update

I woke up this morning, stumbled to the bathroom, turned on the light, and glanced in the mirror. 

I gasped in horror. 

My eyes were ringed by large flakes of skin peeling off. I looked like I had leprosy of the face. 

(I don't have leprosy.) 

(Also leprosy is treatable, if I did have it, which I don't.) 

(Also I google image searched for leprosy and realized that I've seen people with it and have never gotten it from them.) 

(Also there was a lepers colony in Liberia when I was growing up. If I recall correctly, it was way up country and possibly the only time I encountered it was that time we flew up to northwestern Liberia to visit the family who had the white rabbit with red eyes.)

I went to acupuncture yesterday, and I think it helped. Right afterward, I lifted my arm up above shoulder level for the first time in a long time. Then I used hiking poles and it started to hurt again. But then I slept in what I think was a much better way for it, and it's not as bad today.

Although now I am typing, and that is making my nerve hurt. There is no winning.