Petty Vents

[PrincessFiona60]

PF, shingles aren't a "one and done" problem? I have my annual check-up with my doctor tomorrow (actually today per MA time) and I plan on asking about the vaccination. I'm surrounded by family that has had them. Mom was around 60 when she had a bout, our son was only 15 and in his freshman year of high school. When he got them we thought he had developed a rash from the wrestling mats at school. Imagine how surprised we all were to find out he had shingles. He's 33 now and, fingers crossed, hasn't had a repeat episode.

Carol, I hope those clear up quickly for him. Our son was young so he toughed it through OK, but I remember Mom being miserable for quite a while.

Nope, not a "one and done" problem. Get the shot! I had a minimal reaction to the vaccine, but it's because I didn't have any protection against the virus, never developed the antibodies against it.

You know that statistic that 1 in 100 people can get chicken pox again? Guess which group I fall into. I've had chicken pox 4-5 times and the shingles a couple of times.

 

[taxlady]

(((Hugs Cat)))

 

[PrincessFiona60]

This is the hard part. My whole family knows. She has an appointment with her doctor tomorrow and I may have to speak of this.

I will go with her, Addie. I may have to leave suddenly but this is what I must do. I must get her home alive, no matter what. I will care for her on the plane and make sure she is comfortable at home in Brasov.

I feel I am losing her. Uck, I am losing her, as no one lives forever. I just hope she can see me married before she leaves us.

But I hope no one thinks I would put her on his plane without me there! No, that will not happen! Where she goes, I go. I owe her this.

The problem is, after she goes home, I come back alone. And right now, that idea is so frightening I don't want to think of it.

With love,
~Cat

You won't be alone for long, you have Laki and Carl and US! I know we are not DA, but we will continue to fill your life with joy.

Think of the Love and Trust you have received, the Privilege of caring for DA and learning more about her and her life. Remember, this is her Journey and she wants you at her side as her Companion, but only for the first steps, after that Someone stronger will be there to Greet her and be her Companion for the rest of her Journey.

 

[cave76]

My husband has been in a lot of pain the past several days and he just showed me a rash on his side. He has shingles! I will call the DR tomorrow for meds. I am very glad to know what was causing the pain since he would NOT go to the doctor, but he is in for some really miserable days ahead. Shingles is terrible, and really bad in an older person. He is 71.

Shingles can be very painful, very debilitating in some. In others it's more like a bad rash and very annoying. I had the first kind. My shingles occurred just before I came down with a devastating case of Lyme disease that left me bed bound for months and very sick for a very long time. I'll always wonder if having had the shingles made my Lyme disease so bad.

I had to be off work for a month from shingles and was horribly fatigued for quite a while after that.
Acyclovir is often rx'd for shingles. Or maybe another type of antiviral is now the preferred med.

A person with shingles should also avoid being around anyone who is pregnant or might suspect they're pregnant.

Also, from the CDC, but I'm sure his doctor will tell him this also:

"A person with shingles can spread the virus when the rash is in the blister-phase. A person is not infectious before blisters appear. Once the rash has developed crusts, the person is no longer contagious.
Shingles is less contagious than chickenpox and the risk of a person with shingles spreading the virus is low if the rash is covered."

I hope your husbands shingles is very limited in it's scope. Keep us posted.

 

[CarolPa]

He is in extreme pain. I was too when I had it. We were headed to MedExpress but stopped at the PCP's office on a chance they could see him. They did, and saved us $25 copay.

PF, you are the first person I have heard that had it more than once. It says online that it's possible, but rare. The doctor really wants me to get the vaccine. DH really doesn't want me to. It also said online that you can still get shingles if you take the vaccine, but it will be a very mild case. I don't want to get shingles again, but there's something about me, that if something can go wrong, it will. I am the one who gets the very rare side effects of meds. I am the one who gets the rare complications after surgeries or other medical procedures. So I'm hesitant to have it.

My step daughter had it in high school. Over the years her husband has had it, my step-son had it. None of these people caught it from each other. I was the only one who had it bad enough to need pain med. They were all much younger than I. I had the pain for 6 months afterwards, but I was only off work the first 6 days after diagnosis. No matter who you talk to, most have a family member who had it.

