So, I've finally got my act together to try and raise some money for F.O.R.M.E. the Perrin charity currently trying to raise money for research around diagnosis of ME. I've asked the school if they will do a textile collection. I had to write a letter to the school council which decides what charities the school will support. My little one also put in a little hand written note about how M.E. effects his mum.
I took Ben for a cycle ride on Friday, he'd been asking for a while and it was a beautiful day so off we went with snacks and water for our.....3 mile trek. Doesn't sound far for a bike ride does it, but actually it was probably a little further than I should have gone. I was shattered when I got back and had that horrible wobbly internal agitation feeling that I'm used to as a signal I've overdone it, but I recovered. By Sunday I had a new sensation in my thighs, they were actually sore, not aching, but properly sore as I walked. This is a result of deconditioning, not a symptom of the M.E., a sign of small muscle fibre damage because they are not used to such activity.
Yesterday I emailed Dr Michael Mosley one of the co-authors of "The Fast Diet" the official 5:2 diet where you eat well for 5 days and then reduce your calories for 2 days. I am particularly interested in the passage on fasting and repair genes. When you fast your body starts a process called Autophagy, a process where the body breaks down and recycles old and tired cells. He describes it as the equivalent of taking your body along to the cellular equivalent of a garage. I wonder whether there is any potential health benefit here for me. I know that things at a cellular level aren't working properly and wonder whether there might be any benefit to the methylation cycle by trying the 5:2 diet. Hope I get a reply.
As it's ME awareness month here is a link to one of my Fitbit pals blog posts about how ME affects her.
