Under the Weather

I knew something was up last Friday when I felt a stinging, tingling sensation above my left eye and had a very bad headache.  We were on our way home from Tucson where the Hubs met with his urologist.  Saturday morning I had what appeared to be two little blisters and intense itching.  I put some cortisone cream on them.  They got worse! Sunday I coated them with Neosporin and a band aide and went to church. The headache continued on and nothing, absolutely nothing touched it.

I went to work on Tuesday (Monday was our 4th of July holiday). The head still hurt, the rash was horrific and just above my eyebrow.  I went to the doctor's that evening.  I have SHINGLES!!!  On Wednesday, per the doctor's orders I went to see my opthomologist.  He noted swelling on my eye lid but no actual shingles in the eye.  I'm to return next Friday for a follow up appointment.

I have three prescriptions: one for shingles that's taken 5 times a day for 7 days; one for pain as needed; and a salve for the area.  I hadn't gotten the vaccine for shingles - I wasn't quite 60!  SIGH!!!

I cannot read well as my left eye (my dominant eye) is blurry.  It is now swollen 2/3 shut every morning when I wake up.  And I can't seem to get enough sleep.  This couldn't happen at a worse time due to work efforts and an upcoming audit.

Perhaps this is a "not my will but Thy will" situation.  The articles I've read indicate that stress can be a factor in developing shingles... I don't think it's work, more than likely it's been the kidney stone saga on the Hubs end.

This is all for now,  perhaps I can write/add more later.

Saturday, July 9, 2011:

The Shingles still look horrible and the itching comes and goes and when it comes, it is with a vengeance!  My left eye has been prone to swelling when I wake up from sleeping. The other day is was so swollen and probably 2/3 closed. It was so swollen it was odd looking out from my own eye.  It was as if it had been framed by skin - MY SKIN! 

This experience is new to me and very disconcerting!  My bangs have grown out, so they cover the affected area, but they make me itch horribly.  I have a salve the Doctor prescribed, but it is so... sticky it's almost like putting tree sap on it.  The best relief thus far is Ocean Potion for sunburn. It has a pain reliever, aloe and quells the itch for awhile. 

The problem now is that I get tired so easily and my left eye is blurry, blurry, blurry!  What am I to do come Monday?  Perhaps it will be better by then and I can return to work unscathed! We'll give it a test run tomorrow at church.  According to the articles I've read, we're past the contagious point.

Hugz,
Tamara