 

[CarolPa]

Cat, I hope your DA is OK. You have taken very good care of her.

 

[Andy M.]

Doc offered me the shingles shot when I was in my 50s. I was easy to convince. Got the shot and never had any issues with it.

 

[CarolPa]

Doc offered me the shingles shot when I was in my 50s. I was easy to convince. Got the shot and never had any issues with it.

I think you did the right thing, Andy. I am considering it, too. I really don't want to wait until I get it again and have to say, "Yes, you can get it more than once."

 

[taxlady]

I think I will look into getting vaccinated for chicken pox or shingles. I may or may not have had chicken pox as a kid. All the other kids in the neighbourhood got chicken pox. I got sick, but didn't have any chicken pox symptoms. The doctor wasn't sure. I was exposed to chicken pox many times as a child, after that, and never got it.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

He is in extreme pain. I was too when I had it. We were headed to MedExpress but stopped at the PCP's office on a chance they could see him. They did, and saved us $25 copay.

PF, you are the first person I have heard that had it more than once. It says online that it's possible, but rare. The doctor really wants me to get the vaccine. DH really doesn't want me to. It also said online that you can still get shingles if you take the vaccine, but it will be a very mild case. I don't want to get shingles again, but there's something about me, that if something can go wrong, it will. I am the one who gets the very rare side effects of meds. I am the one who gets the rare complications after surgeries or other medical procedures. So I'm hesitant to have it.

My step daughter had it in high school. Over the years her husband has had it, my step-son had it. None of these people caught it from each other. I was the only one who had it bad enough to need pain med. They were all much younger than I. I had the pain for 6 months afterwards, but I was only off work the first 6 days after diagnosis. No matter who you talk to, most have a family member who had it.

I don't know anyone else who has had chicken pox and shingles as many times as I have. I really had to be talked into the shingles shot, because I didn't want to deal with shingles again or chicken pox. I'm the one that gave my baby brother chickenpox when I had the shingles.

I've had my blood checked, I have no antibodies to fight chicken pox or shingles. I haven't had it checked since I got the vaccine.

I just hope your husband can get through his bout.

 

[cave76]

I don't know anyone else who has had chicken pox and shingles as many times as I have.

I've had my blood checked, I have no antibodies to fight chicken pox or shingles.

First---- Carol---- I'll be hoping your husband recovers from this quickly--- is the doctor going to rx a viral med?

PF-----Antibodies are strange things. They can seem to appear then disappear (via blood tests).

 

[CarolPa]

Yes Cave, he got an rx for a viral med and pain pills. The viral med makes him nauseated. If there is no improvement in the nausea by Monday I will call the doc and ask for a different one. It can't help him if he won't take it. The pain meds are dulling the pain somewhat, but not as much as he would like. This is only day 1. He has nothing he has to do, so he can just rest. Hopefully it will get better as time goes on. He is not good at taking meds. He doesn't want to take his blood pressure pills because he says you can't mix all these pills together. He's wrong about that. I take so many pills and they all get mixed together. So I have to check on him to make sure he takes the blood pressure meds.

 

[Cheryl J]

Carol, I'm sorry to hear of your DH's bout with shingles. I do hope it's short lived and that he feels better soon.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Health (Hell) Connector.

'Nuff said.

 

[Addie]

Four of my children had chicken pox twice. When my kids were growing up the only meds they had for childhood diseases was the DPT shot and the shot for polio. My mother had polio as a child and my sister came down with it before there was the Salk vaccine.

I am one of those mothers who made sure all her children got all their shots when they were supposed to. And when the Salk vaccine came out, they were first in line for it. Now there is a law here in Mass. that children up through college must have all their vaccines before they can start school. Fortunately I kept Poo's medical record and when he went to college here in Mass., he had all his information. Four of my children had measles before there was an injection for it. (There was an epidemic that was bad enough that children were dying. ) Three were damaged. My oldest daughter lost her vision for three months, Poo's heart was severely damaged and Maureen's kidneys were damaged enough that she was placed on the transplant list. Two children up the street from me died from them. So now when anyone tells me that "It is only a childhood disease. Let them get it and get it over with it", I go spastic. When The Pirate got chicken pox the second time, he was sick enough to be in the hospital. He was 15 at the time. When the vaccine came out for the CP, he made sure he got the shot for shingles right away.

