Getting on My Nerves

#inspiratioin, attitude, positiveI recently discovered what it feels like to have something getting on my nerves. Now that I have experienced nerve pain I won’t take that statement lightly again.

My pain was caused by the shingles virus. It started with a rash on one leg that wasn’t as much painful as prickly.

The diagnosis was an unpleasant surprise. I’d heard some nasty things about this virus and didn’t want them confirmed. After a brief pity party, I made the decision to remain positive.

A few hours later a co-worker contacted me to say she’d be willing to work the next few days for me if I wanted time off. My initial response was to tell her thanks anyway, but no thanks. After all, I was fine! When I realized accepting her offer wasn’t a sign of weakness but an opportunity to take care of myself, I accepted.

By the end of the day, I couldn’t tolerate clothing touching my leg. Shingles is usually concentrated on a single nerve band. In my case, three nerve bands were involved. What a time to be an overachiever!

My concentration and focus weren’t ideal but I didn’t want to miss my self-imposed writing deadlines. Within twenty-four hours of my diagnosis, I’d completed my monthly newsletter and a regular blog post. After they were published I discovered both had spelling errors in them. Normally I’d beat myself up about this. Instead, I cut myself some slack. I knew I’d done the best I could under the circumstances and that was good enough.

I can’t change the past any easier than I can eliminate this virus. All I can do is change how I react. Since I am responsible for my own experience, there’s no need to let things get on my nerves.

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