Shingles - A Fond Look Back (Not)

About a year ago, I was going through the last phase of a case of shingles.
If you follow me on this blog at all (if not, you can see the post at https://aproposno.blogspot.ca/2015/12/my-fortnight-with-shingles.html), you know that it was a hell of an experience, and one I won't soon forget.

Oh, did I say won't forget? Ha, funny story...

I recently re-read the posting, and was astonished at how much I did forget. Interestingly, a lot of it was about the worst aspects of the illness. I had largely not thought about the flu-like symptoms; aches, fever, chills, exhaustion, loss of appetite, etc. There was also itching, neuralgia...well, read the post.
But the thing that really jumped out at me was the major swelling of my left upper lip, and how difficult it made eating and drinking. My mouth was literally swollen half shut. What a thing to forget!

You hear stories about mothers who forget the pains and  discomfort of childbirth a while after the event, which gives them a chance to focus on the care and rearing of their child. Perhaps these are only anecdotal, but there may be a kernel of truth in them. I was certainly surprised by how much I'd forgotten.


Well, it is a year later now, and I certainly haven't forgotten the entire experience - because there are still after-effects. They are diminishing, but only at a snail's pace, and I don't frankly know whether some will ever go away.
In general, the left side of my face is still affected, most especially my left upper lip, which still has some numbness, though, again, it's better than it was. Still a weird sensation when I'm shaving, though.
Along with the numbness, oddly, are both itching sensations, and occasional pinprick-type pains. The latter two are also common through the whole area that was affected by the illness; upper lip, left nostril, cheek and eye. I will occasionally feel such an intense itch at my left nostril or eye that I must rub or scratch right away. At times, the area feels akin to scar tissue; in cold air, the skin feels tight and dry.

Minor stuff, relatively speaking, to be sure. I was fortunate, I suppose, in that the affected area was someplace I could see, and that the symptoms weren't as bad as some I've heard about. Still, as I said, I looked like hell for two weeks, and spent much of the time alone, so it was no picnic, either.

Perhaps, as I said at the end of that post last year, it's oddly appropriate that it happened near the Christmas season. It gave me an appreciation for the good general state of my own health, and an empathy for those who - through no fault of their own - can't get over their ailments, and must find their own way of coping.

I guess I'm fortunate in being able to put my thoughts in writing - it is a rather effective way of focusing your thoughts, and exploring your feelings and memories. That's certainly been my experience over the last couple of years of doing this blog.


So, for another year, best of the season to all. Thank you for reading my posts.



(P.S. There have been so many losses this past year of so many people I admire that I may be compelled to do some sort of "year-in-review" entry before January. We'll see.)