emily. nineteen. 
Day nineteen. Goodmorning Samson. (Sometimes he wakes me up by trying to eat my face.)
I love my kitten. :)
I put on real makeup today, after going to the gym and taking a shower.
And I’m wearing a dress.
I feel kinda good.
But I don’t really know how to pose for pictures.
So I make funny faces behind my hair.
Cutest couple? Damn straight. (Taken with instagram)
(Samson’s eyes are still gunky. :( Vet trip on Monday!)
It’s tuesday.
All of my roommates are gone, except for one who is still asleep.
I’m cleaning the kitchen because I’m bored.
(We use a plunger in the sink because the garbage disposal doesn’t work.)
I get so bored during summer.
I think I’m going to make some Rice-A-Roni.
Shingles make my face look gross, but I’m rocking the bangs and glasses as a disguise.
It still makes me feel vulnerable. I feel like that kid in middle school with really bad acne that no one says anything to, but they are utterly repulsed.
I hate having shingles.
So, I have shingles.
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. Most people who get it are over the age of 50, but anyone who has had chicken pox can get it. Shingles themselves aren’t contagious, but if someone comes in contact with shingles who has never had the chicken pox, they can get it.
I started to develop somewhat of a painful rash on my forehead on Thursday. When I woke up Friday morning, the rash had spread and the top right half of my face/head was in excruciating pain. I went to the student health clinic at school, and the doctor there gave me anti-viral medication (this was great, because the earlier you get on meds, the quicker it heals). The next morning, the rash had spread to most of my forehead and my scalp- and my eyelid. I went to Instant-Care, because I was still in excruciating pain, and it scared my that the rash was so close to my eye. The doctor prescribed me pain medication, and told me to go to the ER immediately if I started losing vision or feeling pain in my eye. Last night, I was in a lot of pain (shingles is quite painful, in case you couldn’t tell), and I couldn’t tell if the pain was coming from my eye or my eyelid. I was crying so hard that my boyfriend was getting ready to take me to the ER, but luckily he was able to calm me down enough so that I could realize that it wasn’t my eye, it was in fact my eyelid. Today the pain has died down quite a bit, and it looks like the rash has stopped spreading (thank goodness- it’s taken over most of my forehead already). I have to go to the eye doctor tomorrow to make sure that the virus isn’t in my eye, and I cannot go to class.
As you can tell, I look (and feel) pretty gross. I can’t wear my contacts or make-up, because I don’t want anything irritating my eye. I have only left my room to go to the bathroom and pick up the pizza I ordered. I’m lucky to have my boyfriend who is here taking care of me. Shingles lasts 2-4 weeks, and since this is only day 4, I’m wary to see how the next few days go, but I’m optimistic.
That’s the story of Emily with her shingles. So now you know!
