November 8, 2012

8: Shingles


G, at the Smithsonian Castle.  2012.

Shingles.  Starting in his left eye.  So not only did we start at the clinic, we moved on later in the day to the Opthalmologist’s.  He is contagious and in pain.  The disease may take up to a year to finish.  I feel so terrible for him.


  • Keeping those on the east coast in my thoughts and donating where it will count.
  • Himself:  Saw doctor’s, took all the meds, slept.
  • Herself:  Took him here, worked, took him there.  The only relief from the pain is sleep, the doc told him.  He can have the shot after six months.  I cancelled everything I could and rescheduled everything else.
  • Reading:  Finished “Polaris.”  Moving on to the new Vorkosigan volume by Boujold.
  • Balance:  The Quiet from reading.

  • 13 comments:

    1. About six years ago, I had shingles on my back and it still twinges with pain from time to time. I feel so sorry for George. Stress reactivates the Herpes virus which appeared all over our miserable bodies as Chicken Pox when we were younger.

      I never got the shot. Once you have shingles, you should never have it again. The virus does not die, it goes dormant. Dianne

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    2. You are making me think we should get the vaccination that is offered to those of us who have had small pox or is it chicken pox? I am so very sorry! Just makes me wish I could do something!

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    3. Oh, how awful! Shingles is something I truly don't understand. (My dad had it, when I was little.) May this be a light case -- please.

      When I was in elementary school, everyone had chickenpox. The only kids who didn't have it in first grade had already gotten it from older siblings. If everyone who had chickenpox is in danger of shingles, how come we don't all get it?

      There is somethat that either doctors don't know, or they do know but don't want to tell us.

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    4. I'm very sorry he's got this, especially in his eye. Had it twice and got the vaccination in hopes of never having it again. Wishing you both the best with this.

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    5. My mum had this. It also started in her eye. She recovered well from it. I hope this is also the case with himself.

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    6. David and I got the shingles vaccine this year, but we are only 50% protected. Hope we never get the disease!

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    7. Maggie, I've been offline for the last few weeks. I was in Canada visiting family and friends and avoiding Sandy as best as possible. So sorry to hear about the shingles. Please send G my best wishes for a quick recovery.

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    8. I had shingles a few months ago, and today A new pimple came up on my back...I would get the shot but cant really afford it $200, and no quarentee it will work..OF course he cant put it in his EYE, but apple cider vinegar helps keep the itching at bay! Best wishes to you both.

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    9. Shingles no fun from accounts of those I know who've had them -- especially painful in the eyes and a few select other body locations.

      In one case, a friend in her sixties did have Shingles more than once. She and I had thought that didn't happen, but others have since said it can occur (the other occurrence(s) may be less severe depending on site.)

      Also, I had understood that if ever a person had shingles that they couldn't take the shot, but have heard pharma reports contradicting that, too. I haven't attempted to research the facts on reliable Internet medical sites, or asked any medical people, so don't know what the actual facts are. Guess we need to check with some medical people.

      I did get the shingles shot just a few years ago which my ins., fortunately, paid for though I don't have Medicare Part D or Advantage. Don't know with health care changes gradually taking effect whether shot may eventually be covered through Medicare. Good idea to keep checking on for those interested in getting the shot.

      My understanding when I received my shot only a couple years or so ago, was that it wasn't 100% effective in preventing Shingles and they may not be sure how long it's effective. I was told if I did develop Shingles they wouldn't be as severe because I had the shot.

      Important to have the pneumonia shot and keep the tetanus shot current, too.

      I do hope your husband has little or no pain from them and can recover from them as quickly as possible. Besides sleep, expect keeping the mind occupied during waking hours could be a challenge. Suppose audio books, music, radio will help. Take good care of yourself, too, as caretaker.

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    10. Oh Mage... I'm so sorry. My mother had shingles on her side and back that lasted almost a year too. She really suffered. As soon as I turned 60, I went to get the shot.

      My daughter got the same sort of shingles by her eyes, but thank goodness the ER doctor knew what it was because her GP didn't know.

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    11. Oh no. I'm sorry to hear that. They can be very painful. The usual course is about 6 weeks with occasional twinges for a long time afterward. I hope that's the case with him. One year sounds horrible.

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    12. Is that really true? that once you've had shingles you'll never have it again? I had the shot and still got shingles (2011) but while it was pretty painful it wasn't nearly as severe as it could have been. I urge everyone who had chickenpox to get that shot. Poor G! You DON'T want to get shingles!I hope you pass that message on to everyone you know, Mage. Glad to read he seems to be getting better.

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