Shingles: Day 3

So, it's already the third day. The rash has diminished in size a little bit and it has turned into a deeper red. Fortunately, it is not too painful, I can still do most of my daily activities (which goes to show that I'm not a very active person) without being in too much pain. Sleeping is a bit tough though. It feels a little numb when I add pressure on it. Since yesterday, I started getting flu-like symptoms, all but the fever. I am very sensitive to light, headache, a little light-headed, a little warm (maybe it's the hot temperature) and the muscle aching.

I started googling more and more news about shingles: what cause them, how to treat them, what to avoid eating, what supplements to eat, how to prevent them....it was a little overwhelming. But here is my insight:

- discovering them early can cut at least half the time it takes to cure. when you start the medication right away, the shingles will only last for approximately a week
- the chicken pox virus (which causes shingles) is always in our body. however, stress and other factors will weaken the immune system, letting the virus attach our nerves - so always relax and let go, there is nothing more important than our health
- taking vitamins will speed up the healing process - taking vitamin b12, vitamin c, echinacea will help the body heal
- eat a balanced diet - always good to eat right
- foods that should be avoided: chocolate (so sad...), nuts and legumes (bean-like vegetables) - I'm guessing that they give more energy for the virus to grow?

I do feel very lucky because it was discovered early. I have some friends and family who had shingles before and it was way worse. When I was googling, I came across this website, www.demonshand.com, which is the blog of a lady who had a bad case of the shingles. Her healing process took 5 years! It was overwhelming to read.

I'll just treat this week as my mini-vacation :)