A Surge of Energy!

Wow, I am getting so much done this week!  It is the exact opposite of last week, when exposure to Craig's cold left me feeling run-down and I got nothing done. Yin and yang.

To what do I attribute this sudden surge of energy?  Well, I think it is due to my Immunovir.  I've been on Immunovir now for over a year, and I know it helps my immune system and my overall well-being (since CFS is essentially an immune disorder).  It is recommended that you switch the dose around frequently; for some reason, it works better that way.  I was following Dr. Levine's and Dr. Klimas' recommendation - I take it 5 days a week and skip it completely on weekends.  With trial and error, I found that I do best on 4 pills a day (6 per day is considered optimum).

Then I read Dr. Cheney's dosage recommendations which involve a complicated schedule, taking some weeks off completely.  I didn't want to do that because taking it does help me function, so instead last week, I went down to just 2 pills a day.  Like I said, I was run-down all week, but I am fairly certain that was due to exposure to my son's virus; his brother and I both spent the week moderately crashed.

I went back to my full dosage of 4 pills a day this Monday, and that's when this surge of energy began!  I first connected it to the Immunovir when I had trouble getting to sleep Monday night - I was so wired!  Not typical CFS "wired and tired" but just wired!  It didn't help that I was reading a fabulous suspense novel, but I knew it was more than that.  I was awake past midnight (I am usually asleep about 10 pm) and then woke up at 7 am feeling fine!  That buzzed feeling had faded by the next night, and I was back to sleeping my usual restful 9 hours, but I remembered the same thing happened to me when I tried to go up to 6 Immunovir pills a day - that's why I backed down on the dose and quit taking it in the evening!

So, I am enjoying this surge of productivity.  With a charity pick-up scheduled for Tuesday morning, I ran around the house Monday evening (when I am usually lying on the couch), collecting old games, puzzles, and science kits the kids had outgrown and throwing shirts out of my closet that I haven't worn in years - woohoo!  Our house has gotten severely cluttered over the past 5 years or so, and it drives me crazy, so it felt really good to take some small steps in the right direction.  I have pledged to myself that each time the charity calls for a pick-up (usually once a month or so), I will say yes and at least pull together a single box or bag to donate.

Coincidentally, I just read a great article about clutter-busting for the chronically ill.  There is some excellent advice here, not only on clutter but also on proactive rest, something I was fortunate to learn about very early in my illness.  Same with the necessity of a cleaning service, just as the author explains.  So, maybe this article will inspire you, too!

Meanwhile, I am having a blast crossing items off my to-do list!  This is my idea of a good time!  And I am rewarding myself with dinner out with friends and our book group tonight.