Sob! Wah!

[LadyA]

Not sure if I told you all - I probably did, because I've been so rotten with it. I hurt my back a few weeks ago, and had pain in the sciatic nerve as a result?

It has been lingering on and on driving me nuts. And Thursday afternoon I found out why! I suddenly started feeling as if my trackpants were full of ants! Itch, scald, etc. Went to the bathroom to have a look and discovered I was out in the most horrible rash! Accross my back round to the front, covering the hip and going down into the groin area. And having spent the last few days utterly exhausted, very tearful and feeling totally overwhelmed, I thought - "hang on, ***?" so gathered OH up and ran for the Doc before they closed. She says it's a really bad case of shingles she thinks - at least it's a shingles-type viral infection, as it's following nerve pathways, which shingles does. The rash though doesn't really look like a typical shingles rash. Anyway, she put me on the anti-viral tabs, although it is kind of late. The rash continued to spread Thursday night and Friday morning - my bum and right around almost as far as the opposite hip (having started at the right hip), accross my tummy to the navel, down the right leg to the knee, a few spots around the back of the left knee, and my right inner arm, from wrist to elbow, plus some spots on my fingers! The itching is like nothing I have ever felt in my life - and frankly, I am sick as a pig, and as cranky, crabby and narky as anyone you would ever hope not to meet! I hadn't been eating great before the rash came out, and have been so sick since, I've managed one digestive biscuit - and it took 2 hours to eat that!

Sorry for dumping on you all - but there's no-one else here except William, who is trying to be as good as he can, but he still needs feeding (I got to the nearest supermarket yesterday with him and bought some micro-wave meals for him so I can just heat them up, and don't have to cook). And I am trying really hard not to be cross and impatient with him.

On the good side - the splitting migraine I also had yesterday is more or less gone this morning.

 

[Grannie G]

I can`t believe how many people are being affected by Shingles LadyA. What a pain.
I do hope the anti virals will help, even though they are late in being prescribed.
Tough to have shingles, even tougher for carers.

 

[Butter]

Sob wah indeed how unfair


That is nothing but completely and totally unfair .... sometimes all there is to do is howl loud and long

 

[Izzy]

Oh what a shame. I'm sorry you have this to contend with. Who cares for the carer? I hope your tablets help soon. X

 

[Jenijill]

Lady A you have my total sympathy! I haven't suffered from shingles, but I do get migraines and its the VERY LAST thing to be ill when you're a carer

Do hope you start to feel better soon, sending lots of (((hugs)))

 

[penga]

HI

Sad to say, if your body harbours the herpes virus (usually left over from childhood chicken pox) and if you are stressed!!! or physically run down!!!! (A Carer's life), then the virus rears its ugly little head and the result shingles or outbreaks of cold sores.

Worst luck, have found surgical spirit (undiluted) or calamine lotion can help with the intense itching. No cure so far for the nerve pain but am working on that.

Take care, rest as much as possible (hard I know)

Regards

C

 

[Kathphlox]

Hi LadyA you have my sympathy

I honestly don't know how you're coping with it. I had shingles from my spine, round the side and then down to my groin on the right side. I was off work for 3 weeks, the stabbing pains were terrible and nothing would kill that pain to a great extent, co-proxamol was available then and even that hardly touched it.

I couldn't go to work because I couldn't wear any clothes that touched any part of the rash, I trotted about the house with a large shawl thingy fastened at one hip.

What I did find is that I could not bear to have any creams applied if they were cold, I had to warm anything under the grill. The doc said I would be scarred, but I had an aloe plant and I used to apply the sap from a piece of the a leaf which I kept in the fridge and it was then warmed, using that, I did not have any scarring.

 

[winda]

You poor thing. Can only imagine how difficult things must be for you at the moment.

I hope the medication helps and that you are feeling more comfortable soon.

 

[LynneMcV]

You have my complete sympathy - it must be a horrible situation to be in, especially when you have someone else relying on you.

I hope there is someone you can ask for help - even if it is just to run a few errands for you.

 

[Loopiloo]

Oh, how dreadful for you. I have not had shingles but know from experiences of a neighbour and a friend how dreadful it can be. Much more so when you have your husband dependant on you and have to keep going. As said, stress and being 'run down' can trigger it.

It is not easy, I know, but try to rest when you have the opportuity - if you have it..... The microwave meals a good idea, the last thing you will feel like doing is cooking food.

I do feel for you and hope the medication does help....

Loo xx

 

[Helen33]

Dear Lady A,

I am really glad that you had TP to come to. The outbreak you have seems particularly extensive and you really do have my sympathy. There doesn't seem to be a couple of days that go by recently that someone says they have shingles I had it very mildly a couple of weeks ago.

It's good to hear that William seems to be coping alright. It must be a tremendous strain for you as a carer but it sounds like you are managing somehow. Good idea about the microwave meals for the time being.

I do hope you begin to feel better really soon.

Love and a (HUG)

 

[LadyA]

Am feeling a bit better today - the sickness has stopped, but still not up to eating much. And the itching is driving me totally nuts! It's not terribly painful though -and I hope it stays that way! "We" have been sitting around all day in our respective armchairs dozing on and off. And a friend stopped in to visit William this afternoon, and has said he will come and pick him up and take him to church in the morning (if, when the time comes, Wm will go without me!).

GrannieG, the doctor did tell me that chickenpox is flying around here, so therefore so is shingles - she said it always goes together, because coming in contact with chickenpox can cause shingles in someone vulnurable to it, and likewise, if you haven't had chickenpox and come in contact with someone with shingles, you can get chickenpox from them.

The rash hasn't spread any further I don't think. My tummy and back are not so much spotty - they are a solid sheet of fiery red - and now there are sort of blue-ish streaks almost visible through the red - I assume that's the nerve pathway. Charming sight! Very weird.

I had been using calamine cream, but it wasn't doing anything for the itching so went to the chemist this morning and he gave me Eurax cream. It works a bit better.

 

[Butter]

Thank goodness for the chemist.

 

[2jays]

I know nothing about shingles, and to be honest I don't want to but I did wonder if an anti histamine would help with the itch?

Poor you. I would send you a hug, but I guess that wouldn't be nice with the rash so
Mwah mwah (air kisses)

 

[LadyA]

I thought that too, but apparently not! And, what I didn't know but they pointed out, with the anti-viral tablets for shingles, you can't take ibuprofen pain killers, like nurafen or buplex either - but I could take solpadeine if I need to.