Lumpy.

So this week brought some new little hurdles, just as life always does.

On Sunday morning, I woke up with an extremely painful and swollen lymph node under my jaw. I wondered briefly what illness I was getting and went on my way to work.

By Monday morning, my day off, it had spread to the lymph nodes behind my ear. Thinking I might have some kind of blocked tube, I took a long hot shower, and then headed up to a health clinic to get checked out. The doctor wasn't really sure what was wrong with me, but prescribed antibiotics and said to come back if the condition worsened.

By Tuesday, the infection had spread to most of my ear and was starting to appear on my face. The skin was red and itchy and swollen. By Tuesday afternoon I ended up in the ER getting IV antibiotics, bloodwork and a CT scan.

Thanks to my dad who told me to go, and the great doctors at the ER, I was diagnosed with cellulitis, a bacterial skin infection that is super serious, but treatable. I think if you cut me open right now I'd bleed antibiotics, but I'm FINALLY starting to see small signs of improvement. I have a follow up appointment tomorrow and another week of antibiotics, but I seem to be on the mend.

This week I'm thankful for my family and my friends, my improving health, and even my department store job which has been wonderful and guaranteed my job despite my absence.