Lousy bug bite..lol

Last Friday morning I woke up with a very stiff neck and my shoulder hurt a little. Figured I'd slept wrong, right? By the next day I had a small bump on my shoulder, so figured I had been biten by maybe a spider while I slept. Well the next day, 4th of July, I woke up to a few more little bumps and figured that darned spider attacked me again. Well these bumps started to become welts and spread all over my upper arm, shoulder and neck and my arm was hurting too. After almost a week, my DH begged me to go to the Dr., as maybe it was a very poisonous bug.

So I go into the Dr. yesterday morning and show him my ugly bug bites and guess what he said....."Lady, that's no bug bite, you have Shingles" !!!!! Well I started laughing, cause I was so surprised. I have no idea how I got them, but the Dr. said it could be stress. I'm not usually a very stressful type person, but 2 weeks ago, I did go through a stressful week.

I am now on some heavy meds and cream. I was told it's only contagious if the sores open and someone touches them. I guess I'm in for a tough week, although, I think the medicine is already making the soreness and rash disappear.

Has anyone else had Shingles? I always thought they were around your midriff, but was told, any where on your upper torso.

Donna....scratch, scratch...ugh!

Oh, Donna, I hope that you feel better soon.

And yes, it usually is on your torso but anywhere perpindicular to where your body has stored your chicken pox in your spine from when you were a kid. Weird, huh? They always told you that you couldn't get it again and you can't but once you've had 'em, you can get shingles.

Be careful to not go anywhere there might be kids and adults who have not had chicken pox because they can get the pox from you. It is suprising how many adults have never had it and how many children are not immunized for it.

My Dave, Mr. Calm, got pretty stressed when we bought our house and had to move, etc. I knew he was stressed but he said that he wasn't. He broke out with these little bumps on a Friday (always when the doctor has left for the weekend, right?) so I put some of my Zovirax I get from Mexico for my fever blisters on my mouth I get from the sun. Well, thank goodness we did that. By Monday when he got to the doctor, they confirmed shingles and zovirax is one of the meds they use, so his were small. He was 33 years old so the myth of age being a factor is now officially de-bunked 'cuz you got them too!

Just be well and take care of yourself. Its just a little reminder that stress does take its toll on us and we need to know how to let it go. Just us darn complicated humans!! : )

OH Donna...I'm sorry you're going through this...

I had shingles...and DIDN'T break out...so it is possible, though most people think differently.

Stay out of the sun too...so many things can happen from the chicken pox germ that can remain in your body all of your life.

(((((Donna))))))

Jo

Oh Donna, a girlfriend of mine just got over a case. It was not her idea of a good time. Take it easy and do not overdo. Now is NOT the time to decide to repaint the house! Lol. Scratch the dog, not your skin.

Now I know where you were when I called yesterday AM. I had invisioned something a bit more fun.

Donna hope you get rid of them real quick, I've heard they are no fun.

Thank you all for your well wishes. This ointment, Fluocinonide Cream, is doing wonders for the rash and the itching. I have been applying it heavily at night and wearing an old T-shirt to bed. lol

Since you all don't want me to work out in the garden or paint my house, what can I do??? lol If ya'll knew me, it's hard for me to sit down and do nothing. I always have projects going, and right now I am refinishing an old hutch top for my patio to put plants on. This is an easy going project, just lightly sanding and putting a primer coat on first.

Janice, yes, that's were I was when you called. I was so sorry to miss your call.

I promise to not overdue things, ok? heheheh

Donna

Sit down and paint your toenails girl. I could send you Fiona and she could wear you out just watching her buzz around. Wait till you see her. She is now only about an in shorter than I am.

Now is a good time to rent those movies you have been meaning to watch. You be good!

Janice

I have not had them but my son did and he was miserable so you have my sympathy!

Oh Donna! I hope you get over it quick. My mom had a nasty case right after my dad died. I felt so sorry for her, she is tough woman and never asked for anything - ever! However, when she had this, I would go over every day and she asked me to help her medicate her back. My heart broke. I wished it would have been me instead. Get well soon sweetie! Take care of yourself.

((((()))))

Oh you poor girl, i wouldnt wish these, well on my ex husbands new wife.
I had them last year and was out of work for 3 weeks. I went to the ER thinking i had gotten a horrific case of poison ivy or somethng and the doc said "nope, thats shingles."
It was the most excruciating thing i had ever been through. I bought everything in Walmart that said "anti-itch" and found nothing that eased the pain. Thankfully he also gave me a perscription for Vicodin.
Mine started in the center of my back and wrapped around my right side.
Sweating seemed to irritate them. Then there were the times that it felt like a super hot icepick was being shoved from the inside out.
I looked like the alien from MIB (Men in black) when he was having his coniption fits.
He told me to lower my stress..what a joke.
All i can say is take it easy, it will get better.
Jen
p.s., i did find temporary relief in an aveeno bath, but it ended as soon as i got out.

Donna, I hope you are feeling better soon.

I've done the shingle thing too. The doctor put me on cream and medication and said that if the shingles is caught and medicated in time there won't be any recurring pain. Oterwise they can hurt in the nerve endings in times to come even if there is no rash. See you in September!

Cathy...I can hardly wait to see your new camper! I hope I am camped near you....we will arrive on Wed I think. See ya there!! Jo

Donna, how are you feeling, is it getting any better yet? From all reports I have ever heard of shingles it doesn't sound like something very pleasant.

I was feeling like a leper until I read this thread.

I thought I had been bitten by a spider or some bug and had these blister-like lesions on the shin of my leg. They were awfully painful for being such little ones, and they didn't go away, so I went to my doctor.

Right away she said, "shingles" and asked if I had had chicken pox as a child (I did), and prescribed some medication and cream. Her husband had had shingles too -- on the top of his head!

Being diabetic, it is taking a long time to heal and go away. Most of the time, it's okay, but when that leg starts hurting, it's really bad! I'm always surprised by the intensity of the pain.

Thanks to others for sharing. I hadn't heard of this illness since I was a kid (and I'm 50 now).

Joanne,

Thanks for asking... Today makes 2 weeks of this ugly mess. I finished all of my oral medicine today and will continue to use the ointment on the rash. The rash is getting a little better daily, but it is still there and my arm is still stiff and sore. I can reach up higher now, but can't reach back away from my body. I'm starting to itch more now, so maybe that means they are healing.....sure hope so. I was told that this could take a month to go away, so as long as I can keep my arms covered, I'm handling it pretty well.

LSP, isn't this the pits??? Having it on your shin, has got to be very painful. With your Diabetis, it will probably take longer to heal also. BTW, I am 56.

Donna

Hey, Donna- My Dave swears that when he went surfing everyday with his shingles that the salt water helped him heal faster. So if you are crazy, go catch some waves! ; )

Naw......I wouldn't try it either.

Hope you feel better soon!

Daisy, I'll bet your DH is correct! I'm finding that the astringent properties of regular ol' peroxide applications are helping. The salt water probably had the same effect.

See, Donna? Let's catch the south well at Trestles!!

Ya'll wait for me!! Jo