Stop.

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Metronidaz-olé and cognition

~ Marguerite Glazer ~ Leave a comment
marge
That about captures it. I also laugh a lot.

I’ve been on Flagyl (metronidazole, antibiotic number 5) for a week now, and it’s really kicking my ass. Mostly it has been a major increase in digestive distress, migraine, a renewed deep fatigue and increased overall inflammation. Doing 30 minutes of gentle floor yoga, like I did most of last week, has temporarily become too difficult. I’ve had to reduce the distances and frequency of my walks to a minimum as well.

I’ve only taken 1 pill daily (out of a total of 4) and will continue on that dose for the entire 2 week duration of this first “pulse”. With this particular medication, we use a technique called pulsing, where I take the medication for 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. Flagyl is said to attack the cystic forms of the bacteria and make them come out of hiding (or something like that). I’m not quite clear on the details and honestly have had a real hard time with reading and retaining information these days.

In fact, reduced cognitive function is something that I am really battling. Morning to night, I struggle to express my ideas and finish my sentences. I have a hard time finding words, names and generally have issues with hard drive (brain) information retrieval. I have not been able to concentrate enough to read a book for most of the last 2 months, and these days it’s also becoming hard to follow articles and other lighter reading. All of this worries me slightly and frustrates me greatly.

Feeling that my brain is running at somewhere close to 23% is not a nice feeling. I am working hard at not getting angry when I stutter or when I get confused, when I repeat the same story or information to Jan for a second or third time in a day (and realize midway), or when I have to spend hours on end just listening to music or watching shows or movies. The last part may not sound so bad, and I do appreciate all the good musical moments and viewing I have gotten in, but most days I have a hard time even focussing on a storyline.

Luckily I still manage to have pleasant, inspiring and hilarious conversations with Jan as well as some of my lovely friends. I’m keeping my chin up and trying to (em)brace myself for the best/worse. I am feeling slightly uninspired to do a video, as it seems all I would be able to muster is half coherent whiny repetitions of previous videos. Yup, it’s been that kind of day.