Long time no twitch

I've not written a post in a while because quite honestly, I have felt pretty well! "Pretty well" is a relative term, as I feel some type of symptom pretty much all the time. It's just a matter of the severity and whether or not I am able to block out whatever it happens to be.

Two weeks ago, I was struck down with vertigo which was a new symptom. It. Was. AWFUL. To not be able to sit, lay down, or walk without getting dizzy and nauseous really put things into perspective. Alfred Hitchcock was a master of camera angles and videography. In the above Bell Tower scene he captures the dizziness and spinning perfectly. I accepted God's grace during those three days as I had to ask one of my friends to drive me to Wilmington for an unplanned treatment. It still amazes me to see how when we are at our lowest and don't want to bother anyone, that is when others really want to step up and help us the most. (Thanks again, Kate!)

This condition keeps you vulnerable and honest. Right about the time you think you are on the upslope of your healing, you wake up in the middle of the night with your hands and feet involuntarily twitching. In the morning, your shoulder joins in on the awkward dance. Hands and feet are chilly and numb, so naturally you misstep on the stairs and trip or drop multiple things just trying to prepare breakfast. There topples over the little medicine cup you've just filled with supplements. Eventually you get frustrated, which makes your ability to concentrate even more difficult. And that is precisely how I awoke today...frustrated, twitching, but oh so humbled. If so inclined, you may read more here.

Well, I have miserated enough for one morning. I am going to choose to focus on what I do have instead of what I don't today. I have the ability to write this post and put it out there to the public, hopefully it may encourage someone else who also suffers from this. I am able to work from home, which is a Godsend when I am having bad days neurologically. All of my basic needs are met for the day, my closing coordinator is working on my files at the office, I am safe and sound with a roof over my head. God has given me my Daily Bread, so I can quit worrying about today as I soak in a detox bath.

Free range eggs with a side of Lyme

When you lift the lid on a dozen farm fresh eggs, it is like opening God's jewelry box. Beautiful Blues, Greens, Tans, Browns, Creams...each hen unique in the color and size of egg that she lays. I love eggs, especially free-range that were gathered just that morning. That was my first job as a kid: running out to the coop at my grandparents' little farm house to collect what our hens spent the early morning hours contributing. I was taught to always leave one in the nest so she would come back.

As I went through my usual morning routine today, the dry cat food cup slipped out of my hand on the counter, scattering 30 or so pieces of kibble. I scooped them into the 3 bowls. Next I opened a can of wet food and dribbled some before it made it to the bowls as the spoon slipped in my hand. I spilled water trying to fill the coffee pot then dropped the dish towel I got out to clean up the whole mess. Naturally, I also knocked over the little medicine cup I'd just filled with my morning supplements. In other words, just another typical morning in the life of someone suffering with Lyme's symptoms.

Back to the eggs. I finally learned to carry the whole carton over to the stove instead of just taking one out of the refrigerator. There is no telling how many eggs I have busted on the floor during that 1-step shuffle over the last year or so. First hurdle over, I put some butter in my granny's cast iron skillet and waited for the perfect sizzle. I really enjoy them Over-Easy, but I have gotten to where I scramble them because it is quicker...and chances are I'll break the yolk anyway these days. I was determined this morning, though.

  

I chose a beautiful light blue egg, probably laid by an Ameraucana (I have intel that this particuar hen at the farm is named Cher). I lightly cracked it on the edge of the pan, my hands were twitching a bit, but again I was determined. It slid perfectly and gently into the butter...so far so good. As I timed it for The Flip, I appreciated the lovely, vivid tangerine-colored yolk that only happens with hens allowed to run free outdoors. I even thanked Cher for her effort. I took my time with the spatula, thought I had it! But no, it slipped in my numbed hand and the yolk broke. Sigh...there's always tomorrow. It doesn't have to be perfect to still taste yummy.

The whole thing got me to thinking about how those of us who suffer from this imbalance are a lot like eggs. Most of us acquired these symptoms by roaming freely outdoors. I probably picked up my infected parasite while hiking. And though we have developed a hard outer shell to protect ourselves from what is going on within our bodies and minds, we are indeed quite fragile. We crack easily if we try to juggle too many tasks at once, so please handle us gently. We feel Scrambled too often, Over-Medium frequently, and long for more Sunny-Side-Up days.