Shingles - But Not for the Roof.

So have you heard about chirpes? It's a canarial disease. But it's tweetable.

Ah, STD humor, ar ar! Poor Ripped has had a rash on his shoulder blade and then chest for a few days. I first said shingles, which is Herpes Zoster, aka Herpes Type 1. If you've had chicken pox, you still carry the virus. It's lying in wait on a spinal nerve, watching for an opportunity to break out. It's pretty common in the elderly and immunosuppressed, which makes me wonder why Ripped has it. He's 18 and in excellent health, usually the healthiest one in the family. He lifts weights, eats healthier than the rest of us. Last time I saw an otherwise healthy young patient with shingles, it was caused by HIV. Ripped says, "My penis has been in its' pants!" Ah, the joys of raising Christian kids to be virginal til marriage! There is a lucky young woman somewhere who will snag him someday. But I digress. I thought all of this out and talked myself out of my diagnosis and twice told him to go to the walk-in clinic. He finally went after work today, and the diagnosis is...............*drumroll*.............Shingles!!! See, I can diagnose skin stuff! I still can't for the life of me figure out why he has it, except he was pretty stressed out last month. New job, changing classes around to suit new job hours, girl he loves saying the dreaded "LJBF." ("Let's Just Be Friends") So, yeah. Stressed, but how many other teens and adults are stressed moreso, and don't get shingles? Now this nurse practitioner-Mama wants him to go to the regular internist and get some blood work done. Make sure he doesn't have some odd reason for decreased immunity. Hope Ripped is not allergic to dogs! I'd really miss him.
Gotcha! Just joking. I seriously doubt he has HIV, but if he did, it would have to have been from the surgery he had at age 7. Abdominal surgery to repair the ureter, the tube connecting the kidney to the bladder. Otherwise, he has no risk for that. I'm definitely negative, and was when I had the twins, obviously. Hmmmm. Well, we'll have to figure this one out.

Meanwhile, Searcher took her first all-alone road trip to Tally to visit sister and brother-in-law during spring break. I think she just wanted to get away for a few days and jumped at the idea. I wasn't keen on her driving the interstate for six hours each way, but she survived, and even got lost on the way home! She was able to get herself back on track without calling for help. What a gal! I'm proud of her.

Dreamer got a 95 on a test this week, which is great news. She sets high standards for herself. Hubby and I have never been the type to expect straight A's from any of our kids, even when they're capable. We did expect them to work to the best of their ability, but never said "straight A's" Poor Dreamer has been on the Dean's list for forever, and was stressed out earlier when she got a C on a test. I should have done so well in college!!!! We are so proud of how well she's doing, but not until recently did I realize how stressed she was in thinking she may not be on the Dean's list for a semester, not graduate magna cum laude, and be rejected for a Master's program. My, how the mind does fly off when you're overtired, overworked, and overstressed! But that was last week. I think she'll sail through the rest of this semester.

I feel like I've typed my fingers off. The Girls (Molly and Honey) are fine.

See ya!