Rut and Shingles

I am in a blogging rut. I convince myself that I have nothing interesting to report. That leads to being lazy even when I do have things to report. I need to report things frequently, whether they are interesting or not, or else life is going to zip on by.

All sorts of nifty things have happened since the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, but I'll have to slowly catch up. I can't back track an entire month.

Hudson had a birthday. He's now four. And very proud of it.



He got the crown at school. Poor kid had his birthday smack in the middle of all of us having the stomach flu...one after the other. But Hudson can't gripe too much because he GAVE it to us. I'll recap his birthday another day.

Let's start with this weekend.

On Friday I was dealing with a really bad headache in my left temple and eye socket. I figured I had a sinus infection. Hudson was coughing like a baby seal. At 3, I called the allergist to get us both seen. Love our allergist. They can almost always fit us in at the last minute.

Hudson is now on a preventative inhaler to get the upper hand on his winter asthma.

The doctor looked up my nose and declared my sinuses perfectly clear. Then he scared the pee out of me when he told me I was presenting with classic symptoms to develop shingles!! Good grief. Then he went and got a book and showed me horrifying pictures of people with disfiguring rashes on their faces. Oh sweet Jesus. I was terrified.

I thought shingles was always on your back. Um, apparently not. The way I was describing the type and location of pain (and the fact that I don't have migraines), the doctor said it could be shingles and the rash would show up in a few days. Then I'd be off work for two weeks, have a horribly painful rash, and need to stay away from old or pregnant people.

Needless to say, my hypochondriac self didn't take this news very well. I went home and put myself to bed and waited for the worst.

We had to wake up early Saturday morning to drive down to Moorpark for the wedding of the oldest cousin on Eric's side. Jason is 26. Hudson is the baby cousin at 4. It was a beautiful wedding. My face was still hurting pretty badly, but there was no rash. Ibuprofin wasn't helping.

Alcohol at the reception helped. Dancing helped. It took my mind off the stabbing pain in my temple.

It was pretty neat to be a part of such a happy family event.

We stayed at a hotel after the wedding. I woke up feeling better. No rash, and the pain had subsided. I am cautiously and optimistically calling this a migraine. Awful. Just awful. At least I won't be in hiding for two weeks.

I don't think I should see that particular doctor ever again!

We are home, laundry is laundering, suitcases are unpacked, and we are just relaxing and watching tv. Here's to the start of a new week.