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Monday, February 14, 2011

Shingles. The Gift That Keeps On Giving!

You read that right. SHINGLES! And I'm not talking ROOF shingles. I got shingles for my birthday this year. Well, not QUITE shingles ... at least not yet. I got the warning of shingles. I have to thank Sylvia for mentioning it as a possible explanation for the description of the symptoms I was experiencing. I would not have guessed that and probably would have put off doctoring until blisters appeared had she not mentioned the possibility.

So what happened is I had a really nice birthday ... dinner and a movie with Laurie, who also celebrated her birthday on the same day. I was home in good time and then I became very suddenly exhausted, which didn't surprise me too much given that it was an exciting day and I'm usually tired at night. But I didn't sleep well and woke up with a headache ... uncommon for me ... and, strangely, it felt like I had banged my head somehow. It was sore above my right ear, around my temple. Sore to touch and sore when I moved my jaw, especially when chewing. And sometimes I would feel twinges along my nose and my right brow. Strange. Shingles would never have occurred to me and I didn't even know you could get them on your head! ACHHH!!!! After talking with Sylvia I called my doctor who thought it was a very real possibility, especially with some of my bloodwork results still below normal. I started on anti-viral drugs right away. I think the drugs might have stopped the shingles from taking hold. HAHA! Outwitted the nasty buggers! My head is less tender by now and it doesn't hurt when I chew. No blisters appeared. Crisis avoided.

Nonetheless, I continued to have a nice birthday which included Kevin getting home from Toronto on Thursday night. He brought me a nice cookbook from Kensington Market and some chocolates. Darrel, Lynn, and Max stopping in and bringing takeout from Nutana Cafe since I didn't feel like going out. Max left his mark, of course, and it seemed to speak to how pissy I was feeling. The next night I was feeling quite a bit better and we went to Jim and Lynne's for dinner. Lynne made a FABULOUS chocolate cake for my birthday. Candles and everything! On Saturday Sylvia took Cheryl, Alexa and I for lunch to Truffles and I was showered with lovely gifts! Very spoiled I am. Really.

These are my new boots. Not warm, practical boots like I need. Snazzy, banana-bread coloured, non-warm boots that I NEED.

And now Mom is here. We're working on a project. *wink wink*

Thanks again for spoiling me on my birthday, everyone!

By the way, I took the photo of our house to show the garish red ribbons that are STILL there. They gotta go!


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4 comments:

  1. Oh man! That is just not right or fair! I'm glad you outwitted those shingles! I love how you can always make me laugh - keeps me coming back to read your blog! Your house looks nice and those ribbons will come down when it is warm enough to go out and take them down. Now I will have a easier time finding you on Saturday :)

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  2. wow, good job on getting rid of the shingles before they took hold! and belated Happy Birthday!!!! and LOVE the boots!

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  3. Thanks for laughing along with me, Berny, though I have to say that I wasn't laughing much on Thursday and Friday when I was especially afraid I was going to break out in blisters on my head and face! I do hope I was able to avert that. I think so ... though now I'm feeling "that pain" along my ribs in the same place as before, which seems odd since I started the antiviral before there was any pain in that area. *sigh* I have NO control!

    And yes, now you'll have an easier time of finding our house on Saturday!

    Thanks, Mare, for stopping in and for the birthday greetings! The boots are making up for my shingles misery, which I've mostly averted. I think.

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  4. I found you after you commented on my blog (Jayne's Quilting Room), but how did you ever find me? I am so inspired by what you've written here - and I really only have read a couple of posts and the sidebar information. So I'm adding you to my blogroll, and will follow your "beating cancer game." I've had several friends diagnosed with breast cancer, some have survived, some have not. I can appreciate what you've been through. Thanks, by the way for the blog layout suggestions. I am going to email you with a couple of questions.

    Jayne

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