Shingles

Finally knew what this is about and not be misled by this commonly known chinese medical term called "snake" which is capable of killing the person. I was brought up to know that the treatment to cure this condition is to get someone to catch the "snake" using some unorthodox method to kill and stop the "snake". I know how absurd this sounds but since I had no idea what this method was about, I just go with the flow and finally saw how they do it.

Last Thursday night, we accompanied papa Chua to this HDB flat to visit the person who knows how to catch the "snake". We were welcomed by an old couple. The couple took a look at the rashes and identified the condition as "snake". They went to get their 'tools', a bowl with oil and wicks dipped in it, a burning candle and a special ointment in a vicks-like container. The ah peh told me to apply the ointment on the spots where he is going to burn. But I was a bit afraid of what I will be in for so I asked dar dar to help me do that. So the treatment began and in 5mins or so, the treatment was completed. Although the ah peh did not explain what the ointment was for, I gathered that it should be to relieve the pain where the skin came in contact with the flame. Silly and selfish me! I must give my dar dar credit for doing it even though he didn't know the purpose of applying that ointment and that was not his dad but mine. Papa Chua was then instructed by the ah peh to apply some type of powder boiled with rice wine, avoid those "poisonous" foods, cannot shower and cannot face the mirror for 4 days.

Well, papa Chua said he felt better after the treatment but for the last few days till today, he had fever and the rashes developed to blisters and the rashes was giving him a lot of pain. Wondered if it's because he didn't follow the ah peh's instructions and went to bathe. No one knows. He just went to the hospital to have his condition checked out and it was confirmed that he had Shingles and asked to rest for a number of days. Wonder what medicine etc did the doctor gave him. Hope he will get fast-relief cos his dictionary does not have the word "忍". As hard as I know it will be for him, there is no miracle in this world so we do need to give it time to recover, don't we? Hope he recovers soon..

Anyway, so what is Shingles? It is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a limited area on one side of the body, often in a stripe. Its progression, a cluster of small bumps, then turns into blisters. The blisters will break open, crust over and finally disappear. The pain should then slowly go away over time. It's a condition caused by the same virus that caused chicken pox and it has to do with the immune system of every individual.

An interesting virus to know and the way the folks put it forth to the kids, leading the kids to believe that there is really something like the "snake" in the body.. *shudders*..