I am currently recovering from an outbreak of shingles. As you learned in my previous post, shingles is the common name for the condition that results from a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus. Ten days ago, the virus that had been lying dormant in my left 5th cranial nerve since I contracted chicken pox at age 8, became active again. Have I really been that stressed? I didn’t think so, but apparently my immune system was taxed enough to let its guard down against the herpes zoster army that subsequently attacked my ophthalmic nerve.