Down with Herpes

I am down with herpes!

Went to see the doctor on Monday for a very bad backache which I had been having since last Thursday. Thought that it was a slip-disc (haha) but the doctor noticed the bit of rash on the skin and said, "I think you have herpes."

"Herpeees?" I said, horrified. Isn't that a sexually-transmitted disease? I thought.

The doctor read my thoughts and clarified, "It's shingles."

Apparently, shingles is like chicken pox redux. It's something you get when you are under stress and your immunity is low. What happens is that the affected skin area will break up in blisters and you get this torturous pain in that region because it affects the nerves. It can be passed to other people through skin contact or air.

The doctor gave me an mc for the rest of the week. Contemplated staying in office to finish some work but my dear paranoid colleague LG said curtly, "I have chicken pox before. I might get your shingles. You better go home." And to show that she was sympathetic, she added "Haha" with absolutely no humour in her tone.

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A few weeks ago, was working with LG in a meeting room on the 18th floor of a building when we heard some splashing sounds on the window. We looked up and saw 2 Bangladeshi workers standing precariously on a platform washing the window. Paranoid LG said to me, "Damn, they might be able to look in and see my notes," and proceeded to cover up the work papers before her while looking very annoyed. Was so utterly stunned that I forgot to hide the "Are you insane?" look on my face.

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Anyway, I am working at home now. Liyun and the children are staying put at my in-laws' and I miss them badly. Supposed to be doing work but ended up spending most of the time watching The 70s Show, so much so that the television went bonkers an hour ago and refused to project any image. Maybe that's also God's way of saying, "No more TV for you!"

So, I am now sitting in the living room with a headache typing this and thinking of the huge amount of work I have to finish, and the amount of washing I will have to do over the weekend (for the bed sheets, clothes, etc.) to clean up the germs. Am also thinking of washing the curtains (which have never been washed since we moved in 5 years ago).

Oh well... Better get started then.

The Making Of A Tomboy

Brought Jaslyn to see the doc on Wednesday night as she had a bad cough, runny nose and an on-and-off fever. The doc listened to her cough and asked, "How often do you change the bed sheets?"

"Er, once every 2 weeks." I lied (It's more like once every 3 weeks).

"You should change once a week!" The doc admonished, and told us that we should also dust or sun the mattresses regularly (our mattresses have not seen the sun ever since we moved into the house). Jaslyn's cough was probably an allergic reaction to the dust, and if this goes on, she would develop asthma.

Felt like we had failed as parents... Think we will begin by making an effort to clean the bedroom once a week.

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When we brought Jaslyn to the toys section of a department store some time ago, Liyun's sister commented that Jaslyn showed no interest in the girly toys (dolls, doll houses, etc.) but wanted things like cars and trucks. Some time last week, we brought Jaslyn to Kiddy's Palace at Jurong Point. She went to the toys section and I asked her if she wanted to get anything. She looked past the musical instruments, dolls, etc., and pointed at a gun: "I want that one!"

Think I am partly at fault for this. I have been encouraging her interest in boyish toys (trains with railway tracks). I have been strongly discouraging her interest in girly stuff like Disney princesses. The last time she asked me to read Show White and the Seven Dwarves to her, I spent half the time making snide remarks about what a bimbo Show White was. As such, her reading list consists of very non-romantic stories like Wizard of Oz, Dick Wittington, Pinocchio and Dumbo. She sleeps on Cars bed sheets (featuring Lightning McQueen) and her favourite show currently is Bob The Builder ("Can we build it? Yes, we can!").

Maybe I should start exposing her to more girly stuff...