An Unwelcome Encore

I feel:: cranky
What song is on a loop in my head right now:: something by Evanescence

Sooooo, ummmm I have Shingles. I went to the doctor yesterday because I've had this really painful rash on my tummy, right below my left breast. He said that I have Shingles. I was all,"What the hell is Shingles?" Well, he said that it's the same virus at chicken pox and that when you get it as a child, the virus lies dormant in your spinal column and then over the years, your immunity to it decreases and it shows up again as Shingles. It's not a rash, but the virus travels along nerve pathways and inflicts nerve damage where ever it pops up. Luckily, I caught mine early. My doctor said that he'd never seen anyone as young as me have it. He said that most people get it when they are over 60. This stuff hurts! And to top it all off, I feel like I have the flu, which the doc said is normal for someone with Shingles. He said that it takes about 2 or 3 weeks to go away completely. Great. I have finals next week and I have to study and I feel like total shit. He said stress makes it worse so I shouldn't stress out. Wtf else am I supposed to do when I can't stay up for more than a couple of hours at a time? Fucking figures. Just my shitty luck.

Also, I told my friend Ashley last night that I had this and then she asked me to ride out to Conway with her to meet her new man, so I did. On the way there, I was talking (I talk with my hands a lot) and I reached for her hand to show her something and she recoiled from me quickly saying,"Don't TOUCH ME! You have that shit!" Ummmm, that made me feel like a leper. Thanks Ash.