Dear Reader:

What a difference a day makes…Wednesday I spent fleeing from spider webs and Thursday morning I got a diagnosis from Dr. Montoya (actually her student intern) that I was not expecting. *And no, I’m not pregnant!(:

But I am getting ahead of the story. Let’s go back in time just a bit.

Remember the other day when I told you how thankful the family was that both Rutledge (with his ear problems) and Jakie (with his skin allergies) made it through the Race for the Cure before medical assistance was needed? Now let’s add that old adage “All things come in three’s” because it came true… with yours truly making the “trio” complete.

Have you ever discovered, like me, that sometimes the worst place you can be is in your own head? For the past few weeks I have experienced an annoyingly painful  “crick-in-the-neck.”It just wouldn’t go away, the muscles from my neck to my right shoulder felt like rocks and then some sort of pink welts started forming down my neck which felt like insect bites. I thought that maybe a spider had bitten me or “little c” had spread elsewhere. Obviously none of these thoughts were good.

I remember my neck hurting in Asheville so I am thinking it had started before we left to escape Matthew…the hurricane  (Though Jackson’s Matthew actually lives in Asheville…rather ironic?)

…But then isn’t life full of ironies? I think that is what makes it so intriguing and never dull? For example: It takes sadness to know what happiness is. Noise to appreciate silence or absence to value presence…and I can personally add one more-pain to appreciate health…and/or at least pain pills.

I persevered on my usual health train of thought….just keep on keeping on and it will go away. Unfortunately it followed me….to Asheville, the Race for the Cure, babysitting, yard working, etc. Dr. Montoya told me that I had one of the highest tolerances for pain that she knew. But then, after living with cancer for eight years and undergoing more treatments than I can count or even want to remember….believe me, a few welts and a crick-in-the-neck paled in comparison.

Finally yesterday, when I had the whole day to myself, the bee stings got old. I knew it was supposed to be a beautiful fall weekend here and I wanted to enjoy it. So I called Dr. Montoya’s office first thing yesterday and the sweet receptionist told me to just come on in. By 8:30 I was back in the examining room telling Dr. Montoya about my “crick-in-the-neck”… adding that it looked like some welts or something else was, also, down my neck. (Lumps and bumps make cancer patients very restless.)

She took one glance and then turned to her student intern and said, “I want you to make Mrs. Dingle’s diagnosis today.” The sweet intern put down her pad (she had been taking notes ) glanced at my neck and promptly said “Shingles.” In horror I glanced back at Dr. Montoya praying she would say, “Incorrect, spider bite” but that didn’t happen. “Correct” beamed Dr. Montoya at her intern proudly… “Very Good!”

“Wait a minute,” I said…”This is not ‘very good’ ….I have seen the horror commercials with that goofy football announcer (Terry Bradshaw) and they were the scariest things I had ever seen.”

Dr. Montoya said that I was actually over the worst part…and on the back side of it by looking at the dried welts… I told her they never were “wet.” And it could have been worse… I could have gotten them on my face….I don’t even want to go there. Those are the scary commercials!!!! And my eyes…after just getting my new life-time (cataract removal) lens… now that would have been a nightmare. God is good!

Dr. Montoya said that shingles are usually associated or brought on by an unusual amount of stress in a short period of time…which would go back about a month probably. HUMM….A month ago I was in the midst of two cataract surgeries, an unexpected needle biopsy which proved cancerous and an even faster unexpected breast cancer exploratory surgery (looking for margins around the cancer)…which I had to wait two weeks before hearing they were clear….and then worrying about my last summer’s renovated home project (with Matthew coming closer) which cleaned out my savings….Yes, I thought to myself, I was a “poster child” for shingles.

So I have added steroids, pain pills, and something for the “welts” to my daily regime but already (since taking the four prescribed daily steroid pills from one bottle) the stings and itching have stopped. Thank you Lord for Dr. Montoya! Even though shingles is not a particularly great diagnosis…at least it wasn’t cancer on my neck…everything is relative!

*A shout-out to Anne who stopped by and left a Continental Corner goodie-bag consisting of turkey sandwiches, those famous Greek potatoes and their (will cure anything) lemon chicken and rice soup. I ate, then slept, then ate, then slept some more….a wonderful way to pass the day.

So I have to roll up my sleeves, make a strong fist and look upward for guidance…then “everything will be all right.” I told Dr. Montoya and her intern that “I am woman…hear me roar.” (which reminds me of one of my favorite quotes.)

Jakie and Rutledge…I will be brave and make you proud of Boo Boo! Back at you Jakie and Rutledge!

So until tomorrow:

“Today is my favorite day”  (kinda, sorta, maybe?)  Winnie the Pooh

*Maybe I can add some more “moves” to a dance called the “Dingle Shingle’s”…..ah….a new project!