Shingles

The first half of yesterday was spent by this obedient husband doing what he hates most in the world – cleaning the basement.

It is not the kind of thing you do in sections, because every time there is a break, there is one more excuse to stop doing it. So you plow through it.

Now Lisa, who has been working like a scullery maid the past week plus trying to clean the upper two floors of Casa Claire, was feeling off Saturday afternoon and evening. She felt achy all day, particularly her right hand and forearm, which she relegated to repetitive stress syndrome, as that is the arm she cleans with. Indeed, she showed me what looked like pinkish (her description) welts in that area. I thought they were bruises and that she might have banged her arm moving stuff while cleaning. Since Lisa is a RN, I always trust that she knows her own body. We both avoid hospitals and doctors for our own health maintenance (please don’t judge – its worked for 4 decades), although Lisa’s profession has required a more regular contact with both over those decades for work related purposes.

Just in case, she took two separate home COVID tests. Both came back negative.

You see, one of the reasons Lisa has been killing herself to whip the house back into some semblance of order is that we have two dear friends, Jimmy (“Schwartz”) and Jaysree Whitelaw (who appear as a young couple dancing during the NYE party scene in FJM), from back in the day in Da Bronx, who have been touring Canada and the US in their retirement RV, passing through our NoCo area yesterday and today.

J&J stopped by Casa Claire during their last grand tour a few years back, but Lisa was back east visiting family at the time so only I had the pleasure of their company. Lisa was intent on catching them this pass, and was hoping to invite them into our now clean home this go around.

I cannot tell you how upset Lisa was when I came upstairs yesterday afternoon – focused more on my own misery from the morning of housework – and she showed me the continuous cluster of small red blisters – her “shingles belt” – that had now appeared along her right hand and forearm. She had seen it a million times on elderly patients in her rehab facilities.

Now, Shingles, caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV), is very painful, even for a tough woman like my wife who has an incredibly high pain threshold. You cannot catch Shingles from another person, but a person who has not been exposed to the chickenpox virus can catch that malady from exposure to someone with a manifesting shingles belt. Given that I had already had chickenpox at the same time as all of my siblings as a result of one of those family chickenpox parties that were popular during my youth – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pox_party – I wasn’t at risk. However, Lisa didn’t want to take any chances with friends or family so she imposed an immediate lockdown on Casa Claire.

J&J, of course, were totally understanding when I broke the news by text yesterday afternoon, concerned only for Lisa’s health and comfort. They sent their wishes for her speedy recovery. That is one more reason why they are beloved.

But Lisa was also upset that the grans were now also barred from any visiting. You see, they have not had chickenpox. And Lisa did not want to be their Typhoid Mary – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Mallon – a well known Tyronian whose infectious history was shared as a lesson among most Irish households in America.

So, for the next few weeks, Casa Claire will remain a no fly zone, although hopefully Luke will stop by to continue to collect the last of their stored items.

Lisa has already established her treatment plan. I will stay out of the way, but will remain a faithful servant on call as needed. Luckily Lisa’s house is clean.

Well, it’s Monday. You fine, five readers better get that last cuppa down the hatch and advance confidently upon the work week. Take no prisoners. Keep the country’s industry industrious.

I must go out and cuddle the kitties, and make my rounds.

Then put on my lawyer hat.

But no matter what else we get up to, let us make today a great one.