As you may or may not know, I was attacked with the shingles virus two weeks ago. Anyone who has had chicken pox as a child is susceptible to getting shingles as an adult. The chicken pox virus remains in the body, so when there is stress on the body physically or when other circumstances arise, the virus takes advantage of the opportunity to attack. A vaccine is available to adults once they reach a certain age, but I never took advantage of taking the shot since my mother always told me that I had never had chicken pox as a child. While my sister did and we shared a room when we were young, I never had the first pock, according to Mom. Well, she was wrong. I did have chicken pox because the virus erupted again as shingles. The eruptions were on the right side of my face, from my chin to my ear along the jawline and up into my cheek, and into my hair. My right ear canal was swollen shut. I still can't hear well out of the ear and the pain is continuing, but the eruptions on my face have subsided and, thanks to a homeopathic gel recommended by a friend, are disappearing. Now instead of looking like I have had an elephant ear plastered to the side of my face, I look like I have had a bad case of poison ivy that is lingering. And the pain continues. Sigh.
All of this is leading to being contagious and not seeing my grandchildren. Not only did I not want them to have even the slightest chance of contracting anything from me, I didn't want them to see me like I was. In fact, each time I went to Arnett Clinic for an appointment with the doctor or the ENT, I sat in the corner of the waiting room with my head down while my husband checked me in and we waited to be called to the examination room. I didn't want to make eye contact with anyone and see the fear or sympathy of anyone looking at the eruptions on my swollen face.
Yesterday after the appointment with the ENT, stopping at Payless Grocery Store and stocking up on groceries, and an early lunch at Cracker Barrel, we also stopped at my youngest daughter's house south of Delphi to see our three grandchildren (and of course her and her husband too). Landon (who is 4) was super excited to see me, peered at my face, and grabbed me around the knees and wouldn't let go. Tessa, who will be 2 soon, was excited as well, and she kept pointing at my knee, then at my face and saying "Ow-ee." True...I did hurt. Then Cooper, who is 1, was smiling and laughing and kept yelling "DADA! DADA!" which Hilary said is what he is calling everyone.
As we settled into the living room after they finished their lunch, it began. The books started flying off the shelves. Cooper was picking out books that had pictures with furry or shiny inserts in them. We had to look at each page, touching each cat or bird or dog as we turned the pages. Tessa wanted to crawl up on my lap and read her action books. She likes those because we 'do' the actions, then she giggles. With each book we finished, they would jump down, or slide off my lap unto the floor, go to the bookcase, and pick out another book to read.
How happy it makes me to see my grandchildren enjoying books. They are learning animals, colors, textures, numbers. But most of all, they are experiencing love. Nothing can match snuggling with a little boy or girl who wants you to read to a book to him/her. Nothing.
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