Shingles.. FML

lovemesomemonster

Don't be terrified, I guess it's different for everyone.. my rash hardly itches and it feels like I pulled a muscle over my ribs or got punched.. got the meds going yesterday so hopefully it goes away pretty fast! 

CMGragain

So sorry this happened to you!  I had shingles at age 21.  It was around my bra band area, so I couldn't wear a bra for two weeks!  That was a big deal for me, since I was well endowed, and I was student teaching high school chorus!  Ha!
It will get better soon.
(PS.  Shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus, not anxiety.  It is contagious.  You probably were exposed on the airplane.)

lovemesomemonster

CMGragain said:

So sorry this happened to you!  I had shingles at age 21.  It was around my bra band area, so I couldn't wear a bra for two weeks!  That was a big deal for me, since I was well endowed, and I was student teaching high school chorus!  Ha!
It will get better soon.
(PS.  Shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus, not anxiety.  It is contagious.  You probably were exposed on the airplane.)

Sorry to hear about the lack of bra, I have no idea how difficult that must have been for you since a training bra probably wouldn't even fit me but it sounds terrible! 

I have heard so many different things about it being contagious, I asked my doctor because I was worried about my fiance getting it and she said I could give someone chicken pox if they hadn't already had it but not shingles since it's the virus living in your body and is brought out for multiple reasons including stress or your immune system being down.. hoping that was right otherwise he's screwed. 

ashley8918

CMGragain said:So sorry this happened to you!  I had shingles at age 21.  It was around my bra band area, so I couldn't wear a bra for two weeks!  That was a big deal for me, since I was well endowed, and I was student teaching high school chorus!  Ha!
It will get better soon.
(PS.  Shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus, not anxiety.  It is contagious.  You probably were exposed on the airplane.)



_______________________________________________________________

@CMGragain No, it's not CAUSED by stress. If you had the chicken pox as a child, you can get shingles. But the outbreak is often triggered (i.e. "caused") by stress/anxiety. 

And shingles is not at all contagious unless the person "catching" it has never had chicken pox or been vaccinated against chicken pox. And even then, they will catch the chicken pox, not shingles.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/shingles/detail_shingles.htm#257873223

Obviously, doctor/nurse wasn't one of your 7,000 jobs.

ETF boxes and spelling

_______________________________________________________________

ashley8918

lovemesomemonster said:

So sorry this happened to you!  I had shingles at age 21.  It was around my bra band area, so I couldn't wear a bra for two weeks!  That was a big deal for me, since I was well endowed, and I was student teaching high school chorus!  Ha!
It will get better soon.
(PS.  Shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus, not anxiety.  It is contagious.  You probably were exposed on the airplane.)

Sorry to hear about the lack of bra, I have no idea how difficult that must have been for you since a training bra probably wouldn't even fit me but it sounds terrible! 

I have heard so many different things about it being contagious, I asked my doctor because I was worried about my fiance getting it and she said I could give someone chicken pox if they hadn't already had it but not shingles since it's the virus living in your body and is brought out for multiple reasons including stress or your immune system being down.. hoping that was right otherwise he's screwed. 

It is.

And like, always trust a doctor over a rando on the internet anyway. I feel like that's common sense.

theartistformerlyknownas

WinstonsGirl said:

Maggie0829 said:

I am so sorry!  Getting shingles is a huge fear of mine.  Those commercials they have on tv about them just scare the shit out of me.

Me too, especially when they talk about huge pain for up to 6 months.  

Seriously though, don't be scared. I don't even understand those commercials because I had it and it felt like an itchy rash for 4 days, then I got meds, then it was gone. That's it.

Please don't presume that your experience with an illness is the same as anyone else's. That's a really ignorant attitude to have. You're damn lucky you had mild symptoms, but that doesn't mean that anyone else's case is something to take lightly. 

Shit, most kids don't end up in the ER with the chicken pox because the ones in their airway are making them suffocate, but it sure as hell happened to me. That doesn't mean I walk around telling people to cower in fear of the chicken pox, but nobody damn well better tell me that they're not a big deal.

ashley8918

lolo883 said:

WinstonsGirl said:

Maggie0829 said:

I am so sorry!  Getting shingles is a huge fear of mine.  Those commercials they have on tv about them just scare the shit out of me.

Me too, especially when they talk about huge pain for up to 6 months.  

Seriously though, don't be scared. I don't even understand those commercials because I had it and it felt like an itchy rash for 4 days, then I got meds, then it was gone. That's it.

Please don't presume that your experience with an illness is the same as anyone else's. That's a really ignorant attitude to have. You're damn lucky you had mild symptoms, but that doesn't mean that anyone else's case is something to take lightly. 

Shit, most kids don't end up in the ER with the chicken pox because the ones in their airway are making them suffocate, but it sure as hell happened to me. That doesn't mean I walk around telling people to cower in fear of the chicken pox, but nobody damn well better tell me that they're not a big deal.

