Sunday, April 5, 2009

Chicken Pox and Shingles

During one of my wakeful periods last night, I found myself reaching up to scratch my shingles. I thought, "Stop it, Adele, you're not that little girl who can't keep her hands off her chicken pox." Fortunately I have only three scars from that - one on my forehead, one on my left eyelid and one on my lower back. I think chicken pox is one of the things my older sister Pauline brought home from school in first grade. She shared it with me and our little brother Jim. Wasn't that generous of her?



When my kids were growing up, they usually caught the childhood diseases from the Jordan girls next door, who got them from their cousins in south Phila. Since her kids already had the disease, their mother babysat my kids even though they were sick, so I didn't miss much work. I've written about Marie before (3/17/07) as one of the angels in my life.

I have more shingles breaking out on my cheek, above my ear, and into my hair, and Alyssa said yesterday that there is some in my ear. There's also some swelling which is most evident in my lower lip.

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