Wolf Goes to the Doctor, 2006 Edition
 

For those of you who don't know, I'm not big on going to the doctor, not big at ALL. I actually found out today that I was last at my PCP's office in February, 2003. This was related to my Gall Bladder removal.

One of the ways that I get away with not going to the doctor is that I have a physician handy 40+ hours per week. Usually, he comes through for me, gives me the hook up on the Z-pack, or whatever I might need.

Well, last night, the only thing he told me was "go see your family doctor."

Which, incidentally, was exactly the right call, even if I didn't realize it at the time.

Three days ago, I felt a little yucky.

Two days ago, I found a blotchy looking thing on the left side of forehead.

Yesterday, I found four more smaller blotchy things on the left side of my forehead, and a swollen and painful gland on the left side of my neck.

Today, I did the smart thing for a change and went to see a doctor. Today I found out that I have Shingles.

Not the roofing kind, but the Chicken Pox virus that hides in your nervous system until you least expect it and BAM ... it sneaks up on you through your nerve pathways and makes you feel icky and have pain and itching and tingling with no actual cause other than the nerves get all confuzzled and send inaccurate messages to your brain. You know that thing where you feel someone touching you on the shoulder or tugging at your hair (gently) and you whip your head around and you can't see them? It's like that feeling. Over and over and over at random.

Because of the particular location the Shingles chose to emerge, there is also danger that my eye can become infected.

I have a couple of different kinds of meds, none of which will actually cure the virus, but the doc hopes will shorten the course of the disease, and one to try to keep it out of my eye.

Yes, it is really gross.

No, I don't intend to take pictures.

On the upside, the Infection Control Practitioner won't allow me back at work until I'm dry and crusted, even though the doctor told me that I'd be fine just so long as I wore a bandanna over the area.

I am only contagious to people who have never had Chicken Pox. You can't transmit Shingles to anyone else, but you can transmit Chicken Pox by contact.

Well now you have a great excuse to rest up and take a load off. I hope you're feeling better soon Wolf. Shingles is a really annoying virus to have. Good you went to the docs though. ;)

It's HERPES! Ew! :p and the Doc is right - you DON'T want it in your eye. I just heard that there's a new vaccine for it. Apparently, shingles is the leftover chicken pox, that hangs around until your immune system is low and then it attacks.

It can also reemerge when you are under a lot of stress. I wonder where I got any of that recently??

I also heard about the shingles shot. Today. After it's too damn late.

After this clears up I may look into information on it and make a decision then.

I did go to a very nice Opthalmologist today. She was able to fit me in on an emergency basis. Props to Dr. Amy Weber in Wyndmoor.

Dr. Amy Weber worked in this very office, part time, when she was a resident. She has incredibly blue eyes, doesn't she? I'm glad to hear she treated you well.

Oh wolf, that sucks! I had them when I was 12 and wouldn't wish that shit on anyone.

I had the Chicken Pox at 14 or so, a moderate case. My sister got the really bad version.

I may ultimately decide to switch to her rather than staying with the guy at the Chain Eye Glass Store that I've been going to for the last couple of years because of the overall convenience.

o. That sucks like a pail of leeches. to cheer you up I offer this trio of herpes related humor particles:

1) The new social disease ravaging the nerd community?
(Twerpies)
2) The new social disease ravaging the bird community?
(Chirpies)
3) What is most heart breaking about it?
(It's un tweetable)

There. Don't you feel immeasurably better?

Aw...I hope you get better soon. Stress causes the immune system to weaken. Its good you went to the doc...why do you hate it so much?

Because it's simpler, I've just been telling people I come into contact with that I've got plague.

While I'd prefer not to come in contact with anyone, there are home health aides, PT, OT, & Nurses tromping through the house throughout the day.

OH it's the frigging fleas! BASTARD cats. Damn them.:thepain:

I'm really sorry to hear about this. My dad just had a bout with the shingles. It laid him up for a while a few months ago, and combined with his age appears to have sapped his strength.

Take care of yourself.

Bad stress-BAD!

I'm not so sure not going to work will relieve a large percentage of your stress, but it'll help. Let me know if I can pick up some eye of newt or bat toenails at the market, for you.;)