For the past three weeks, I have had stinging pain and sensitivity to lotions and touch on the left side of my face. Luckily, no rash. I have high pain tolerance.

"I'm a suspicious person," my doctor said. I laughed.

"I suspect it's shingles," he said. "The virus stays in your body and travels along the nerves. Having had shingles does not make you immune to future outbreaks."

He showed me a diagram of facial nerves that matches where my face hurts. He prescribed a strong dose of Acyclovir for a week. After two days, my face feels better.

Perhaps my immune system is stressed from decreased appetite (and weight, darn it!) during long, dark days of winter each year. Also, sewing the lined suede vest was stressful.

Like most people, I had chickenpox as a child. In 2005, I got a painful, itchy shingles rash on my butt, lower back and the back of my thighs. I was under tremendous stress at the time. Doctor prescribed a high dose of Acyclovir. The shingles went away; thankfully, with no permanent, painful nerve damage.

Next week, I will get the first shot of the new Shingrix shingles vaccine. In six months, I will have the 2nd and final dose of the vaccine.

Your thoughts?

[mayoclinic.org]