Shingles

I have kind of been down and out these past two weeks. Busy, but not feeling the greatest. Started about a week before team state when I came down with a nasty cold...headache, sore throat, fever, muscle aches, runny nose. In fact, I thought it was just the flu because it was lasting a while. Come Friday morning I started noticing a pain in my right side of my lower back. It was a piercing pain and would come and go. I thought maybe I might have pulled a muscle. By Friday evening the pain was becoming worse and very uncomfortable. It became somewhat of a tightening or muscle spasmy type pain and would radiate around my side of my stomach to the front. I was worried about a kidney infection or stone but no problems with going to the bathroom, etc. I also figured it wasn't a pulled muscle because I hadn't run on Friday (skipped out because of the pain) and the last time I had run was on Wednesday. I sat through team state with an icy hot patch we had picked up Friday evening at Walmart across from our hotel. It helped a little but like I said, the pain was like spasmy and would literally tense up my whole body when I felt them. It was painful. Saturday's ride home was hard and Sunday morning was the worst. Ben decided to take me to Urgent Care and get checked out. I was amazed at how quickly the doctor diagnosed me with Shingles. All I had to do was describe what I was feeling, moved my body around a bit and he knew. I am now on an antiviral medication, a steroid and pain relievers. Three different pills five times a day. Feeling better, but mornings are rough on me. I had always heard about Shingles and how painful they were but I always envisioned a painful looking blistery patch. Not so with me. I haven't gotten the rash, in fact, the doctor said I may not even get a rash because it was caught fairly early. Just the pain, fatigue and headaches are what is hindering my life at the moment. And I say hindering because it is about to get busy again...in the next week we have a surgery scheduled (Tyler's metal, etc. out of his ankle) and Gabi's birthday parties. I just don't have time to be sick. Anyways, I will ask for prayers...so send some my way if you think of me. Thanks!!!!