Shingles (Warning - Graphic Pictures)

I started a thread here about this topic after some discussion in my Journal. Shingles is that painful blistering rash caused by the same virus behind Chicken Pox, which stays dormant in your system if you’ve ever had it before. It typically shows up on just one side of the body and can appear anywhere, though eye involvement is serious because untreated cases can lead to blindness. You generally won’t catch shingles itself from someone else unless they have open blisters and you haven’t had Chicken Pox.

I’m currently recovering from it. Believe me when I say this isn’t fun for anyone. The main rash has faded, with just the blisters left to heal up. For me, it began on Monday, November 1st as three red spots near my waistband on the left buttock while we were unhooking our RV after a weekend trip back home; my wife initially thought they were spider bites. Things went sideways when the alternator belt broke on the drive home, forcing us to park overnight in a strip mall lot until Tuesday morning repairs could be done. By then, the rash had moved down across my buttocks, wrapped around the outside of my leg, and was heading toward the front of my thigh. Once we were back at our parked RV, I took off my jeans and saw it had reached almost to my knee, spreading into my crotch and up toward my waist. New blisters appeared too, including a couple on my scrotum.

I removed the cage immediately. Since the doctor’s office was closed Wednesday, I called first thing Thursday morning and managed an appointment for Friday. He put me on antiviral medication along with Tylenol 3 containing 5 mg of Codeine. I have always had a high drug tolerance, so that amount of codeine barely touches my pain levels.

The Mayo Clinic advises vaccination for anyone over fifty. They suggest getting the newer Shingrix vaccine even if you received an earlier shot, already recovered from shingles, or are unsure about your Chicken Pox history. Approved and used in the USA since 2017, this vaccine isn’t perfect but helps reduce severity if you do get sick after being vaccinated. A personal note: while the recommendation is for those over fifty, my youngest son developed it in his early thirties. Chat with your healthcare provider to see what’s right for you. … c-20353054 … q-20057859