A most frustrating week!

My computer has not been cooperating with me at all! I don't know if I have all the problems solved yet, but at least I can get online, and I managed to send two messages in Hotmail.

I also had a reaction to some of the medication Dr Pat had prescribed for the shingles. Last Monday, before I left the oncologist's office, I used the ladies room. As I was washing my hands, I looked in the mirror above the sink and noticed that there was a little swelling to the right of my chin that had not been there earlier. I brought it to the attention of the nurses, who called the doctor to look at it. They gave me a couple of capsules of Benedryl and told me to use warm, moist compresses on it. There was little or no change on Tuesday and Wednesday, but by the time I got up Thursday morning the whole cheek was swollen. I discovered that I did have some Benedryl, so I started taking it at regular intervals. I also reread the information sheets from the pharmacy. On the one for the Lanacaine patches, whose purpose is to control itching, I had previously missed the direction NOT to use it if the skin is broken. I had a miserable night Thursday! I continued the Benedryl, but needed more of it. I didn't want to go into a store looking the way I did, so I had Alyssa buy it for me and I drove to her house to pick it up. Today there is only a small amount of swelling left, so I did some grocery shopping after my oncology appointment. I took a picture of myself on Thursday, and showed it to the nurses today. I also told them what I had figured out about the cause.

The roofer came on Tuesday afternoon and nailed up some of the shingles I had saved. I have not had any leaking since then, but I'm still putting the dishpan on the couch every night and when it rains during the day. I really do not want my 'knitting nest' to get wet.

It's early, but I think I'll crawl in bed and read. I'm in the middle of a novel, but I got a book today that I'm going to read instead. It's titled Knit with Courage, Live with Hope and was written by Annie Modesitt, who is a well-known knitting teacher, knitwear designer and writer. I'm particularly interested in this book of hers because it is a memoir of the year 2007 during which her husband was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. I have read some of her blog posts from that time, but wanted to have the book as well.