As of yesterday I now have a small but itchy rash on the numb part of my stomach with a couple of outlying bumps, all of them along the affected nerve trunk. But it’s contained and I still don’t have the agonizing pain that other shingles sufferers have reported, so go Acyclovir!

That being said, I’m noticing two weird side effects, and I don’t know if it’s the shingles, the Acyclovir, or a combination thereof. Side effect #1: while I’m still tired and feeling unwell, my ability to focus has gone way up. As in, I am writing like a house on fire. I finished a chapter of Shifter Woods: Roar yesterday and worked on Cross Current, and I also want to go back to work on Do No Harm. This is weird but good.

Side effect #2: no appetite whatsoever. I keep forgetting to eat, and then fifteen hours later my stomach starts hurting and I think, “Oh, yeah, I need to eat. Okay, I’ll have some yogurt.” I sent Ramón out to do a food shop, and he’s bringing back almonds. Those, grapes, and yogurt will do me right now.

And now, I think I’ll go take a nap.