So after my Victoria Day camping trip this past weekend I gained some small cold sores. GROSS, my very first ones, I think…
I may have had one when I was a child. I am not sure if it is a memory or a dream. I do remember my mom and my Ex getting them infrequently over the years. So maybe it was just a matter of time for me to get some of the weird, oozing, itchy lip blisters.
Its not worth the wait, money or time for me to visit a doctor, when I have google or <insert favorite search engine> at my fingertips. I also questioned my mom and my peers, to see what type of experience each has had with these itchy and unsightly lip sores. I feel confident that with my bit of research and peer support I can safely battle these fever blisters in a healthy way.
Word is they are contagious during the blister stage, so no kissy kissy for a few days at least. My itchy little friends will last 7-10 days, look like blisters, pop and dry up with a yellowish brownish very unappealing scab(s). They also feel kind of tingly, that’s how my mom says you can tell it is a cold sore. This is all so new and almost embarrassing to me!
Much to my reassurance after my google search I found out that these face sores are far more common then I realized. According to my new favorite medical advice web sight webmd.com these blisters are going to happen to about 90% of the population at least once. They will reappear more than once in 40% of those that get them. They are a virus and easy to pass to one another during the blister stage which occurs in the beginning 1-5 days. Symptoms can be more severe if its your first time.
If your immune system is already compromised, these little fever blisters can become deadly. So with that said, I am thankful this week passed me by quickly. My sores are nicely scabbed and I can safely go visit my sister and friends who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis, an incurable auto immune disease.
Something else I took note of during my research, is that there are other triggers for these blisters. They can be:
- stress
- fever
- sunburn
- menstruation
- allergies and
- eating certain foods
Funny, I can check a few things off that list of triggers, so having caught the virus is really no surprise to me now.
So now that my 7-10 days is almost up I can say that I haven’t passed them to any one, and I can appreciate the fresh new skin on that part of my lip now. I am thankful that out of the 4 adults and 3 kids I was the only one who got them. It will be a strange reminder of one of my most favorite long weekend camping trips ever!
The First Word 