Shingles...and I don't mean the roof !

Several weeks ago the right side of my back was numb (off and on). I thought it was from knitting...what do I know? Having worked almost exclusively on socks for the past year I had just started a new sweater for my husband and was knitting on long straight needles again.
Being a "thrower", I thought the numbness was from revisiting muscles I hadn't used in a long time. HA!!!!!

Around the same time I begain to take spinning classes and started wearing a heart monitor, which wraps around your body just at the bra line. So, when the numbness went away and I started to be itchy I thought it MUST be the heart monitor strap...y'know, sweaty elastic and skin might cause a rash or something...

...and then I looked in the mirror (a feat of gymnastic skill) at my back and saw a line of angry red welts marching along. After describing them to my friend Muriel she said the magic words "I think you might have shingles". Then I ran to the Internet...every symptom, right on cue...the numbness...the itchiness...the red welts. Damn!!!

Off to the doctor for confirmation and, yes, I do have shingles. Now that I am a pauper (after filling the anti-viral prescription for which there is no generic)...I am now waiting out the 4-6 weeks until I am "shingle-free" and can resume wearing my heart monitor with comfort.

Look on the bright side...it was NOT the knitting, so I am going now to pick up my needles and work on Peter's sweater.

*******S I G H *******

C'ya later!