November 1st 2011,

Woke: 12:30

I felt really sleepy but I was able to get dressed, go downstairs and make a bowl of cheerios and come back upstairs without any trouble.

I checked emails and watched some tv shows. I decided I felt good enough to try and walk Zadie.

I got my coat on, my shoes on, and the dog ready to go without any problems. I worked on training exercises with her to discourage pulling and excitement. We were out for about half an hour. This was mostly getting her to sit and wait not so much walking. The actual walk was a few minutes and then I was tired out, a tad dizzy and new I would be too weak to continue. We went back inside. Removing my coat and taking off my shoes was hard. My arms were tired.
I decided to eat something so I made a peanut butter sandwich. My hands were shaking, it was hard to remove the lid from the container, the container was new so it had a seal which was very difficult for me to grasp and I didn't have the energy to pull it off so it took awhile. Walking from the kitchen table to the knife drawer was hard, my legs were like stone. I succeeded in making the sandwich, had Zadie help me upstairs and sat down. Started up another episode of Friends and had no appetite for the sandwich but forced myself to eat it.

Later I felt good enough to tidy and start laundry! This is the best day I have had in a while! By the time I got it loaded and tried to make my way up the stairs I was crawling and exhausted.

I am still hopeful that I will finnish tidying.

A summary

As November starts so to does month 8 of my daily battle with some sort of illness that has not been diagnosed yet.

My symptoms have varied over the past 7 months with bouts of insomnia, lack of concentration, shaky hands, headaches, muscle aches, joint pains, dizziness, and nausea. Fatigue and weakness have been with me everyday. September was the worst month, with most days spent in bed or with only one trip downstairs. Some of the better months I was able to bike, travel, take a summer class, go dancing, bus/walk around town on my own, and have long walks along the beach.

Background:

1987-2004 (Age: 0-15) I suffered from GERD, which was corrected with Nissen Fundoplication.
October 2008 (Age: 21) I became a vegetarian and by May 2009 was strictly vegan. I felt the healthiest I have ever felt up until my illnesses in Ghana.
August 2010-April 2011 (Age: 23) I lived in Ghana, West Africa. According to clinics in Ghana, I had bouts of malaria and typhoid fever.