5 Silly Things I Miss

5 Silly Things I Miss Because Of Lyme Disease

Even though the big stuff--fatigue, memory loss, seizures--are what makes Lyme so debilitating, 

sometimes it's the small things that I really miss the most.

5. Blow drying my hair

I'm not sure if this is more a result of the fatigue or just my muscle atrophy after several years of barely being able to move (much less exercise), but it's been months since I've been able to lift a blow drier over my head long enough to dry my hair.

4. Snacking

My medication schedule is so strictly regimented that I have very small windows of time throughout the day during which I am allowed to eat. I get 3 meals a day with 4-5 hour gaps between each during which time I am trying to squeeze in all the meds and supplements that need to be taken "away from food." And if for some reason I didn't eat enough at one meal (for instance, i ran out of energy to prepare more food), I just have to wait those long 5 hours, or else eat again and start the countdown all over again.

3. Driving

With the increasing frequency of symptoms like seizures and vision loss, I have had to completely stop driving during the last month or so. In addition to the serious inconvenience of having to get a ride to places like the grocery store on a regular basis, what I really miss is just the independence of being able to go out when I need a change of scenery or browse around a store just to get inspired about new things to try at home without worrying about keeping my ride waiting.

2. Glassware

You have probably heard at least a few of my stories of kitchen accidents. Whether it's memory lapses, like leaving the pyrex dish on the stove and accidentally turning on the wrong burner, or sheer clumsiness, like knocking over the wine glass, or the french press, or the coffee mug... point being, our house has suffered an inordinate amount of broken glass. To try and prevent more mishaps, I've tried to wean myself off using glassware whenever possible. I bought a bunch of plastic cups and bowls and am trying to habituate myself out of using the glasses unless absolutely necessary. I know it's for a good cause, but gosh it's frustrating to feel like a little kid who can't be trusted with the grown up dishes!

1. Dessert

There are things I love about my diet restrictions--eating more fruits and veggies, drinking a protein shake every day (I love the low-maintenance predictability!), and even the forced creativity to come up with new ways to eat things like beans and carrots every single day without getting sick of them!--but I do desperately miss being able to treat myself at the end of a hard day with a cookie or a big piece of cheesecake. I have never been particularly over-indulgent, but I never realized how much I took for granted the ability to treat myself every once in a while.