Minor Health Matters

About a month ago I posted about some severe fatigue and lung discomfort. It turned out, I think, to be a long-lived virus - I think it affected me for six weeks! I went to the doctor's at one point with it, and in that visit, there was nothing determined about the lung discomfort, but I learned that I have mitral valve prolapse and osteoporosis (most likely from four pregnancies and four periods of extended nursing). I was prescribed Fosamax for the osteoporosis. I suspect I had the bone loss with my first two babies. I wasn't eating as well then, and I was drinking a lot of coffee, which leeches calcium. I did some research and discovered that Fosamax has some problems associated with it that sound related to bone growing in places where it shouldn't grow, and dead bone growing instead of living tissue. One common side effect is TMJ. People with MVP have a tendency to have TMJ. I don't have TMJ, but it seems foolhardy to me to take something that has TMJ as a side effect when I'm already at risk for it. Conclusion - I'm not taking the medication. I'll take calcium until Miss M weans, and look into strength training, which I think is the same as weight lifting. Strength training builds bone.

When I had the virus weeks ago, I started adding things to my raw diet - soy chikin nuggets, salsa, garbanzo beans, peanut butter. Then it deteriorated to soy ice cream and Ruffles. I was still tired. So, I decided to try a low fat raw diet (as written about by Doug Graham and Nora Lenz). I've been working my way into it for four days, and I actually feel better than I have in weeks. I'm eating only fruit until dinner - mostly bananas, which are cheap, and whatever else I can afford. Then I have a huge salad for dinner with exactly half an avocado (my daily fat ration), some raisins, and the juice of an orange squeezed over it as dressing. It's pretty spartan, but if it helps, it will be worth it.