The Never-Ending Ramblings...

Heath Update

I’m sick and at work today. At least it's only for three hours. My head hurts, joints ache, sinuses inflamed and stuffy, throat hurts-scratchy. Now, I’m developing a cough. I haven’t been this sick in a very long time. Last march, but that was allergies, and I didn’t stay home from work as I have Thursday and Friday. All I want is my bed; but when I’m in it, I can’t even rest. No medications seem to be working – clariton, sudifed, Tylenol, advil, even prescript meds.

Anyway, I know I should have updated bryan’s health issues before now, but, I’m just so out of it. He has shingles. Before now, I thought this was an infection of the skin, which made you itch and feel bad for a week. Wrong. Shingles is the chickenpox virus – becoming reactivated. Yes, there is a rash, but, since the virus attacks the nerve roots, there is lots of pain, numbing, tingling. Depending on where the virus attacks the body, it can pose a threat to invading your lungs, brain, eyes –as in bryan’s case – his ocular nerve in his right eye. They do have anit-viral meds they put you on once a diagnosis is confirmed. To help lessen the risk of one loosing their eyesight, and other horrible things which can happen.

Recovery, I found out, is four weeks. But for lots of people, its months, years, or never! At least the headaches are fleeting instead of just there 24/7. His rash doesn’t look nearly as bad as the pics I’ve seen on the internet. But, it still early. We are hoping he has experienced the worst part – the first stage which is flu-like symptoms with the migraine type headache. They still want to do an MRI - and he has more testing on Monday. The side effects of the meds must be monitored.

Hopefully, we will all be well in time for Christmas.