Shingles

I haven't been able to sleep tonight....at all. It's now 4:45 am. I've tried to go to sleep. I've tried just laying there, reading, watching tv, warm bath, milk, etc. Nothing's worked without taking some kind of over the counter drug, which I'm not even willing to think about.

However, that's really not what's bugging me the most right now. Background info here, and I may have mentioned it before, so forgive my repetition:
I had chicken pox three times as a kid. Once you have chicken pox, the virus stays in you, most people, it's dormant for the rest of your life, but it's still there. Mine, however, does not like to be dormant. I have since had 4 cases of shingles (same virus as chicken pox, similar symptoms, just a smaller concentrated area). The pattern had SEEMED to be that it was going every other year since I was 18 or 19. It would make sense, I had it last year, I was 24, I had it two years before that, I was 22, a year before that I was 21, and two years before that I was 19. I also seem to develop it somewhere around July-Aug (with one case in Dec).

I was hoping it would skip this year. I also thought I was pretty much in the clear since Aug. had finished. Apprarently, I'm wrong. I seem to be developing the beginning stage of shingles. Itchy, burning, and just flat out pain in one small concentrated area, near where I almost always get it. :( Fortunately, I had talked to my doctor about the possibility of getting them, and she gave me antibiotics way back at my second prenatal appointment. I'm going to give it a half day (so this afternoon) to make sure it's not some weird reaction to something, then I'll see if I start taking the meds or not. (don't worry, I'll call the doc too :) ). However, I'm pretty darn sure I have them again, which really, isn't the greatest thing in the world to have when pregnant. :/