Thursday, July 14, 2011

Forget flashcards. Shingles are way more educational.

The world is ending. I took another sick day today. Surely this is a sign of the apocalypse.

So, here's what I am trying to figure out: What is it that I'm supposed to learn from having shingles?

Possible answers:

a) Nothing. Shit goes down and that's just how it is. Quit trying to analyze the universe. You should have realized this when your efforts to psychoanalyze your in-laws for fun and profit didn't work. Just leave it be.

b) Your body just *might* be reacting to an accumulation of stress and big goings on this year. This *might* be a sign that you need to respect the changes and respect the stress and *possibly* make a few tweaks in your lifestyle and how you deal with and view stress.

c) Everything is bad! Much like the story of Job, this is just the latest in a series of holy tests from above! You are being smitten and must change everything right now! Quit your job, go vegan and organic, make your own clothes, and stop drinking purple Kool-Aid RIGHT NOW.

So, yeah. Possible answers. Am I missing any? What do you think?

I just feel like if I rearrange the furniture or make some little tweak that everything will be OK. I'll stop getting these weird maladies and miraculously the stabbing, I'ma-gonna-kill-somebody pain of the shingles will magically cease.

My self-medicating has now grown to include making gazpacho (not so healing, but it sounded good at the time), showering (really? everybody wins), and Internet shopping (I have high hopes for the medicinal value of this one).

Boden and Garnet Hill are both having huge end-of-season sales. Shopping for clothes made me feel like I really will leave my house again and will require non-pajama clothes to do it in. So, really? I was shopping for the future. For America. For you and me. If I don't shop, the terrorists (and the shingles) win.

But help a girl out. What the eff am I supposed to be learning from all of this?

9 comments:

Sara said...

If you weren't one of blog heroes before, then you definitely had me at "Boden" and "Garnet Hill"....

Ali said...

um. am i going to be in trouble if i choose b)?

Janet said...

I know for myself, when I'm pushing too hard and getting too stressed, I get sick. It's my body's way of forcing me to stop and slow down.

Cyndi B. said...

I'd say A and a little bit of B, definitely not C.

Sending positive thoughts your way for a speedy recovery. By the way, thanks for the heads up on the sales...never been to those websites!

My word verification is Pasto...is that the anti-pasta?

Patti said...

yoga :-)

Mrs. Hall said...

highly intelligent women tend to think like this, like, "what i am to learn from this pain?" so we use our brain to analyze and scrutinize.

I don't know if this is the right approach. but I'm just speaking from me.

thinking can be sort an enemy. I mean, pain is pain. it sucks. it does change you though. it is through pain and struggle you are busted open and grace and wisdom march in.

well, here's hoping your shingles go away soon. then you can move on to the next geriatric disease, cataracts.

:)

Iron Needles said...

Shingles suck. I got a dose of divorce shingles.

I think a case of marriage shingles might be more fun, but maybe not...

I think (and I do not play a doctor on TV or in real life) that it is all about lowered resistance and stress.

I have to do what I need to do to take care of me...and if that means shopping? Whose to say?

hope505 said...

uh-ohh...dang, I haven't stopped by since yer nuptials and I was hoping this was a home-improvement post, because I, too, have shingles.


On my roof.

* : /

My condolences, chacha...

Magic27 said...

I'm not sure what you're supposed to learn from all this (apart from maybe take things easier? Hmm, easier to say than do, I suspect), but I do absolutely believe that burning plastic at Boden is an excellent solution. I love their kids' range (my girls have tons of their stuff!) and I have a fabulous petrol blue velvet coat (with red-and-white polka dot lining). As another possible medication, can I suggest my latest drug: www.cathkidston.co.uk? Side effects may include irate bank managers and snary bank letters, but OMG the highs are sooooo worth it!