Shingles!!!

Overview

Shingles (herpes zoster) is a painful, blistering skin rash due to the varicella-zoster virus, the virus that causes chickenpox.

Symptoms

The first symptom is usually one-sided pain, tingling, or burning. The pain and burning may be severe and is usually present before any rash appears.

Red patches on the skin, followed by small blisters, form in most people.

• The blisters break, forming small ulcers that begin to dry and form crusts. The crusts fall off in 2 to 3 weeks. Scarring is rare.
• The rash usually involves a narrow area from the spine around to the front of the belly area or chest.

Causes

After you get chickenpox, the virus remains inactive (becomes dormant) in certain nerves in the body. Shingles occurs after the virus becomes active again in these nerves years later.

The reason the virus suddenly become active again is not clear. Often only one attack occurs.

Shingles may develop in any age group, but you are more likely to develop the condition if:

• You are older than 60
• You had chickenpox before age 1
• Your immune system is weakened by medications or disease

If an adult or child has direct contact with the shingles rash on someone and has not had chickenpox as a child or a chickenpox vaccine, they can develop chickenpox, rather than shingles.

Yikes!!!! Its not just an assumption now, its a fact that I am indeed an old lady. First we just thought sitting at home alone, watching sappy love movies was proof enough. Little did we know more proof was on its way. Last week I started having pains in my right chest/shoulder area. Thinking that I must have had pulled a muscle or something didnt think much of it until, it started aching in my back/shoulder area as well. A few days later I was mentioning it to my sister in law and she caught that it sounded a lot like what her sister recently had, shingles. Indeed, the next morning I broke out with the rash. I made a doctors appointment and when the nurse asked me why they were seeing me today, I said because I believe I have shingles. He looked at me like I was the dumbest person alive. He asked me why I believe that and I said because I have been having the pain and this morning I broke out with this, as I showed him my underarm. He looked at me again, saying yeah looks like you do. The doctor also agreed and gave me some super good pain meds and a antiviral. Every day it seams to get a bit worse, more rashes and bigger blisters. I hate waring my bra or a shirt that touches my underarm. I was told I would be lucky if this would all be over in a weeks time... so I am sayin my prayers it will be over super fast. The photos on google are so disgusting so I did not post one, mine is not THAT bad at least yet. Well next on my old lady check list is to get some cats!