Shingles

Two weeks ago I was diagnosed with Shingles, which by far is the weirdest disease I have ever experienced. It started off as a small rash on my tummy (which I had assumed was from a lace trimmed shirt I had been wearing) and the skin hurting on my back. I kept asking Will, to look at my back and see if I had a scratch or some other mark there, but there was absolutely nothing.

The next day, I was complaining to my sister about my mysterious skin cancer on my back, and she mentioned that sometimes she has sensitive skin and thinks it might be from taking various drugs. I said that I had not taken anything in a long time except for the ibuprofen an hour ago for my back, which didn't help at all.

As I laid in bed that night, I was positive an organ was rupturing inside of me...appendix, kidney, not sure, but I was convinced something like that was going on because that is exactly what it felt like. Actually, either that or someone was stabbing a knife from my back through my stomach. So the next morning, I consulted Web MD aka my sister Jill, and told her how bad my skin cancer had gotten and continued to describe the symptoms of rupturing organs and knife stabbings. She then asked, "Are you sure you don't have a rash?" (Apparently, I had missed telling her about the small rash before, because at this time I still thought that is was from my lace shirt rubbing me wrong.)

Casually I said, "Well yeah, a small one on my tummy, but I'm pretty sure it was from my shirt."

Then she said something to the effect of, "Rani! Get to the doctor right now, I bet you have shingles and you only have 72 hours to get the medication, blah blah." So off I went to confirm my sister's suspicions, and as I'm sitting at Walgreen's waiting for my prescription, talking to her on the phone, she then informs me its the same drug they give for people with herpes. Um, awesome. Had I known that, I would have sent Will for it. By the way, when I went back a week later for another prescription and as I walked up they said, "Hi, Rani! How are you?" I mean that's nice that they remembered me and all, but I couldn't help but be self-conscientious wondering if they remembered me because they think I'm the girl with herpes? (No offense to anyone with herpes by the way.) Anyhow, it's not the worst disease in the world, just strange, some moments your fine, and other times I was convinced that if I looked down at my stomach I would have seen flames shooting out. I am curious if there is any correlation between shingles and spontaneously self-combustion.

Anyhow, two weeks later, these crazy things are finally healing amidst the skin being as sensitive as ever...I hear that can take months to go away, but I hopefully that's not the case. And since our family seems to have predisposition for shingles, that means Megan, you're next!

So yes this is it, all there was too it, hard to believe that small of a thing could hurt so bad, the largest spot was about the size of a dime. If you really have a strong stomach, google "shingles + rash pictures"...yowsers!!! I'm definitely counting my blessings.