Warlight - a wonderful read

It has been a week since my last post and in that week I have learned what a nightmare shingles can be.  It isn't the itchy blistery rash that is the worst part, but the seering nerve pain that follows. Not everyone experiences it, but if you do, you won't quickly forget it. Coupled with nausea and exhaustion, it makes you feel as if you might never recover.

I am recovering however, incrementally, day by day and today I have finally spent a day on a chair instead of in bed. The St John's Wort, VitC+Zn,VitB12 (I am taking every safe  substance that is recommended) seems to be working.

One boon has been reading Warlight, the new book by Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient. It's a wonderful work and deserves to be read slowly. It's a very unusual sort of who-done-it, though to characterise it like that does it an injustice. Definately recommended.

St John's wort (Johanneskraut)

I am on day six of the antivirals against shingles, one more day to go. I thought by this time I would be ' over the hump' but no, there is not much change. You can't sleep and everything itches. The nurse did say they can't do anything about the initial infection, but they can 'manage' it and stop it spreading, thus the antivirals. I am very grateful to have them. If this is how bad you feel when one nerve is affected, what must it be like when internal organs are pulled into the viral orbit?

One silver lining is that I am reading through the pile of books I had waiting. Today in Davina Whitehouse's (actress) autobiography I discover she had shingles in her eighties. She caught it early though, took the antivirals, then a friend gave her St John's wort oil which magically made the spots on her face disappear.  I used to make this oil in Germany from flowers in the paddock next door. There it is called Johanneskraut, and we used it for all cuts and abrasions. I didn't know about the disappearing act it does on shingles spots though.

From 'Davina' by Davina Whitehouse

Queenstown to Sydney

I didn't see much of Queenstown this visit as shingles makes you feel quite off colour and causes all sorts of odd aches. I developed a very sore muscle in my inner foot that made me hobble! Luckily I could just veg out and be fed at my lovely hosts place.

By yesterday the antivirals (one every 5 hours for 7 days!) were starting to kick in; the foot ache suddenly disappeared from one hour to the next and I was able to fly home. The gods must have been in my side as the connections home by train and bus were very quick - I just caught both with a minute to spare.

I am glad I have no activities planned. It's veg-out time.

Shingles ...ba Humbug

I had been waiting for Shingrix to arrive in Australia. It is a vaccine against shingles that is very effective.   The current alternative is not so very effective. Turns out I waited too long. B*gger#*#.

I am lucky though that it is on my lower torso. Some people get it on the head. I am learning a thing or two about nerves too. Who knew that a single nerve fibre reaches from the spine to the tip of your finger? Or right around your half torso? . Shingles affects a nerve which is why the rash develops around your torso stopping exactly on the midpoint on both sides.

I always imagined that there are chains of nerves through the body. That's what comes of being a botanist rather than zoologist.

Incidentally, someone told me they'd had it twice, both times developed while on holiday. I think we don't realise how much stress our bodies are under on holiday.