Shingles? Shoot!
January 21, 2011 at 1:41 pm 2 comments
I try not to go to the doctor unless I can see bone OR something disturbing is growing in a place where others can see it (remember my thumb thang?) OR it’s time for my annual “place your boobs on this shelf and hang on for dear life while we smoosh them” exam.
But after waking up… with a tingling face and a sore eye and an icky sore in my mouth last Saturday, I promptly saw the dentist. He said I had either a canker sore or a fever blister, and the tingling face and sore eye sounded like shingles. Yesterday, my doctor agreed and started me on an antiviral medicine.
Fortunately, I don’t have the telltale rash. But my eye feels like someone jabbed me with a sharp stick. (So remember, next time you’re tempted to say something is better than being jabbed in the eye with a sharp stick, well—it probably is.) And my cheek feels like I sat too close to a campfire…all tingly and tender and sore like the nerves are right on the surface. And my whole head aches. And I really just want to eat and sleep. (OH wait! I’ve had that last symptom for awhile now…)
The body is a strange and wonderful creation. But the older I get, the less wonderful mine becomes.
Entry filed under: Aging gracefully, Sometimes life sucks.... Tags: .
1.
Kelly | February 5, 2011 at 2:19 pm
Did your doctor suggest taking the supplement Lysine by chance? The Shingles virus (aka Herpes Zoster) is supposed to be suppressed by this amino acid. It also seems to help in the case of some other viruses in my experience.
2.
Rita | February 7, 2011 at 8:19 am
No, Kelly, she didn’t. I have sisters who use it for their fever blisters, though. So far, so good with my symptoms. They cleared up!