Curveball

It sure has been an interesting week.  Let me set the scene.  Last Saturday afternoon I went to feed the goats.  We have a little metal shed that we partitioned off so the front half could be for storage and the back for the goats.  I give the goats their food and then swap out their water bucket.  When I went to get the water bucket I forgot to duck (not something I'm used to since I'm so short).  I bumped my head on the top of the door frame.  It wasn't hard and there was no blood so I didn't think anything more of it. 

Until Tuesday.  Tuesday my lymph nodes around my ear started swelling up.  At first I couldn't figure out why but then remembered I bumped my head.  There were a couple bumps just above the hairline on my forehead.  Wednesday the swelling got a little worse.  Figuring I had an infection, I called the doctor's office and made an appointment for Friday.

I waited for close to an hour before she came in.  I told her the story.  She came over to look at it and in 30 seconds diagnosed my condition.....shingles!  WHAT?!?!  I've heard of it, but that wasn't quite what I was expecting to hear.  My SIL had it last year, but on her back and she said it was painful.  If you've ever had chicken pox, you have this virus that hibernates and it becomes active when you're immune system is real low.  So she prescribed some medication to hopefully prevent the pain that goes along with it.  For the most part I haven't had much pain (knock on wood), mostly just tenderness where my lymph nodes are swollen. 

Then yesterday my eye started swelling up, and I noticed the rash/blisteriing was a little further down my face.  My eye looks like I was in a UFC fight.  This actually looks better than when I woke up this morning.  Thankfully it doesn't hurt.  It's just annoying.  We'll see what the next couple days bring.  I'm thinking I won't be going to work, especially if my eye closes all the way.  According to the internet the rash/blistering should be ending and they should be starting to scab over.  I sure hope it starts getting better.  I've heard of some people who have symptoms for months, but usually it's only a couple weeks.  My mom knows someone who has had it for 2 years!