At Least When My Mouth is Sore, I Tend to Keep Quiet . . .

One of the things they drill into your head when you start chemotherapy is to keep healthy - as healthy as possible - and avoid catching any flu, cold, or other bugs that are spreading through the community. In fact, throughout the Cancercare building there are stations with waterless handwashing solution, kleenex, and even boxes of masks that, if you have a communicable illness, you are supposed to wear while you are there. Every washroom has big posters that you can't avoid seeing extolling the virtues of handwashing in the prevention of disease.

I have been extremely fortunate in that I haven't picked up any bugs in the last few months. However, I am now suffering from an outbreak of a bug that, once it is in your system, stays forever - Herpes simplex!

Don't get all panicky, people, I'm talking about cold sores, not genital herpes or any of the other nasty forms Herpes can take.

I can only distinctly remember having three cold sores in my life. Well, Tuesday I noticed that the left corner of my mouth was sore, almost like I had scratched it with a cracker and got salt in it. It got sorer and sorer. Wednesday morning both sides of my mouth were involved. Thursday morning when I got up, I wandered into the kitched, yawning as I did, and felt the sores on each side crack open. The one on the left promptly began to bleed, quite profusely for such a small crack.

There are several of you readers, I know, that often suffer from cold sores. I now understand the pain you feel when you have a breakout, because I've never had such painful sores in my life. I have found something that alleviates the pain - Bio Oil. It probably doesn't do anything to cure the sore itself, but it does lubricate and soften the sore and so is very soothing. Plus it smells nice.

Thanks for letting me vent, folks. I have been so careful avoiding viruses, now one that I've had for years is giving me grief. Just hadda get that off my chest.

-- Lori