health post

[flamingsword]

I feel so much better than I did this summer and spring. I guess I should talk about that.

I had a few stomach flus this spring and late winter, and any of those could have been after picking up a parasite like trichinosis. Most people just fight them off, never get to the second stage of infection, and apparently never develop symptoms. Lucky me. The symptoms can vary depending on where the parasites have found infected, but the muscle aches, joint pain and never feeling well? That's not uncommon. The little buggers affect how you absorb minerals and your body is constantly using up resources to fight them off. And the coldness, tiredness, and general moodiness are just how my body always responds to being sick. And light sensitivity? I wouldn't have noticed a difference.

I had looked my symptoms up at the beginning of the summer, and there were about a million things fatigue and aches could be, the 'no sense of smell' thing narrowed it down (but was actually a secondary thing developed from having to fight the parasite, and was diagnostically unhelpful). That one was solved with the discovery that zinc deficiency could cause it. But why did I have a zinc deficiency? And why did I still feel so bad even after started taking supplements and I could smell again?

So later I developed more symptoms and tried leaving everything off the list but the new and persistent stuff, and only came up with seven things it could be. Of the shortened list, parasites were easily treatable with a slightly-poisonous, strong pennyroyal tea, and I keep that in the house. So a lot of tea and a few days later I started feeling better. And I keep feeling better. I'm guessing that was it.

The people who do develop symptoms can eventually die from this if it never gets figured out. So http://symptoms.wrongdiagnosis.com/ saved me from potentially having my brain eaten by microscopic worms, for which I am quite grateful. I like my brain. And my life.

I still have some anomalous thyroid readings, but I'm going to put that down to the background weirdness of being related to my family. The signal-to-noise ratio is pretty bad, but we're reliably hard to kill. It's reassuring, really. :)

Comments

[lifeblender.livejournal.com]

Hey, that's not grossing me out at all. I'm unsatisfied. But I'm glad that you aren't going to die.

No, seriously, that's a rare and tricky thing to catch, both in the sense of "to acquire" and in the sense of "to recognize". If the parasites felt that your brain was more tasty and open than most people's I can only assume that your work towards those ends has been successful, and for that I say bravo.

[daddio914.livejournal.com]

"but I'm going to put that down to the background weirdness of being related to my family. The signal-to-noise ratio is pretty bad, but we're reliably hard to kill. It's reassuring, really."

That's one of the perks of being part of my family as well. Glad you're doing better and got it figured out. :)

[sushi-slave.livejournal.com]

"but I'm going to put that down to the background weirdness of being related to my family. The signal-to-noise ratio is pretty bad, but we're reliably hard to kill. It's reassuring, really." ...wait, we aren't related, right? ;)

[elucreh.livejournal.com]

I'm enormously glad to hear that your brain is not going to be eaten by microscopic worms, especially as your brain is one of my favorite things in this sad world.

[kohagal.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you are doing better!

And thanks for the link. I'm sure I'll use it all the time. :)

[tanniynim.livejournal.com]

Damn, my plans ruined once again by that infernal drink called 'tea'!

[tanniynim.livejournal.com]

What if Tea is what ails you?

[raasalhayya.livejournal.com]

I like your brain too.

Om nom nom.

[mig-unit.livejournal.com]

I am very glad the worms did not eat your brain. :-)

Truthfully, I'm sorry your were so sick, and I am glad you are feeling better.

[sushi-slave.livejournal.com]

MMMMMMMMMMM, wormy brains!