November is Here ...

I hope this posts finds everyone well and good.  The Texas weather is still playing tricks on us.  We have had some nice cool days and even a couple of cold days.  We are currently in a cool morning ... warm afternoon weather pattern.  I am thankful that Halloween was a beautiful day and evening for my littles to get to actually walk and go trick or treating.  We had such a fun night.  When we started off, they were all about the candy but after knocking on a couple of doors, it was more about the social part.  Madelyn and Braxton would say ... trick of tweet and then most always would say ....
Thank you as they were walking away.
Gosh I feel so blessed to continue to get to be here and be part of these special occasions.  Madelyn was Minnie Mouse and Braxton was a policeman and little Brooklyn was a pumpkin with a tutu.  ------------------->
Here's Bonnie with the littles at daycare on Wednesday (I could not get the picture with Alicia in it to upload - ????).  The babies got to have a party early in the day and then changed their clothes.  This was the best Halloween ever (little secret - I've never cared for Halloween).

A couple weeks ago I went to the eye doctor to have my eyes checked.  I mean after all it had been 4 years since my last eye exam.  The doctor told me that my distance vision had not changed which was good but my near vision had ... well I could have told her that.  I figured that out when the bifocals I wear at work were not quite cutting it.  I got an eye exam to be able to use contacts.  Long story short ... contacts didn't work.  However on Tuesday when I went to buy glasses I found out something... there is a correction on my current glasses, as well as, my new prescription for astigmatism distance correction.  I never knew that I had a vision correction on my current glasses ... but I always knew my distance vision cleared up when I put them on.  I cannot wait to get my new glasses, I have high expectations for my vision.  The frames I got this time are different but in my opinion and the opinions of a young girl and the guy that helped me at Sears Optical ... they are cute.  Hopefully I will get them next week.

During the day Wednesday I began having a pain around my left rib cage.  It was a pulled muscle type of pain so I didn't think much about it.  I got home from work and cooked dinner, Alicia, Madelyn and I loaded up in the car and made a stop at her Dad and step-Mom's so they could see Madelyn in her Minnie Mouse costume before we headed to Bonnie and Buddy's for trick or treating.  I carried little Brooklyn while trick or treating.

When I got up Thursday morning I had the beginning of a rash on the left side of my torso.  As I began investigating, I found the rash goes around my torso to my spine ... have you guessed yet what I'm getting ready to say?  Shingles ... yep that is what the pain was on Wednesday ... it was the beginning and it started with the nerve pain.  I called my sister who lives across the street and is a nurse, grabbed the flash light and headed out the door for her to take a look.  Yep, she confirmed that I have shingles.  I went to work and as soon as the doctors office opened, I called to get an appointment.  Very fortunate that I got an early appointment ... again, this time doctor confirmed diagnosis.  She gave me a prescription for Valtrex, the med that stops the shingles aka herpes zoster virus - the rash -  that is related to chicken pox and a pain med 'neurontin' that helps not only with the immediate pain but also so I will not have pain from this shingles event the rest of my life.  I am very fortunate that I caught this early and the spot on my spine was the only one that had started blistering.  Let me say that the rash has not been the worst part of this ... it is the incredible nerve pain that doesn't stop.  By last night the pain was all the way from my left rib cage to my spine on the left side of my torso.  The pain med is a build up med ... Take one the first day, two the next day (today) and three for the following days until the med is all taken.  The nerve pain is worse than child birth - and if you know me, I thought child birth was the worst pain I would ever experience AND it's ten times worse than my double mastectomy ... even taking the lymph nodes from under my left arm ... does not compare to this pain.  It's awful.  I can hardly stand for a light soft t-shirt to touch my body ... again, not so much the rash but the nerve pain.  Praying the pain meds take control and get rid of the pain.  I must say how very thankful I am that the shingles broke out on my torso and not my face or eyes.  Here's a couple of pictures I found on the internet  to show you the blistering and how the rash spreads.   Please pray that the pain meds kick in today and I can shed some of the pain.

 If your doctor has suggested the shingles vaccination .... GO GET IT.  You will most likely have to pay out of pocket but $200 as opposed to a case of shingles ... is a drop in the bucket.  You do NOT want this ... let me say that again ... you do NOT want this.  It will be April 2013 now before I can get the vaccination and rest assured I will be getting it.

Tomorrow is Madelyn's 2nd birthday party and I pray to be feeling better.  She's having a Minnie Mouse party and Alicia has rented a huge toddler bounce house for the littles.  I know they will have a blast and the weather should be great.

So that's a catch up on me.  My beautiful life continues and I am continuously praising the Lord for all He has done for me.  He continues to hold me up when I think that I cannot hold myself up.  He didn't give me the shingles outbreak but he's here to help me get through this latest venture through the troubled waters.  Thank you Father.

Psalm 106:1   Praise the Lord.  Give thanks to the Lord; for He is good; His love endures forever.

Blessed and praying blessings for you today.

genam44@charter.net