Joe has shingles

[Nancy]

I brought Joe to the internist today. He has facial shingles. So he's now on an anti-virus medication.

That is the worst looking rash I've ever seen. It's bright red, with blisters and it covers the whole half of his face. The poor guy. It looks as if someone took a blowtorch to his face.

Tomorrow he has to go to the eye doctor because there is some eye involvement too.

This is all from having some precancerous lesions frozen off, one of which got infected. Antibiotics took care of that infection, then he got CHF, that's better, now shingles.

It's one thing after another.

Thank God he has a good attitude.

 

[Ross]

Hey Joe your not supposed to have anything else this year, preferably not next year either. Cut it out will ya!

 

[KimC]

Oh, Nancy. I'm so sorry!

My husband, (who was only 33 at the time) had Shingles and Meningitis a few years ago. It was a very trying time -- he came down with it during my sister's wedding celebration. It all happened so fast!

I attributed it to our stressful lifestyle -- we were both working for an Internet co. and traveling internationally. He was under a lot of pressure. But he's typically very healthy.

Bottom line, though ... it took weeks of intravenous fluids at home, including Acyclovir (sp?). I was his primary caregiver; I was also pregnant with our second child at the time.

I remember applying medicated cream on my husband's back, as well as reminding him to take his pain meds. The illness is very painful, I can attest to that. My husband is not a whiner, and during this time, he was.

Tell Joe we're thinking of him. And of YOU! You are a saint to be there at his side.

 

[Mara]

I am with Ross. Joe, just cut it out!

My dad (aged 65) just got over the last vestigages of shingles that he had earlier this year. It was very painful for him. But, the medication made a big difference.

Good luck to Joe and get better soon. Nancy, you just make sure you don't come down with it, or anything else!

 

[sylviayasgur]

wow, nancy!
i'm so sorry to hear that joe has shingles. and on his face, no less. and his eye is involved too. oooh!
my father in law had them on his face last year and i remember him being in a lot of pain.
he is not a complainer and he was clearly uncomfortable. the acyclovir (zovirax) really did help though.
took a few weeks for it to improve. i also remember them giving him something for the pain.
hope joe feels better soon.
wishing you both all the best, sylvia

 

[Jean]

Arrrgh! Nancy, tell Joe we are all sympathizing with him. I am another spouse who nursed a husband through shingles...all over his back, both sides...he still has scar tissue from some of the blistering. Hope the pain meds kick in soon. And I agree, the fates must not dole out anymore problems for Joe this year!

 

[hensylee]

Nancy, I am so sorry to hear of Joe's shingles. They are so uncomfortable and can be really bad, but I know you are putting a hex on them and soon they will be gone. Love to you both.

 

[nadi]

Nancy,

I am so sorry Joe has the shingles. They are miserable! My mother in law that them and had one that would not heal.
I hope and pray Joe's heal quickly!
Take care,

 

[EVELYN]

HI Nancy....

So sorry to hear of Joe's shingles.....how painful!!! Please watch that eye. My girlfriend in Maine is just getting over it, her eye was involved, also and it wasn't fun......Is he trying to be a David Letterman?????


Please wish him our best for a SPEEDY, PAINLESS recovery.

Evelyn

 

[Mb]

Hey Nancy!

Wayne also had facial shingles, and close to the eye. I recall he had to go to the eye Doctor everyday for like three days or so. And it was quite painful. I recall his being told at the time that shingles usually came from an injury, and a few days before he came down with them, he had lifted the cover off of our wok, and the steam hit him in the forehead. He wasn't burned, mind you.....or at least not that one could see.

Best wishes to you and Joe!

Marybeth

 

[Nancy]

Joe went to the eye doctor yesterday. The lid and surrounding areas are very inflamed and his eye is nearly closed, as a matter of fact he looks like he went 20 rounds with Mike Tyson, and then someone blowtorched the rest of the side of his face. It a horrible looking thing, but the eye itself is OK. The doc gave him some ointment to apply 3 times per day in the eye to protect it.

He was put on Famvir on Monday, and that has helped a lot. I hope we got that into him soon enough to prevent a lot of nerve damage.

There might be some truth to that injury thing, because shortly before this, he had an infection in his arm from having some precancerous lesions removed (frozen off). An antibiotic took care of that infection, but now this cropped up.

 

[Billy]

Now......

Now......

Hey Nancy, I can identify with shingles but I had them on my back. Thought I'd been bitten by a bug in the garden and luckily went to see the Doc immediately.

He prescribed tabs which he told me cost around $200....so that was a big blow to the National Health Service, however the medication did the trick and the shingles died in about two weeks.

Can't remember what the tabs were but I remember there were 9 of them and the strange thing was that he told me to take 3 each morning for three days. Just wondered why they didn't make one pill three times the size.

But then I had one of the best Doctors in the UK........his name is John Burton and he just joined VR.com last week. He's a shy Guy so y'all can holler at him and make him feel welcome. He has a lot to offer this forum and would be happy to talk medicaltalk with anyone here.

