Shingles

This picture has nothing directly to do with shingles, other than that I took the photo on the day I went to the doctor and found out I might have shingles -- of the head! Better than a brain tumour, I suppose, though that can't be ruled out without a CT scan, which will cost $450 dollars, which I don't want to spend.

She knows, my doctor, that I've been under a bit of STRESS of late and stress is one of the shingles triggers; can't say causes, because the shingles virus is dormant inside you for life once you've had chickenpox.

I don't have any lesions yet so that's what I'm to look forward to this weekend and call her the minute they show up, because shingles of the head can lead to blindness and baldness if not treated immediately.

At least worrying about going blind and/or bald is helping to take my mind off worrying about the book not being published.

That said, there is something shingly about this beautiful bud. Something ugly, even grotesque in its budding beauty. There's that balance in all things I was talking about yesterday (see 'Brain Pain' post). I'm probably doing a grave disservice to this Agapanthus bud, associating it with shingles. Sorry Agapanthus, but I'm not myself right now. It's the shingles talking..