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Salamander
Fire Walking

Rhymes with Jingles, Pringles and Mingles
Sat Nov 26 2011

Until this morning I honestly thought that I'd never had chicken pox. My two sisters had, but I knew that somehow I'd miraculously escaped. My mother put it down to the good quarantine protocols she'd set in place when my two sisters contracted the pox.

It would seem that I was working under a bit of a misapprehension. As some guessed on the previous entry's notes, the rash that has now taken over my left butt and is wrapping its way around to the front is indeed shingles. I made an appointment with the doctor on call this morning (not my usual doctor), and he pretty much diagnosed it with a glance. The rash is apparently pretty recognizable among the cognoscenti, with the fact that it is restricted to one side of my body being all but pathognomonic.

I'm on an antiviral, but it's probably going to take 3-4 weeks for this to resolve. I'm hoping I'll be one of the once-and-done shingles victims, since over 50% of people never get shingles a second time. I won't be able to take any additional steps to ensure that though, since people on immunosuppressants are unable to get the shingles vaccine.

I should've asked about pain meds.

5 Comments
  • From:
    CatControlled (Legacy)
    On:
    Sat Nov 26 2011
    Ugh and ((hugs)). Hopefully, this will resolve itself in 3 weeks rather than 4 (or sooner).
  • From:
    404Error (Legacy)
    On:
    Sat Nov 26 2011
    Damn. I've never been so sad about being wrong. I guess I was just hoping against hope that you wouldn't have to endure that pain. I'd share my Vicodin with you if we were geographically close enough.
  • From:
    DancingStar (Legacy)
    On:
    Sat Nov 26 2011
    oh noes! I hope it clears quickly and doesn't come back! Also that there are no complications. Will keep my fingers crossed for you.

    I've been through it with three of my kids having chicken pox (vaccine is mandatory here so #4 has not been infected thankfully) and the panic each time of what would happen if I got it. So many people just don't understand the complications of life on immunosuppressants :(

    best of luck.
  • From:
    Yetzirah (Legacy)
    On:
    Sun Nov 27 2011
    Oh dear.

    But at least not some mystery rash…

    May your shingles not mingle with your pringles much longer than the jingles season.

    Eh? eh? Pretty good?

    Hug.
  • From:
    Supertrooper (Legacy)
    On:
    Sun Nov 27 2011
    Thought it was Shingles .. you wrote a pretty classic symptom description . Hope it clears up soon . BTW I always read your Diary ..good luck xx