Word. A coworker of mine had shingles and her pain so bad that she had to be hospitalized with a morphine drip.

Shingles is a big deal.

CMGragain

Shingles feels like a bad burn.  Ouch!

I am from the generation  before the vaccine.  We all had chicken pox.  My kids did, too.

Shingles will race through a nursing home like the flu virus.  It is horrible for the people who are immune compromised and physically weak.  For a young healthy person, it shouldn't be as bad.  Mine lasted two weeks.

My mother (who has cuckoo birds nuts) always insisted that anytime I was sick, that it was "just nerves" and I was "weak, just like my father".  I tend to resist the diagnosis of stress, even if it is valid.  Sorry if I gave bad advice.

ashley8918

CMGragain said:

Shingles feels like a bad burn.  Ouch!

I am from the generation  before the vaccine.  We all had chicken pox.  My kids did, too.

Shingles will race through a nursing home like the flu virus.  It is horrible for the people who are immune compromised and physically weak.  For a young healthy person, it shouldn't be as bad.  Mine lasted two weeks.

My mother (who has cuckoo birds nuts) always insisted that anytime I was sick, that it was "just nerves" and I was "weak, just like my father".  I tend to resist the diagnosis of stress, even if it is valid.  Sorry if I gave bad advice.

Right, which means that shingles is not contagions to you/them. It's only contagious (in the form of chicken pox) to someone who has never had chicken pox...

[Deleted User]

lovemesomemonster

pinkrevenge said:

My sister was touch and go when she got chicken pox. The hospital made it very clear that they didn't want her coming in and basically told my mom if she brought her in they would charge her in the millions.

So instead, the pediatrician gave my mom his home phone number and coached my parents through check-ins and ice baths. She only had two states: lump on the floor, or screaming and puking.

The vaccine came out less than a month later, btw; it's not like my mom was holding out to vaccinate us.

That sounds terrible! I can't imagine going through that! I called my mom to tell her I had shingles and her reaction was "Oh my gosh, you never had chicken pox!" um, yep, I did, a whole 16 of them that YOU counted. This really made me giggle because I'm an only child so it's not like she mixed me up with a sibling! I guess my having a whole 16 of them and spending a day playing at home just didn't stand out in her mind but your sister's reaction sure would have! 

climbingsingle

CMGragain said:

Shingles feels like a bad burn.  Ouch!

I am from the generation  before the vaccine.  We all had chicken pox.  My kids did, too.

Shingles will race through a nursing home like the flu virus.  It is horrible for the people who are immune compromised and physically weak.  For a young healthy person, it shouldn't be as bad.  Mine lasted two weeks.

My mother (who has cuckoo birds nuts) always insisted that anytime I was sick, that it was "just nerves" and I was "weak, just like my father".  I tend to resist the diagnosis of stress, even if it is valid.  Sorry if I gave bad advice.

The vaccine was introduced into the US in 1995. That was already 10 years AFTER I had gotten chicken pox. Everyone I grew up with had the chicken pox too. 

VulgarGirl

My friend got shingles when we were high school. And no one knew what the hell it was because it was shingles and 16 year olds don't get shingles except for when they do.

If I remember correctly (and this was 12 years ago), she got it because her brother had the chicken pox, I'm not sure if there was another trigger or not. She got better after like 2 weeks came back to school and ended up getting horribly sick and having to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. Her mom really thought she was fine and so did her doctor.

But she's never had another flair up. 

[Deleted User]

VulgarGirl

climbingwife said:

CMGragain said:

Shingles feels like a bad burn.  Ouch!

I am from the generation  before the vaccine.  We all had chicken pox.  My kids did, too.

Shingles will race through a nursing home like the flu virus.  It is horrible for the people who are immune compromised and physically weak.  For a young healthy person, it shouldn't be as bad.  Mine lasted two weeks.

My mother (who has cuckoo birds nuts) always insisted that anytime I was sick, that it was "just nerves" and I was "weak, just like my father".  I tend to resist the diagnosis of stress, even if it is valid.  Sorry if I gave bad advice.

The vaccine was introduced into the US in 1995. That was already 10 years AFTER I had gotten chicken pox. Everyone I grew up with had the chicken pox too. 

Yeah the pox vaccine wasn't around when I was a kid. I got chicken pox in..1990 or 1991. Then I had to go to a "pox party" with my cousins to infect them. I just wanted to drink sprite and curl up in bed!

CMGragain

I was told by a doctor at the time that I had shingles as the result of being exposed to an elementary school student who had come to school with Chicken pox.  There was an epidemic of chicken pox within the school.

