For the last 4 days I have only taken my thyroid hormones, fiber, Colace and calcium, my inhaler (why can’t I breathe?!), antihistamine eye drops, nasal spray and birth control pill. I figure these are things I will have to take regularly, so they don’t have to be omitted. A few days ago, I added back in peas in the form of soup and yesterday I had sweet potato chips. Otherwise, my diet is still no-everything. I still haven’t decided whether I will add back in grains, dairy etc. over the next two weeks. I probably will, but it’s hard to undo the strictness of what I’ve been doing the last month, if you know what I mean. When I commit to a diet change to see if it helps, I really commit.

I seem to be having a heightened sensitivity to my tea in the mornings. I used to drink 3 large mugs of black Irish tea, steeped for about 10 minutes each time. I cut that down to 2 a while ago. Then, about a month ago, I cut that down to 1 steeped, 1 not steeped. Now, it seems I can only handle 1 big mug, not steeped at all or my heart threatens to burst out of my chest. I also stopped using my sweetener today in case my body has decided to reject it after all these years. Lyons tea, unsteeped, unsweetened, with soy milk is not tea at all. Another one of my pleasures down the drain. Really, without booze, wine, tea, pasta, bread, popcorn and ice cream, what joy is left in life?

Yesterday was one of my best days in a long, long time. It wasn’t great ~ still not back to the energy I had when I was able to go to the dog park ~ but, I was talking and laughing with my family, allowing myself to be animated. The pulled muscle in my lower back felt much better, so I even walked around the house 4 times: 400 steps. I hit a big brick wall at about 8pm. My muscles filled with lead and I felt like I couldn’t keep my head up. I lay in bed until almost midnight, too tired to sleep. One time my new phone just froze…stopped working…couldn’t be turned on or off. The guy at the store said it was “bricked”. That’s exactly how I feel when I hit a wall. Bricked. Can’t sleep, can’t speak, can hardly move. Just BRICKED.

Last night, I got about 7 hours sleep, which has been typical since I went off of the naltrexone. I didn’t have night sweats (!!!) and this morning, besides extreme stiffness, sore throat, lungs feeling torched and my skin thinking I’m 15 again, I’m doing okay (!!!). I asked my brother, “Why did you drag me out dancing last night in 5-inch heels and make me smoke a whole pack of cigarettes?” It feels worse than that, unfortunately, but it’s nice to pretend that it’s a temporary result of a night on the town.

It’s wonderful to have my Mother here. She does my meditations with me and talks to me when I’m in bed in pain or too tired to do anything but slur. It makes this journey much less lonely.

I’m grateful for the piano music that surrounded me my whole childhood. My Grandmother and Mother both played and now, when I hear it, I am soothed and at peace.