So many people have been asking how I am.  I decided to move things over to my blog and even though this seems unrelated to food allergies and cooking, it is about health and wellness and that is what I am here to talk about.  And you know, somehow, the beauty tip blog I was about to publish when all this happened just seems insignificant . . . for now anyway.

Being struck by lightning is much more complicated than I would have thought.  I mean, we had the best case scenario at first glance.  We walked away with no entrance and exit wounds, no burns or other marks that would indicate a lightning bolt had hit us.  We were dumbfounded, in total shock, and my head hurt like hell but we looked pretty damn good for what we had been through.

It’s just that there are additional affects that occur.  A lightning strike, no matter how serious, injures the central nervous system and thus, the brain – its master computer.  I spoke with the founder of Lightning Strike and Electric Shock Survivors International two days after it happened to my friend Bird and me.  He said that anything can go wrong and it can happen days, weeks, months or years later.  So even though it looked like I walked away with nothing but a nasty headache, it was just the beginning.

Here are the symptoms I have experienced since being struck by lightning.

• Sleeplessness (maybe two hours at a time – five is the most)
• Headaches and burning in the head
• Light sensitivity especially to flashing light (night vision is not as good as it was prior to the strike)
• Extreme sensitivity to vibrations of all kinds – cars on the street, leaf blower, helicopters, noises
• Startle easily
• Tingling in hands and feet mainly but all throughout the body as well
• Crying jags and tears intermittently just come out for no apparent reason
• Twitching as I fall asleep at night that wakes me up
• Nightmares when I do sleep
• Hearing garbled language from the person talking on the phone (only the first day)
• Memory lapses (having no memory of having just written a text to someone – happened twice)
• Constant thirst
• Soreness in hips, groin and lower back with muscle weakness in the legs

When I went to my doctor for follow up three days after the lightning strike, the most disturbing thing was understanding the damage that has been done to my lower extremities.  She advised me not to stand or walk  for long periods or to lift heavy objects.  Well, as a private chef, that’s my job in a nutshell.  She says that the weakness in my lower body is like that of someone who had been bed ridden for a long time and had to learn to walk strong again.

I am still in a ‘wait and see if it improves’ mode before making a decision with my doctor about work and possibly physical therapy for the problem.  So far, it is a little better each day.  The best way I can describe it is that my legs feel like I just ran the hundred yard dash.  They feel rubbery and sore but the muscles are not recovering.

The best news is that each day I do feel better.  A new symptom may pop up but it may not sustain itself.  Only time and rest will tell how long this will take.  The brain has to heal from the trauma as does the body.  Rest is key to keep from doing further damage to the system.  So I shall rest and write.  I am a doer and writing feels like I am doing something useful.  If my story helps just one person in need then that is a wonderful thing.

Dr. Meg Haworth, Ph.D. is a private chef to the stars in Hollywood, cookbook author, instructor at Whole Foods Markets and wellness coach.  You can find her on the web at www.deliciousandhealthy.com or email her at meg@deliciousandhealthy.com for menu plans tailored to your needs for food allergies, healing diets for specific conditions and healthy weight loss.  For her cookbook, click here.