The highlight of my week, on the opposite side of the spectrum, is that I was thrown a curve ball. It appears that I have either shingles or Bell's Palsy of my left eye/face. Yesterday we ran over to our local "Med Express" (or whatever they're called) since we realized it was too late to run over to my GP, not to mention too inconsiderate even if he were still closing up for the day. The doc checked for corneal abrasions, but after taking into account many factors (all the CFIDS/ME/CFS and fibromyalgia things) - poor guy - he said, "get yourself to the ER STAT." We did. But not before I asked him to look at my banged up toe - the one which walked into the door a few weeks ago. I keep re-injuring it by just walking on it inadvertantly for a step or two. We decided I needed to buddy wrap the toe after all.
At the Emergency Room we found a bit of a story... and I happened to luck out with a really kind and take-his-time-to-listen-and-answer-questions doc. Since there was a woman in another ER room with Bell's Palsy, the ER doc felt that I was in the early stages of most-probably Bell's. According to the ER doc, Bell's is contagious enough that once it gets into a community, it spreads and he suspects he'll soon be seeing a lot of Bell's Palsy. It was extremely painful: my normal BP of 90/60 was a whopping 155/90 - a definite "tell" of how much pain I was feeling. Boy did I fall in love with the numbing medicine they put into my eye when they needed to examine it!
I was given a lot of "maybe's." It might not get any worse than it is already. It may get much worse. It might be over soon; it might take weeks or months to get over it. It may be shingles but it may be Bell's, but he thinks it's Bell's. It may not be an infection, but it could possibly be an infection. I got so confused with the many "maybe's" that I've forgotten what it is that I'm supposed to be looking for today!
Finally, this is a field I know nothing about so it looks as if I'm going to have to do a bit of research on the matter. However, the problem is that I'm exhausted as in my normal "CFIDS exhausted" and exhausted as in "sick" exhausted.
However, the good news in all of this, that is, this week? It's Greek Festival time! You have no idea how much I look forward to this time of year. Those Greek ladies at our church work at warp speed and their love of cooking and baking is loud and clear. Further great news: it lasts from Wednesday through Sunday, so each day we pick up goodies and feast! It's the one time of year that I eat cooked spinach, in the form of spanakopita. Yum. Moussaka: delish. The list goes on and on. During Greek Festival time, I don't even feel guilty about all the weight I put on. It's the only time I think that eating for two is applicable. This week the calories don't count - that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
At any rate, if you don't see me hanging around my blog much in the coming weeks, you'll know that I'm trying to fight this newest challenge. And did I mention that not only is the eye painful, but that it's hard to see - thus read - out of it.
Bell's Palsy...really???? Seriously?
Until next time, I hope that everyone is feeling their very best - only better. Ciao, paka, and αντίο! Opa!
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