Detox, Part Deux...

I guess I am beginning to see/detect the correlation between de-toxing and after-reactions. Two days ago, after walking 4 miles and running 5 miles the day before while submitting to 2 detox epsom salt/H2O2 soaks, I had some pretty significant increase in symptoms that day. Yesterday, they were much milder after laying off the exercise and soak (still using the hebs though). Today, I was back at the exercise - a few weight training sets and then a FAST 5 miles of the treadmill (38 minutes). The symptoms have heightened some today in direct correlation to the exercise and I plan to do a soak this evening at home.

I tell you, by UNDERSTANDING this correlation better and thereby accepting it better, it REALLY HELPS me NOT to overlay 'artifical' anxiety over the stress already being felt in my body. I call the symptoms my "buzzy-headed" feelings which is a combo of the increased difficulty in concentration, a bit of light-headedness, and short term memory issues. I think my immune system is pretty daggone strong and I just need to allow it more time to fight both the "bugs" and the toxins they emit and not overwhelm it in the process.

I see an LLMD for the 1st time tomorrow afternoon (abt an hour away in Easton, MD) and have loads of questions.

yes, the advice is usually no aerobic exercise until your body is ready - that is, you rimmune system gets stronger. For me, I believe my lyme has persisted for YEARS with on-and-off episodes throughout my life. This latest falre-up was caused by another tick bite but before, it could be caused by a major life stressor. Since, before this latest one, I did NOT know it to be Lyme, no doc could tell me what was wrong with me! Many just wanted to give me anti-depressants and the like for my neuro symptoms. Well, the last time I had this, I decided to get as healthy as physically possible. I cut out meats except fish, started really eating healthy, I exercised (mainly running and have complete 4 marathons in the past 5 years and many half-marathons), I did yoga and took basic vitamin supps. I went from 280 lbs 9 years ago to 200 in abt a year and have stayed that way.

My episodes diminished in intensity - don't get me wrong, they were still extremely uncomfortable, but they cleared because I think I was listening to my body to get healthy. I think that I still added quite a bit of overlay anxiety on to myself because I did not know what was wrong with me. Many, many tests, some ER visits and the like and nobody knew - they finally just wrote it off to a psych disorder (mainly panic disorder with depressive overlay). Since the symptoms were the same then as now, I am convinced I have had Lyme all these years and that accounts for those strange symptoms. And, the depressive overlay part - well, Hell, anyone with an undiagnosed problem like this would be somewhat depressed, no?!? But I was able to somehow manage the disease even though at the time I did NOT know what it was!

Now, all this being said, I have trained myself to be aerobically fit for the last 9 years so I do not believe I am compromising my immune system by continuing to do aerobic exercise (I have back off my weekly ileage though from 35 miles to about 20-25). I am a firm believer that the exercise has and will help me get better - it even causes herx reactions in me. Also, if you read all the literature regarding lyme and its co-infection cousins, exercise is the ong term key to success in managing the disease. I am living proof that this is the case and I encourage all to start, even if in baby steps to begin - in that direction. Yoga is excellent as you can do restorative, light work-outs and work up to more aerobically-demanding ones as you feel stronger. It is good for managing Lyme and good for the body in general. As the commercail by Nike says, "Just do it!". To me, it gives me a feeling of control over the illness and a feeling that it can be beat.