... That's a side effect o haven't experienced, before! Every nerve in my body is twitching and tingling, begging for a scratch. Still, the pain in my ribs, shoulder, and neck has been blunted, so I'll take some opium-induced nerve sparking for a respite from that awful pain. I'm also taking the Vatrex generic to get the virus under control and hopefully that will shorten the duration of my illness and keep the possible secondary effects (including pain that persists months after the outbreak has cleared) from occurring.

The VLCD might have stressed my system enough that the chickenpox virus could flare up again (it lays dormant in the nerve cells around the spine after having it as a child, and thus shingles outbreaks can occur at any time, multiple times, over the course of one's lifetime), but beyond that possible opening there is no correlation to my current diet and my illness. I'm grateful, because this is working marvelously for me and I feel great. No cravings, no flare ups of food allergies, even when I eat dairy or eggs as my protein for my meal, nothing. No bloat, acne, worsening of my seborrhea, or anything like that. This was exactly what I needed to reset my body and break from the things causing reactions and inflammation in my system.

So I'm going to ride out the shingles and persist with my full hCG course. Then I'm adopting a paleo-style of eating for maintenance, where I am limiting the things I react to or crave and fermenting what little bits of grain I do have. That seems to be the ticket for my best health. I will still bake for my family, but I'm choosing recipes that neutralize the anti nutrients like phytates, so it is healthier and easier for all of them to digest.

And should my next round of P2 cause another outbreak of shingles, I now know exactly what to look for and how to treat it. It's all a learning experience ;)