Virus Vs. ME

"Ano nangyare sa nuo/jan sa mukha mo?"

"

Same question people (I know or just random strangers) would ask me for the nth time while I was growing up.. that sometimes when I'm too lazy to tell the true long story I'd just say "wala lang nasunugan kami/naaksidente ako" or I'll just smile at them and walk away..

Yun din naman mga haka haka nila. Kasi kung sasabihin ko nga naman ang totoo dami pa nila follow up questions like.. if I'd say "ahm skin disease po sya called herpes zoster".. they'd be like.. "ah ganun ba.. ano ba yun? saan mo nakuha yan/pano ka nagkaganyan? etc etc. (nakakapagod din kaya mag kwento like as if I'm required to tell it to each curious individual) Worst is yung mga ma aarte na pinandidirihan ako thinking na nakakahawa daw yung sakit ko?! 😠 yung totoo ah?? magtatanong then pag sinagot ko ng totoo.. di naman maniniwala.. tapos kung ano ano pa sasabihin nila. Aba bahala na nga kayo HAHAHA

But for the heck of it, here's the long story..

I was about 4 years old when I suffered from herpes zoster skin disease. It all started in my forehead.. Di lang naagapan agad kaya kumalat covering my whole face full of shingles/blisters before and it made my eyes swollen as big as fist. I was so young and it was soooo painful at lumala na talaga yung lagay ko noon 😲

In a few days.. dahil sobrang bilis kumalat ng hespes zoster virus na toh na para bang nag mu-multiply sila by the minute with burning sensation.. Nag consult na kami ng doctor (It was Dr. Delvo sa Naga City) and I was given prescriptions and hospitalized. It came na nag mukang mala living dead na naaagnas na yung muka ko na pati yung doctor tinaningan na nga daw yung buhay ko. Yung buto sa may bridge ng ilong ko nakikita na nga daw eh. Grabe na sobrang hapdi nya na makati talaga nun. Sa laki ng ikinamaga ng mga mata ko di ko na magawang dumilat pa nun kaya kinig kinig nlang sa radyo o tv ang libangan.

Well thanks to God and my loving family I survived it :). It went almost a year and so of long medication. Now its just a scar on my left forehead. Though it did took off some of my left eye brows and lashes, I'm still lucky not to have my eyes impaired. (Madadala na ng make up yan ) The next big challenge to face then after my recovery was to carry on.. with a big scar on my face.

I was the laughing stock loob o sa labas man ng klase. Nababansagan ng kung ano ano at nababato pa nila (literal ng papel o bato minsan). Bumaba ng sobra ang self esteem ko nun na minsan ayaw ko na lang lumabas ng bahay o pumasok sa school.. Growing up.. I only had few friends. Pero pero..sa tulong nadin ng moral support and love ng family ko kinaya ko lahat yun, naging best in class pa nga ko nung kinder (haha yabang!) Oh well... super been bullied growing up man ako noon confidently beautiful with a heart padin naman hanggang ngayon :) Paaaak ganoin!

P.S just sharing this to inspire others and promote awareness about this kind of skin disease <3

Ayan na lang sya ngayon.. tadaaa! Sa left side forehead kasi nag umpisa at lumala noon kaya ayun may souvenir. lols Minsan sa malayo di na din nga daw sya visible and di nadin nag re-reddish yung scar ngayon lalo na pag mainit unlike years before. Hndi nadin sya masakit na parang may burning sensation o nakati. Fully recovered na since grade 3, peklat nalang sya ngayon hehe