Shingles

Once upon a time I thought shingles were only the things that covered house roofs.

They say ignorance is bliss …

In this case, I am inclined to agree.

The Facts

Not only did I not understand much about Shingles, I am learning that most people are similarly ignorant and have plenty of false ideas.  So, let me enlighten you without the pain of going through it yourself.

See the kind of friend I can be?

Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash (although the rash was the LEAST of my pain). It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is also what causes chicken-pox.  After you’ve had chicken pox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain.  Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles and when it does, it travels along nerve pathways to the skin – causing blisters.

Shingles generally affects a relatively small part of one side of your body.  Often it presents as a single stripe of blisters that wrap around one side of the torso – but this was not my experience.

Signs and symptoms of Shingles may include:
– Pain, burning, numbness, or tingling
– Sensitivity to touch
– A red rash that begins a few days after the pain
– Fluid-filled blisters that pop and then crust over
– Itching

Some people may also experience:
– Fever
– Headache
– Sensitivity to light
– Fatigue

The actual cause of Shingles is unknown, although there are many theories.  Stress is commonly considered a possible trigger but typically, Shingles seems most likely to show up as the body ages and the immune system becomes weakened due to various circumstances.  Typically it is seen more often in adult over age 60 but I just turned 46 and I know of others who had shingles at even younger ages.

How the virus affects people is very different.  Sometimes folks get a light touch and they only have a few itchy spots, which seem to resolve fairly quickly.  Others develop pain and numbness, as opposed to itchiness, which lasts for weeks.  Some get it quite severely and it can takes months to heal.   I have found those who have experienced Shingles for themselves (or walked through it with a loved one) and have known the pain it can bring are the most sympathetic and compassionate.

Here is a big question that I have addressed many times in the last couple of weeks …

“Is Shingles contagious?” or the other version … “Where did you get it from?”

So, here is the simple answer – No, Shingles itself is not contagious.  I did not ‘catch’ it from anyone.  It was my own dormant virus that reared its ugly head for whatever reason.  If you have had chicken pox or the chicken pox vaccine, you have no reason to fear anyone who has Shingles.  You will not catch Shingles from them.

However, that being said … if you have NEVER had chicken pox and are NOT vaccinated, then you could potentially catch chicken pox from someone who has Shingles because it is the same virus.  Now, it wouldn’t be easy.  My Doctor assured me that someone would actually have to touch the blisters when they are in the contagious stage and then bring their hand to their face and breathe it in in order to catch chicken pox from a case of Shingles.

Can I just say … ?  If someone has Shingles blisters, they would appreciate if you stay far away from their blisters.  They really don’t want to be touched anywhere … let alone anywhere near their blisters.

If you do develop Shingles, be considerate and aware of those around you who may be vulnerable (especially pregnant Mommas and babies).  You obviously want to be careful and take certain precautions.  I will share later how I handled this.

For more information regarding the facts of Shingles, there is a plethora of material online.  Some of this information that I have shared here can be found at http://www.mayoclinic.org …. but I read from numerous other sources as well.

My Experience

It has been almost three weeks since I woke on a Monday morning with a random ache in my shoulder.  I thought I must have slept on it wrong so I ignored it and continued on my day, which happened to include a physical with my doctor.  We discussed many things, including the torn meniscus in my knee and the ongoing pain in my other shoulder so I didn’t bother mentioning the new pain in my right shoulder.  By that evening, I was in the most intense pain of my life … comparable only to labor and childbirth.  I tossed and turned all night as my shoulder throbbed relentlessly.  This dreadful pain, along with a low-grade fever and sickness, continued into Tuesday night and Wednesday.  I was as close as I have ever been to going to an Emergency Room … but I stoically hid the pain and waited until I could see my own Doctor Wednesday afternoon.

By that point, I was also experiencing pain in my ribs and down my arm with an odd numbness that traveled down into my hand, affecting my ring and pinky fingers.  I also began to notice some random red spots on my wrist, hand, and fingers.   Truthfully, I was getting a little frightened because I had no idea what was wrong.

