pimple or leprosy...you decide

Today's installment might be a little gross to some of you...and so I apologize.  And you can't laugh...it's not nice to laugh at people.  It makes them feel bad.  (Maybe one of you could mention this to my family??  They should really stop pointing and staring...it's impolite.)  And, in trying to legitimize posting this, I've been thinking what, if anything, this little story has to do with being intentional.  Well, let me tell you...

I try to be intentional, as much as I can, in regards to the health of my family.  Not intentional about keeping them away for all germs (we'd go nowhere!!)...but rather, intentional about NOT panicking, NOT overreacting and NOT running to the doctor for every little thing.  I don't fear germs, and for the most part, don't avoid people with colds or coughs, etc.  I'm more of the mindset of "life goes on" and I'd rather deal with some colds in the winter than cloister myself and my children off for months at a time to avoid catching something.  That being said, many of you know we have been hit ridiculously hard this particular year with sickness.  As frustrating as that has been, it does seem like many folks have had more than their fair share, and I'm just chalking it up to a tough and germy year, and moving on.  No sense blaming or panicking or anything...it's life! 

And that tends to be my approach to most things.  I'm certainly not the 'crunchiest' of types, but at the same time, I'd rather not run to the doctor for everything, and I'll usually try a natural or homeopathic remedy first before jumping to an antibiotic.  However, when the time comes, I do go the more 'standard' medical route for things.  Now, all that being said...  take a look at this.

Yeah...nasty, huh?  I have no idea what is going on with my body.  A few weeks back my eyelid was swollen and red.  Not pink eye...no oozing or redness of the eye itself, just swelling and redness of the lid.  Once the swelling went down, I could feel a little lump (and it's still there...but very small) which I just assumed was a stye or pimple.  No biggy.  I tried warm compresses, and even had read that tea bags might help, so I gave that a shot.  (By the way, it did nothing noticeable at all.)

But now I've got that thing on my forehead.  You can't tell too well from the picture, but it's pretty swollen...sort of like a goose egg.  My lovely daughter, in her compassion-filled wisdom informed me she thinks it's a bot fly.  Now THAT is too gross to discuss here, but if you don't know what they are, you can Google it.  But be forewarned...it is GA-ROSSSSS!!!!!  I thanked her to be quiet.  Then I had other suggestions of staph infection or shingles.  Then yesterday, a very sore lump appeared in my neck as well.  So, yeah....now I'm getting a little freaked out.  At my husband's insistence, I called the doctor, and will be leaving to get checked out very soon.  (When it comes to myself, I tend to always wait as long as possible to have to go to the doctor, because half the time, it turns out to be something that if I would have just waited a few more days would have passed on its own.  To the tune of $60+, thankyouverymuch!!) 

I'm expecting them to say it's just some infection and put me on antibiotics.  But still, it's a little weird.  But I will say...I also was intentional by NOT Googling my symptoms and allowing myself to get sucked into a complete hypochondriactic panic.  When I got in bed last night Todd said "Did you Google it?"  HECK NO!!!!  Nope...I'm not gonna freak out and think I have leprosy or elephant-man disease or something.  I am calmly going to the doctor and let them tell me it nothing.  Or just a ginormous pimple that should go away in a few days.  Or explode and some of my brains might leak out.  Or whatever.  It'll be fun...I'm sure.

Gotta go...can't keep the doc waiting!! :)