The bout of shingles from which I’m suffering1 is going to work out expensive if it doesn’t start to clear up soon.
The rash has not spread any further than it had when I last wrote about it a couple of days ago but it has become excruciatingly painful to even the slightest touch. Even blowing a gentle stream of air at it, from my lens cleaning brush2 for example, makes me squirm. Wearing clothes anywhere near the rash is a complete no-no unless I have to go out in public when my progress is very peculiar indeed.
It’s not being able to wear a shirt which is working out expensive. The doc has given me a sick note for a couple of weeks which means I’m at home all the time except when I take one of my strange, lurching walks punctuated by muttered ouches3. Because it’s the middle of winter I have to have the heating on and because I can’t wear a shirt it’s on higher than usual. I can see myself being bankrupted if this continues.
1 And how! Nothing I’ve tried so far seems to help with the pain very much. I keep slopping calamine lotion onto the rash which has the effect of reducing the pain from excruciating to merely alarming. Methinks I should lurch off down to the chemist and see if they have anything with an anaesthetic in it.
2 There’s nothing weird about this you know. It’s simply the most gentle stream of air I could think of.
3 And occasional screams of agony.
Posted 15 December 2004, 12:55 GMT
