Stress.

Monday morning after work I was driving home when I checked over my shoulder to change lanes and felt weird neck pain. That was new. As the day went on it got worse, and by Wednesday I’d decided it was swollen lymph nodes. I had no other symptoms, but I braced myself to get sick since that seemed the next thing coming. My skin was painful to the touch but there was nothing there.

Instead, I was getting ready for work Thursday morning early and found a dry scaly spot on my neck. Ironically enough, we’d taken down all the mirrors in the bathroom Monday to prep for painting, so I couldn’t see much in my little hand held mirror, but it seemed weird. I figured the fever in my neck had made the skin scabby. Whatever. I had to drive the bus that morning, it was Lachlan’s birthday,  and we had our first day of co-op, something we’d looked forward to for weeks.

When I got him from the bus route I asked Sterling about the spot on my neck. He checked it and gasped. The one spot was one of many, and my entire right side of my neck was covered in red welts.

I called my doctor and made an appointment before co-op. They swabbed me for strep throat and then decided it was shingles. Then the strep test came back positive.

And that is how I’ve endured some of the most painful, frustrating moments of my week. Co-op was out, my neck is now blistered, oozing, and swollen, my husband compared me to a creature on a show that I don’t know of but I’m sure it was an ogre of some sort, and I hurt. So, so, so much pain. My face, neck, scalp, ear, and shoulder are all covered in blisters on the right side. The nerve pain is so bad.

I’m told this is stress induced and I’ve hit my breaking point. I don’t know what to think. Crying seems like a good option. I contacted my boss at dispatch and asked for less hours. I’m not sure if I’ll get that. Quitting feels like a good option. Something has to give. This is miserable.