Driving back from the Bruce Peninsula, I had convinced myself that I had a shellfish allergy and that it would only get worse with time. I quietly resigned myself to a life without oysters, clams, shrimp, mussels, lobster and, my personal favourite, Alaskan crab.
The next day, the rash was worse...much worse. I made a trip to the Urgent Care clinic at the hospital near my home and was quickly diagnosed.
- The good news...shellfish are staying on the table
- The bad news...I had shingles.
So, I'm watching movies, playing video games and making up for an absence of physical activity by writing blogs and preparing for school in September. I figured I would burn up some boredom by sharing a few recollections that frame this experience - hence the previous two blogs.
As you might imagine, I have learned a lot about shingles in the past few days.
- It is the chicken pox virus. When you get the pox (which I had as a kid) the virus just lies dormant amid your nerves.
- It is usually triggered when your immune system is compromised ... but sometimes, as in my case, for no discernible reason.
- It travels along your nerves and is always localized to one side of your body (for me the right of my torso).
- It can affect your neck and face ... which is reason for concern because scaring or damage to the eyes and ears is possible. (Whew!)
- It begins as redness, becomes an angry rash with a raised texture and then pustules form. (This is the stage I am in)
- The pustules will eventually burst and leave behind itchy scabs that you should not scratch. (I am not looking forward to this!)
There is a vaccine, Shingrix, which is recommended for adults over 50. However, it is only free if you are over 65 in Ontario. Although, I suspect I have coverage through my health benefits. If you live in Ontario, here is all the information you'll need.
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