Shingles

I have seen shingles; I have had patients go thru the unbearable pain of it. yet nothing could have prepared me for being a patient myself.

It all began with a mild skin irritation a bug bite, I thought! maybe my seasonal skin problem is coming back! I went and bought my medicated lotion put some on and left it at that. By the next morning I had a burning sensation coming from my back and around my abdomen area. it kept going for about a week I continued to use my lotion and cold water to soothe the itching, on day 6 (on Valentine’s day 2021) I woke up with a painful feeling on my ribs, a feeling like I had broken something. I finally went to urgent care only to be diagnosed with Shingles, the doctor said I had a minor break out on my back just a couple of blisters at that time. That that was the cause of the pain I felt. I was given an antibiotic, and adviced cold compresses.

I went home; I was advised to take over the counter pain medication. shingles is a very painful virus, like broken bones pain, peeled off skin pain.

The early signs of shingles include:

Fever, chills, and headaches, Itching.

Raised dots on your skin and redness in that area

Stabbing or shooting pain

Tingling in or under your skin

Upset stomach.

All these symptoms are listed online on several sites, but the truth is that no description can be as real as what you will feel, even on a mild case of break outs. in my case it started with just 3 small blisters set right on my spine, yet I had pain like a cactus had beat me up, the pain kept on spreading.

I had no more blisters just those three for about two weeks, I finished my antibiotics and about a week later another breakout this time on my abdomen and over my ribcage, the pain and burning were just as bad if not worse. It has been a month and I still have pain and some skin discomfort; I had all of the above symptoms and also a feeling of sadness I became depressed and overwhelmed, and just overall fed up with how long I have been sick.

Again, nothing you are told can prepare you because it is all very different to each person, when it happens, I suggest cold compresses, cold baths, lotion and rest. Get support and try as much as possible to have a support team, if this happens to an elderly please be there for them at all times because just breathing hurts, be there and help, if you are alone get help, find emotional support because it can be a very emotional time for you.

If you have a small breakout, it may be that the people around you do not understand what you are feeling, have them talk to your doctor or look it up online. Do not go at it alone.

I had my family, and it helps that they understand and that I am somewhat young enough to cope with it, but it is still exceedingly difficult, I spent those first few weeks pretty much just lying-in bed trying not to move because even the touch of a t-shirt on my skin was painful. Still today I wear loose shirts to prevent the pain that the continuous shooting pains and pins and needles cause, I have numbness of the area, extreme sensitivity and of course anxiety.

I cannot help but wonder about my elderly patients who suffered with it, how alone they must have felt.

Shingles a very ugly virus that is not much talked about, that lives in you silently, and breaks out unexpected due one of many different reasons in relation to health and age, it happens to those age 50 and over, it can happen just once or more times after the first breakout, it is not announced but it may be there. I hope you never get it, and if you do please get a support group. Pain can truly affect your emotions.