Shingles is the Worst

I have suddenly found myself dealing with a very bad case of shingles that affecting an area of my scalp that's about as wide as my hand, and swelling my right eye enough that I can barely open it a tiny slit. It's uncomfortable, to say the least. The whole thing can be quite painful at times. 

I'm very grateful that my two visits to the emergency room have cost less than the uber and cab rides to and from the hospital. One "good" thing about this particular health problem is that they quarantine you, so you get ushered back to your own room at the hospital pretty quickly. I've just had to pay for several prescriptions. I'm on quite a cocktail of antiviral meds, antibiotics to prevent infection, and some painkillers. I'd trade the painkillers for some better anti-inflammatory treatment, but they won't give me anything for the inflammation until I can see the opthamologist to make sure that if I get a steroid it won't actually make it worse. I don't like the idea of pumping my body with so many kinds of medicine, but when you're dealing with a highly contageous disease that could have very disastrous effects on the longterm health of your eyes, you take all the meds. 

The first time I went to the hospital, I had to bring PJ with me in the middle of the night because Michael was out of town for work. She was better behaved than one would expect, and enjoyed the novelty of it for the most part. She knows that I have a "boo boo" or a "hurt" on my eye, which she points out when I'm holding an ice pack on it, and she seems otherwise undisturbed by my monstrous appearance. Luckily, her daycare provider has been happy to accommodate if we want to send her for extra days. 

I can't help but think of how my experience with this disease would be different in the US. I would have had to pay a lot more for the medical care. However, we would have had more family help with Penelope. Thankfully, at least, Mike is back from his work trip.

At this point, I'm concerned that it could last several weeks or even longer. It will definitely makes it hard just live my normal life and work, see friends before we move overseas, and makes it harder to prepare for the move. Please send healthy thoughts my way!