Hope Joe gets through this latest problem as quickly as I did. Wish him well for me and it's sooooooo good to see that avatar after all this time.

Best wishes,

 

[JohnBurton]

Herpes Zoster = Shingles

Herpes Zoster = Shingles

Hi Folks!.............especially Joe & Nancy,
Sorry to hear that you have Shingles. It is miserable but if treated QUICKLY (within 72 hours of the rash first presenting) you have an excellent chance of FULL recovery. The important thing to achieve ( apart from preserving VA - visual acuity) is a reduction in the incidence of the follow-on pain (post-herpetic neuralgia) which, as you can guess from its name, is a nerve root pain, and quite unpleasant. I am sure tha your own physician is treating you appropriately. You did say that you got Famvir ORALLY as well as TOPICALLY (as an ointment) - becasue without the ORAL medications (usually three times a day for three days) the virus cannot be attacked where it "holds-up" in the nerve roots of the spinal cord (latent for many years - since childhood in many cases). For those who want the LATEST oral treatment for the Varicella-zoster virus (= Shingles - but you know how doctors can't resist showing off!) CHECK OUT if this has been cleared by the FDA - VALACICLOVIR (known in UK as tradename VALTREX) 500mg Tabs ONT tablet THREE times a DAY for SEVEN DAY COURSE..........BUT that is for anyone IN FUTURE - you may know that (T) Cell immunity is upset in the precipitation of the Shingles - that is why we are more likely to get it as time goes on - sometimes reactived by exposure to CHICKENPOX virus (its the same virus) for CHILDREN
I have heard from Billy McCombe how you guys are the leading edge of technology - all you need is a translator and you get up to speed real quick - If I talk the talk then you can walk the walk- JOHN BURTON (Billy McCombe's QUIC-QUAC!)

 

[Ross]

Hi Dr. Burton and welcome to our home.

It's a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to more of your posts in the future.

 

[JohnBurton]

Thanks Ross Y

Thanks Ross Y

Hi Ross Y,
If i may call you by your first name - I would prefer you to drop the dead donkey (Dr) and call me John - go enough for my Mum and Dad! Besides I feel I know you guys from Billy..........John

 

[hensylee]

Hey, John - so nice to meet you and to welcome you to VR. As you read along, you may find that we have swapped some pretty good information - tho we hardly ever use the proper medical terms. We just kinda put it in our own words and hope everybody understands (they always do). It has been such a help to all of us to be able to trade information and now that we have a real genuine medical doctor member, we are in high cotton. Marty is one of your ilk, too. We are glad to have you as one of us and thank you for the explanation of herpes virus - varicella version. Is it true that the patient may be left with neuralgia for some time after the outbreak is gone? I had it once and was left with some shoulder blade achiness for awhile but not sure it that was from the shingles or not.

Stick around with us - we have fun, too. Ann God bless

 

[Ross]

Works for me John. Not a problem at all.

 

[JohnBurton]

Hi Hensylee - John

Hi Hensylee - John

Hi Hensylee,
Nice to meet you at last! You're spot on - about the post-herpetic neuralgia - It can ache for ages if you don't treat the Shingles out-break in time - In Ireland, we still have a lot of people who "go for the cure" !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is a folk remedy - chants and burnt sticks waved over them - but it ain't quaint even if it is Celtic- it delays proven effective treatment and that's why I am hell against it.
I like your turn of phrase "...in high cotton..." bring me back to "Gone with the Wind".............
In Ireland we say - Cead Mile Failte - A hundred thousand welcomes
JOHN Burton

 

[Nancy]

Hey John, Billy and all-

Welcome John. This is a very personable site as you can see,

From a couple of "across the pond" Irishmen (Joe and I), nice to have you aboard.

Joe got the Famvir in time, I think. He's on 500mg, 3 times per day for 7 days. He's been on it for a couple of days, and the blisters have just about all scabbed over and his eye area isn't as swollen as it was yesterday. But he looks horrible, because the scabs are turning black, the blisters are turning green and lots of other colors, and the rash is dark red and purple. I decided to call him "Freddy Kruger", like the scarred man in one of our horror movies. That's part of our dark humor, that helps to get us through all this stuff.

Took him to the hospital lab this morning for a Coumadin check, and I must tell you that he was a real "head turner". John, usually that means a real good looking guy or gal, but in his case it's something entirely different.

Joe told the phlebotomist that he was so handsome in his younger years and attracted so many women that he was sure one of their husbands had wished this on him, His attitude is good.

So far he isn't complaining of any intense pain, just being uncomfortable.

Keeping my fingers crossed that it will continue to heal quickly.

 

[EVELYN]

Hi Nancy

Welcome John!!!

Glad Joe is doing well.....he's been such a trooper through everything that he's been through, as have you.

I'll say a little extra prayer that he heals faster than usual.

Evelyn