Shingles

A couple weeks ago I posted on Facebook that I've felt uber-impressed to pray for JULY.  The more I prayed about it, the more it felt like I was supposed to pray for STRENGTH AND PEACE.  Well, of course that made me ultra-nervous, but I prayed - and prayed - and prayed like crazy.

It's now been 2.5 years since I was diagnosed, and 7 years since I first started showing symptoms (gaining weight, less energy / stamina, getting out-of-breath easily, etc.).  It's been 7 years of me "slacking" because I could only push myself so far - and 7 years of my husband stepping up to the plate and picking up where I left off.  Whether it was laundry, cleaning, child-care, you name it, he did it willingly.  Most days when he gets home from work I have a mental list ready to go of what I need his help with before we crash in bed, exhausted.  He's given me - our family - and our house his 110%.  ... And now it's time for me to care for him.

Today Aaron was diagnosed with

SHINGLES. 

This morning I posted about it in Facebook - and called / texted several family members about his diagnosis - asking for prayer for him.  Lots of people have asked me what shingles is.  Here you go.

It can last from weeks - to months - even a year!  (I remember all too well when my grandmother got shingles - life took a hiatus for a LONG time for lots of the family as they helped her out!)  It's all around his midriff, so that makes most things unbearable for him - like bending, lifting, sitting, even sleeping.  He said wearing a shirt's unbearable - feeling "wind" as he walks with no shirt is also unbearable.  POOR GUY!!!  I've spent the better part of the morning researching shingles online, and am going to drastically change our meals for the next while to help increase the specific vitamins that will aid in the healing of his nerves.  Aaron could use LOTS of prayer right now - he's in agony - and the boys simply don't understand why they can't rough-house with their Daddy.  They're not used to hearing that about Mommy - but not about Daddy.

(note - this picture is from the internet - and not actually of aaron - but it looks incredibly similar to his rash.)

So, it's now time for ME to step back up to the plate around the house, and within the family.  I pulled my own weight when we were in the relocation process - when he was working in Pittsburgh Mon-Fri, while the boys and I were still in Mechanicsburg trying to sell the house.  I know I can do it (though that house was 1/3 the size of this one) ... I also know how exhausted I was.  So, sure enough ... I NEED STRENGTH AND PEACE IN JULY!  I've got peace - but strength - well, that's a minute by minute issue.  Please keep our family in your prayers!  We need it - all FOUR of us do!