2005-05-20 - 7:05 p.m.
Life is seriously fucked up, isn't it?
I have herpes.
No, not like that. I have Herpes Zoster, commonly known as shingles. Yes. SHINGLES. You know, like chicken pox. When you have chicken pox as a child, the virus kind of lingers in your spine until one day it says to itself, “Hey, I want to come out and play!” and it pops up again and makes you miserable. In my case, I have a three-inch rash-type-thing on my lower back that itches like crazy, but it’s really not that bad. I’m on antivirals, and it hasn’t spread, but dude. Talk about freaky. I went to see a new GYN yesterday, and while I was there she took a look, and she said, “Wow! Just like the textbook!” Yeah. Thanks.
I found out about this kind of weirdly. I had this rash on my back, and I thought it came from a bite of some sort. And I went home on Friday and asked Mom to look at it, because I thought maybe she could give me some hydrocortisone. She started FREAKING OUT, and she insisted that Ed take me to the urgent care. I went myself on Saturday, and the doc said, “Yup, that’s zoster,” and prescribed me some drugs. Then Mom called me and practically yelled at me to get my ass over to the synagogue so one of her dermatologist friends could look at it. He also said zoster. He told Mom that he sees it all the time, even in healthy people my age. She told me that she’d only seen shingles in people with HIV, lymphoma or other immuno-deficiencies, so she was nervous. After that, she wasn’t nervous, but I was miserable.
They put me on Valtrex. VALTREX. Which is marketed for genital herpes. Now, I know that genital herpes are not really a huge deal, but dude. And I had to call the Knew Bo and tell him. Here’s the conversation:
Mitzi: Hey, I have to ask you something.
Knew Bo: You HAVE to ask me something?
M: Yes. Um… did you have chicken pox as a kid?
KB: Yes, why?
M: Because… I have shingles.
KB: What???
M: Yeah. It’s not a big deal, and I’m on meds now, but I wanted to make sure you weren’t at risk.
KB: Yeah, I had the pox when I was 20.
M: You were 20? Oh, you poor thing. (aside, to Mom) Hey, Mom? Can I take a Benadryl on top of a Valtrex?
KB: Wait, what? Valtrex? Isn’t that for HERPES?
(explanation of herpes zoster follows)
KB: OK. Well, I’m fine. But more importantly, how are YOU?
So that was over, and with minimal discomfort. Nice to be dating a mature guy for once. Although, mature is relative. Every day since he’s been asking, “So, how’s your athlete’s foot?” “How’s your SARS?” “How’re your herpes?” Which, G-d help me, I find hilarious. I think I’m in lurve.
I haven’t seen him in over a week. We’ve both been SO busy. But we have big plans for tonight, and then this weekend we’ll be spending (gasp!) Saturday and all of Sunday together. As in, I’m taking a suitcase to his place on Saturday so I can have clothes for Sunday and Monday, plus my gym stuff and some books. Just to kind of hang out. The 24-hour stretch together is always a Big Deal in the beginning of a relationship. So, I guess we’ll see how we do.
In other news, the apartment hunt is going well, but I’m not saying anything else about that right now. OK? Good.
So, yeah. It’s been quite a week. But hopefully my shingles will clear up soon and I’ll move and life will settle down a bit. I hope. I hope HARD.
