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!

Shingles. The Gift That Keeps On Giving!