THIS time when I told the front desk lady at the hospital that I was suspecting chicken pox, she was really surprised. Not sure why. But I wasn't going to take any chances with the few blisters which had magically popped up around my neck.
"You can take this for the pain. It should be okay but if you can't stand the pain then you go on this,".
Today is different though. My body stings wherever the rashes are. Sometimes the back feels like I'm resting lightly on a bed of needles. The tongue and the throat region is a mess. I can't eat without feeling like I'm swallowing one side of my face. My neck worries me. In the evenings, the rashes on the neck burns and I have weird shooting pains in the head region.
So that's that. Shingles February.
Dr. R was nice. Checked me throughly and concluded that it was shingles (it's from the same virus that causes chicken pox) and further confirmed it when I told him about the one-sided neck ache. He put me on anti-viral Acyclovir which I've to take five times a day for six days, together with some tablets for itchiness and pain. PAIN. He kept stressing it though. Which got me really worried.
"You can take this for the pain. It should be okay but if you can't stand the pain then you go on this,".
I smiled a nervous smile. Shingles, one of my greatest fears, is here. I've read and heard about it. It's far worse than chicken pox on the pain scale.
"How much pain can I expect, doctor? It sounds like a lot of pain".
He laughed, trying to shrug off the severity of the pain but I caught it when he looked away from me at the onset of my question.
"It depends on the patient really. Some people have it real bad as compared to others. It's just a course one has to get through. It shouldn't be too bad with the meds," he said.
Not the February I imagined it to be. I went to bed worrying about the rashes. The thought of waking up to tonnes of them was unnerving but yesterday hasn't been too bad actually. I had some rashes concentrated at the back of my neck, random on the chest and back but there weren't intimidating colonies of them. Some burning sensation on my left side and there was pain along the left side of the neck to the back. Not too bad really. A friend messaged me some tips. She has shingles almost every month and she's had them for six years now! Another friend sent pictures of a close relative with shingles and we shared some notes.
Today is different though. My body stings wherever the rashes are. Sometimes the back feels like I'm resting lightly on a bed of needles. The tongue and the throat region is a mess. I can't eat without feeling like I'm swallowing one side of my face. My neck worries me. In the evenings, the rashes on the neck burns and I have weird shooting pains in the head region.
So that's that. Shingles February.
Well at least you know what you've got now. I hope the pain-killers will ease your suffering. Every day that passes is a day closer to being well again.
ReplyDeletei'm counting the day, GB :)
DeleteShingles suck, but at least you caught it early enough to go on the meds. It wouldn't be fun to have to go through the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteI'm grateful for that really. I don't know how I'd manage otherwise.
Delete:)
This is terrible Jaya, I'm so sorry to hear that you've got shingles. Like Gorilla says every day your antibiotics have a chance to work brings you one step closer to wellness again so just hang in there. Your post about your grandmother was wonderful by the way, it helps to remember that we all go through this kind of thing in life.
ReplyDeleteThanks Matthew. I'm feeling a lot better today. Like almost normal if not for the throat.
DeleteWe all go through it at some. Death of a loved one is never easy.
Wow that has to suck a ton, been there with the pain though, my nerves are still fecked up after almost a year. Got the head thing, that just feels funky as it shoots into the back of the head, neck, back, legs, arm and feet, fun fun. Nerve crap takes up to 6-9 months to fully go away.
ReplyDeleteBut you've made it through! For me the head neck thing is the scary part. The pain is so random and beyond your control in any way.
DeleteMy Lymph nodes at the neck is swollen too and that's freaky.
Jaya I am so sorry to hear this. I hope you get to feeling better.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope so too and Welcome here.
DeleteI'm so sorry. Shingles likes to hang around and make a pest of itself.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Day 3 and I'm feeling better. Thanks Janie.
DeleteSounds more and more like Doha is no good for your health :P But at least you know what it is and can treat it! Here's hoping you get well real soon :)
ReplyDeleteHaha. Doha is no place for people with respiratory problems for sure.
DeleteThanks Azra. I'm feeling much better today ;)
Poor you.
Deletemy sons 30 yr old buff healthy strong wrestling coach has shingles ....they gave him some pain meds and he is feeling a little better..hope you are too!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Annmarie. I'm feeling better today. I guess if it happens, it happens. I'm been eating right but stress can bring the system down too.
DeleteOooohhh, thats bad Jaya :(
ReplyDeleteHope u get well soon Jaya.. well on the othr side, I'm sure it'll be a good time to see lotsa movies, catch up on ur reading n get lotta rest..
I broke my arm a few years back n was bed ridden fr bout 3 weeks... but in that time, I kinda spring cleaned my life n kinda reconnected and refreshed a lotta things bout my life
Hope u get better soon Jaya :)
Hey thanks Raj :)
DeleteI'm drugged up most of the time so I sleep. Sometimes I read or write. Or Skype with my family back home.
It's great that your broken arm opened up a fresh new note for you :)
Owwwww..... Owowowow. That's all I really have to say. I've heard the horror stories about shingles. Not fun stuff.
ReplyDeleteGet well soon!
not fun at all, Damien.
Deletei'm recovering now. quite fast actually so that's good.
:)
Poor Jaya...:( I hate being ill. It sounds vile, particularly the bit about feeling like you're swallowing the side of your face. Nasty. It's pancake day today so have a pancake with something nice and I hope you feel better very soon x
ReplyDeletehey Juliette. thank you.
Deletei'm feeling a lot better. i thought it will be a very long period but not too bad and i hope i haven't spoken too soon as well.
everyday has been a pancake day for me since i got sick actually. hope you had yours with loads of maple syrup :)
xx
Shingles reminds me of something people would get in the 1800's.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I feel about typhoid, Dr Zibbs. But sadly, it still exists.
DeleteOh my gosh. I've been hearing so many shingles stories lately. My brother got it last year. It worried me enough that I decided it was worth paying out of pocket to get the vaccine, and I just did that in December. I'm sorry you are having to deal with it.
ReplyDeleteSound painful, hope you get some relief from it. Doctors are not good often at listening to patients. Reminds me of this story i heard about. Guy goes to doctors, and says to the recetption 'There is something wrong with my penis' . 'Hold on' says the receptionist, we have children here, old people, you cant just say penis, you have to say something else more gentle'. So the guy, goes outside, comes back in says ' ok, i have something wrong with my ear'. 'Well whats wrong with it' says receptionist. ' I can't pee out of it' says the guy. And everyone laughs in the clinic lol.
ReplyDeleteDo you have calamine lotion~? its supposed to be good for rashes and things and stops pain and itching. Good luck and good health i hope comes back to you.