Lyme Life Monday –

Planning is absolutely essential for Lymies. Whether or not you are currently suffering from the cursed brain fog. Having a cogent plan helps keep me in control to prevent overdoing it.

Limited energy is a universal problem. Every person on the planet has limitations. Of course, they vary widely from one person to another. Even the most energetic person has limits. The key is knowing ourselves and our personal limitations and dialing back enough to have a margin for the unexpected.

This month I have speaking engagements in OH, DC, NH, and DC again. I’d planned to leave super early Sunday morning. I was out of bed at 3am. I booked the travel months in advance. That plan would have been ok, if I’d been able to take it easy for the week prior.

However, as it turned out, I had quite a bit going on. My Lymie dog went into a cardiac crisis. I took her to the vet and got some meds, but it was too late. We were back the next day to walk her over the Rainbow Bridge. That’s what they call it, when dogs die. I also helped my daughter get ready to move away for a year. Up at 4 am Saturday, I helped her pack the car and then checked on her throughout the trip. She finally settled at her destination at 12:15am. That meant little broken sleep for me.

I used to be able to do that stuff anytime. These days, I need way more margin to do a good job. The audience doesn’t know what was missing from my talk. They were educated, encouraged and engaged. My energy was not what I would have hoped though. Abortion, sex trafficking, and restoration are heavy topics. It takes a lot of energy to do these kinds of events.

My doctor and I decided to change up some of my meds. So, I will have to pay close attention to my activity and expenditure of energy.

No matter what is going on in our lives, we should plan for the unexpected. Perhaps, you have a steady job and a regular routine. Making sure you don’t burn the candle at both ends is still important. So, if you get sick, you can recover quickly.

Lymies have unexpected bouts of symptoms, that can seem random over long periods of time. I’m no expert, but I have found a few things that help me to be able to keep my commitments. Maybe the list will help you too.

• I keep a paper calendar and a digital calendar
• I keep notes on what activities I am involved with a list of current protocols and correlate how well I stuck to each
• I see my doctor regularly and we work together –it’s my health
• I do research on Lyme, what works, what doesn’t
• I also read about how trauma impacts our susceptibility to disease
• I use Caroline Leaf’s 21 Day Brain Detox to work on toxic thoughts that trouble me
• I read books that give me hope for dealing with disease and loss
• I use movements to improve my symptoms, relieve stress, and improve blood flow
• I use social media in moderation- the pages I subscribe to can be emotional
• I prepare for my talks prayerfully- my subject matter is heavy
• I take advantage of down time with peaceful meditation and consciously relax my body

What kinds of things do you do, when you’re sick?