When I talked with the nurse and shared the level of pain I was experiencing, along with the numbness, which only was affecting my right side, she began to get suspicious.  When I showed her the spots, she drew a breath and said, “Oh no.  This is looking like Shingles!”

My Doctor confirmed it to be so.

We spent some time discussing it and she settled a lot of my concerns.  She prescribed an anti-viral medication and heavy painkillers.  I expressed my concern about my plans for the next couple of days and the potential of being around babies and possible unvaccinated children, so we agreed that it would be best if I stayed home for a few days.  She cleared me to attend church on Sunday because of the medication I was on and the precautions she knew I would take.

Truthfully, I figured I would easily fight this virus and rebound quickly.

I was wrong.

The rash eventually covered my right hand, fingers, wrist, and all the way up past my elbow.  I also had a few spots under my arm.  My fingers swelled and I was unable to bend or move them for several days.  Even with the medication, the rash continued to spread until Saturday.  It was bright red and blistery raw.

The pain, which compared to labor and childbirth Monday and Tuesday, settled into a state of constant, intense toothache-type pain for the next several days after that.  It affected my jaw, my shoulder, my elbow, my wrist and hand, and even down into my ribs.  The pain medication made it somewhat tolerable but it was never bearable.  The hypersensitivity was unbelievable and even now, after almost three weeks, I can still barely handle anything touching the inside of my hand or the lateral portion of my arm and elbow.

The level of pain was surprising but even more so was the fatigue.  I have been experiencing a flu-like fatigue this entire time.  I have lived with severe fatigue for years due to the sleep issues my son with autism has experienced, but it has always been my nature to muscle through and keep going.  I couldn’t do that now.  My body routinely crashed through the day and I barely made it from one nap to another.  Even now, I can barely make it through a day without a nap and my activity level is well below my normal.

At this point, 2 1/2 weeks after the first spots, I think the rash is fading nicely.  My hand, wrist, and elbow continue to be the most noticeable when it comes to where the rash was and that skin will likely take the longest to heal.

I took the entire prescription of anti-viral medication, and have steadily been taking Ibuprofen and the prescription pain medication (this was only at night).  I began taking high doses of Vit. C in an effort to boost my immune system (this is when the rash stopped spreading) … and just yesterday I added Lisine and B-12 to my arsenal.  I also gingerly applied liquid Magnesium to my elbow and wrist and between the three of these gems, I began to experience my first bit of relief from the pain.

I have had very limited use of my dominant right hand and arm for this entire time but each day I try to use it a bit more, even though it still is difficult.  I can’t hold anything in my hand and it is still uncomfortable to use my fingers.  Holding a pen or pencil and trying to write is futile.  Beside the pain and continuing tingling numbness, my writing is horrendous.  Driving is uncomfortable, as is almost every other task you can imagine.  I have figured out how to use a hair dryer and gingerly (and painfully) apply eye make up … but the curling iron is still impossible.

For the first two weeks, I carefully avoided anyone I thought might be vulnerable and even then, I wore long sleeves to cover most of the rash.  If I left the house, I used first aid gauze to carefully wrap my hand.  Then I mostly kept my hand in my coat pocket.  These measures were largely for the benefit of others, but it was also a good way to protect my entire side from being jostled or touched.

At this point, I still tend to keep my right side protected as much as possible … even though the pain is starting to ease, my body is still very hypersensitive and uncomfortable.

So for now, I think I am starting to see a faint light at the end of this tunnel even though I still have limited use of my hand and considerable discomfort and fatigue as my body continues to battle this virus.

More than anything, this has filled me with so much compassion for those who battle with long-term significant health issues and pain.  These last few months, and these last weeks especially, have taken their toll on me.  I feel so deeply for those who deal with much greater health concerns.

The Lord has been so good.

I despise Shingles but I love the One who has been faithfully walking beside me through this journey, like He has all the rest.