On the Spot Update

Ha! I'm funny even when I'm ill and covered in leprous polka dots.

I finally turned the corner yesterday. When I said I didn't feel particularly ill, just miserable, I spoke too soon. I did end up feeling BOTH ill and miserable. It would have been fine if I'd even felt well enough to spend the time finishing up on all the books I've half started over the past month, or caught up on the blogs I've missed reading for weeks. But I didn't. So pooh. No fun. I just lost a week, benefiting from neither leisurely sloth nor gainful productivity. (Or is that a double negative? Would that be sloth OR productivity?)

The spots aren't disappearing yet. But they have stopped appearing. They're turning a sort of purplish pink that's even more glaringly noticable than the mosquito bite red they were originally, and frankly, are very hard to match to any of my clothing, as I'm more of a true red person when it comes to shirts. They have at least had the decency to become less puffy and considerably less itchy. So I've decided, being well enough to start to develop a mild but growing case of cabin fever, that means I'm no longer contagious. (and yeah, I looked it up online too) Everyone else is enjoying our beautiful spring weather in short sleeves but I'm covering up best as I can in soft long sleeves and pants. I can't do anything about my hands though, which look the worst. Gloves might be a little wierd.

My mouth is more problematic as the spots/blisters were just the beginning of a long chain reaction. Trying to avoid the pain of the blisters, I've walked around with my checks puffed out like a puffer fish, looking and sounding when I talked, when I talked at all, like The Godfather. Eating was as painful as I suspect you imagine it. And trying to keep everything from touching everything else - lips, cheeks,teeth, tongue, I ended up moving my jaw this way and that which resulted in headaches, sore jaw, and biting the inside of my own mouth at least a couple times a day. It's finally, knock on wood, starting to show some improvement. Most of the pain now is from self inflicted bites and the fact that my lips have cracked and are starting to peel away in what I can only imagine is an extremely attractive imitation of birch bark, down to the whitish color, as I found what helps the most is applying a thick layer of Bag Balm. (Mooooooo).

And the inside of my nose...... you know what. Let's not even go there. I have some compassion.

So that's the update. Just be thankful, as one grateful reader mentioned, that I didn't feel compelled to show you pictures.