So for those of you that have not had their shot for the Chicken Pox or Shingles, please make sure you get it. I don't want to go spastic on you.

 

[Addie]

You won't be alone for long, you have Laki and Carl and US! I know we are not DA, but we will continue to fill your life with joy.

Think of the Love and Trust you have received, the Privilege of caring for DA and learning more about her and her life. Remember, this is her Journey and she wants you at her side as her Companion, but only for the first steps, after that Someone stronger will be there to Greet her and be her Companion for the rest of her Journey.

Cat, you will always have us. And I think it is safe to say Carl and Laki as well. When you get scared of losing DA, read PF's second paragraph. I would suggest that you print it out and put it where you will see it every day. You will never be alone as DA won't either. And I know for sure that when she starts her final journey, her thoughts will be of you.

When you return, you will still have the suppers with your friends in your lair. You can invite her male companion and your Aunt along with Carl and Laki. You will sit around the table telling stories of DA. She will always be with you in your heart. You were given the privilege of caring for her and filling her life with laughter and love. When it is time to finish her journey here on earth, do not be sad. Remember to read what PF wrote. We all love you Cat. Be strong!

 

[Addie]

Good Saturday Morning. Or is it? I will have to get back to you on the "Good" part.

The rest of the nation is getting the pictures of the Marathon Bombing as just a story. The anniversary is coming up. But here is Boston, it is the only news. Now I feel just as bad and upset as the rest of the population here in Boston. But as the anniversary gets closer and closer, it is the only news on all our local TV station. There are shows happening all over the city to raise additional monies for the One Fund. Every person it seems who was in the vicinity of the bombing, is being interviewed. Every person who might have taken a picture with their cell phones and sent it into the FBI, is being interviewed. Neighbors of every victim are being interviewed. And they are all asked the same dumb question.

"Did you ever expect something like this could happen in Boston?"

"Of course I did. That's why I went to see the runners cross the finish line. That is why I wanted to see legs and arms just laying in the street. And I am going to it again this year and hope for bigger bombs to go off."

Okay my vent is over. I am just so sick of hearing about the Marathon Bombing around the clock.

 

[cave76]

Yes Cave, he got an rx for a viral med and pain pills. The viral med makes him nauseated. If there is no improvement in the nausea by Monday I will call the doc and ask for a different one. It can't help him if he won't take it. The pain meds are dulling the pain somewhat, but not as much as he would like. This is only day 1. He has nothing he has to do, so he can just rest. Hopefully it will get better as time goes on. He is not good at taking meds. He doesn't want to take his blood pressure pills because he says you can't mix all these pills together. He's wrong about that. I take so many pills and they all get mixed together. So I have to check on him to make sure he takes the blood pressure meds.

I couldn't take the anti-viral med they gave me for shingles either---- I'd throw it right back up! No other med was offered by my doctor.Well meaning friends offered suggestions for alternative OTC methods----- but none of them worked.

Vicodin, for pain, was also thrown right back up.

About your husband saying "you can't mix drugs"---- well, he's partially right. There's a very well known situation called polypharmacy----which is a problem when a person is given TOO many drugs (usually by different doctors for different problems) but if just one doctor is overseeing a patient then that shouldn't happen.

Anyway, there's a site on the Internet:

Drug Interactions Checker - For Drugs, Food & Alcohol

Perhaps if your husband sees for himself that there's no interactions between his drugs he'll be willing to take the med. Or not, men being men!

It also covers supplements/herbs because just because it's a herb or OTC doesn't mean it's always safe and doesn't have side effects--- some can be serious.

 

[cave76]

Okay my vent is over. I am just so sick of hearing about the Marathon Bombing arIound the clock.

I can imagine that where you live the coverage is more intense than it would be elsewhere. But I hear ya!

 

[Addie]

I can imagine that where you live the coverage is more intense than it would be elsewhere. But I hear ya!

Even National Geographic is having a special on it. I think I may have to go to Churchill, Canada and play with the polar bears to get away from it.