Day 8 (night): blisters are oozing (popping)!!!!!

I think I may have some of my days off by a day or so...I'll go back and adjust them later.

GOOD NEWS! My Momma Cluster's blisters are oozing (popping)! So my doctor, nurse, and online sources told me to let the blisters pop and crust over so that they may scab over and eventually be shingles-free. I don't think "popping" accurately describes the process. I think it's more like let the blisters "ooze." And it's not really noticeable. Honestly I would not have noticed it if weren't for comparing pictures and looking at the dressing I put over the blisters. 

Note- Don't use regular gauze dressing. Use Tefla dressing!! It's like a regular gauze pad covered with a thin layer of plastic? Or some kind of material to prevent the dressing from sticking to the wound/opened blister. I think some band-aids have this. It makes the white cotton/gauze shiny due to the thin layer of whatever that is. For some reason CVS and Publix don't have this so I had to get some from my doctor's office, but I found something very similar at Publix. It's Johnson and Johnson +Hospital Grade Non-stick Pads. They were pretty cheap and have the thing layer covering just like the Telfa pads.  (I'll post pics of the Telfa and Johnson and Johnson pads later) 

So yes, more about this "popping" process. I don't even feel or notice it throughout the day. Well, I did feel sharp pains for about a minute every now and then..maybe like 5 times throughout the day, but it wasn't consistent like before. Also, these bumps on my back and bellybutton are ITCHHYYYYYYY. They are driving me crazy. I just want to scratch them off. So I guess I can't really describe the "popping" process because it is so subtle. However, the sensitivity of the blisters has decreased. When they were nice and juicy they were painful to touch, but I can lightly run my fingers over them and they don't hurt. They're actually really soft. They may have been soft before, but it was just so painful to even notice. They also don't look as juicy any more and the color is noticeably darker with more dark spots in the middle of the blisters. I don't have any "crusting" over yet, but that sounds just as painful. I guess if you make it this far, you're a champ! I sure do feel like I have overcome a lot even though I had no choice but to.  

Also, on the dressing I noticed very little dried yellow stuff...maybe this is the "crust" ? I was so happy to see "dirty" dressing as this is a good sign of the blisters "popping!" 

So I don't know what's going to happen to the bumps on my back and belly button. I thought they were going to turn into full on, big, ripe, juicy blisters that will look like the Momma Cluster and hurt like hell. However, they are staying the same size and actually darkening with time. They're extremely itchy. Just one mistake of accidentally running my arm across them and I'm in trouble! They also have a dark spot in the middle of some of the bumps. I think these may be scabs? I hhope so! I think they're not growing because of the acyclovir! YAHHHHHH! OR they may just take much longer to turn into the Momma Cluster. I'm always wary about taking medicine, especially antibiotics or antiviral medicine. 

So here are a few pictures from tonight. Notice the difference yah!

ohh i'll post pics tomorrwo