Mothers, keep your children at HOME when they are sick!

levioosa

I got chicken pox at my own birthday party.  One of the moms knowingly brought her kid who had chicken pox to the party and then laughed when people were pissed (there were also pregnant women at the party).  Well, every single kid who hadn't already had it came down with it, and one of the dads there also got it.  It took him out.  He ended up in the hospital for two weeks and almost died.

theartistformerlyknownas

levioosa said:

I got chicken pox at my own birthday party.  One of the moms knowingly brought her kid who had chicken pox to the party and then laughed when people were pissed (there were also pregnant women at the party).  Well, every single kid who hadn't already had it came down with it, and one of the dads there also got it.  It took him out.  He ended up in the hospital for two weeks and almost died.

...and that kid was never invited to another party as long as he lived. The end.

VulgarGirl

CMGragain said:

I was told by a doctor at the time that I had shingles as the result of being exposed to an elementary school student who had come to school with Chicken pox.  There was an epidemic of chicken pox within the school.

Mothers, keep your children at HOME when they are sick!

When I had chicken pox I had no signs of the virus for two days. I had slight rash on my back leg, but I got those all the time from the heat and the sun (yeah I live in the desert and sometimes get hives from the sun), so my parents thought nothing of it. I actually ended up throwing up at school and they called my parents and the school nurse thought the rash on my leg looked like chicken pox. And then we went to the doctor.

It sucks but, what do you do? Take the kid to the doctor everyday just to make sure they aren't sick? Its possible to be sick and show no signs or symptoms and still infect someone else.

levioosa

MagicInk said:

CMGragain said:

I was told by a doctor at the time that I had shingles as the result of being exposed to an elementary school student who had come to school with Chicken pox.  There was an epidemic of chicken pox within the school.

Mothers, keep your children at HOME when they are sick!

When I had chicken pox I had no signs of the virus for two days. I had slight rash on my back leg, but I got those all the time from the heat and the sun (yeah I live in the desert and sometimes get hives from the sun), so my parents thought nothing of it. I actually ended up throwing up at school and they called my parents and the school nurse thought the rash on my leg looked like chicken pox. And then we went to the doctor.

It sucks but, what do you do? Take the kid to the doctor everyday just to make sure they aren't sick? Its possible to be sick and show no signs or symptoms and still infect someone else.

Eh, there's a huge difference between knowingly exposing other people either "for their own good" or because it inconveniences you, and just rolling with the punches as a parent (Is it chicken pox?  Or is it because you spent all day yesterday running through the weeds on the hillside playing "Adventure?" Best guess is the hillside of weeds.)  You can't really help it if you're contagious a few days before symptoms show.

VulgarGirl

levioosa said:

I got chicken pox at my own birthday party.  One of the moms knowingly brought her kid who had chicken pox to the party and then laughed when people were pissed (there were also pregnant women at the party).  Well, every single kid who hadn't already had it came down with it, and one of the dads there also got it.  It took him out.  He ended up in the hospital for two weeks and almost died.

Fucking hell that's stupid.

My dad's siblings wanted me to infect their kids. Pox parties were huge at the time the thinking being "get it over while they're young". It wasn't like they were being infected without their parents knowledge. But I probably infected some kids (and adults) at school unknowingly.

CMGragain

MagicInk said:

CMGragain said:

I was told by a doctor at the time that I had shingles as the result of being exposed to an elementary school student who had come to school with Chicken pox.  There was an epidemic of chicken pox within the school.

Mothers, keep your children at HOME when they are sick!

When I had chicken pox I had no signs of the virus for two days. I had slight rash on my back leg, but I got those all the time from the heat and the sun (yeah I live in the desert and sometimes get hives from the sun), so my parents thought nothing of it. I actually ended up throwing up at school and they called my parents and the school nurse thought the rash on my leg looked like chicken pox. And then we went to the doctor.

It sucks but, what do you do? Take the kid to the doctor everyday just to make sure they aren't sick? Its possible to be sick and show no signs or symptoms and still infect someone else.

Yes, that is certainly true.  Though,as a former teacher I sent many students to the nurse because of obvious illness that could have been easily observed at home.  Thank goodness for modern vaccinations!  You young mothers are so fortunate!  I will never, ever understand the anti-vaxers!
My husband caught polio in 1958, while attending his cousin's birthday party.  They knew the cousin was sick, but they didn't know it was polio.  DH was lucky.  Cousin has one leg shorter than the other because of polio.

theartistformerlyknownas

MagicInk said:

CMGragain said:

I was told by a doctor at the time that I had shingles as the result of being exposed to an elementary school student who had come to school with Chicken pox.  There was an epidemic of chicken pox within the school.

Mothers, keep your children at HOME when they are sick!

When I had chicken pox I had no signs of the virus for two days. I had slight rash on my back leg, but I got those all the time from the heat and the sun (yeah I live in the desert and sometimes get hives from the sun), so my parents thought nothing of it. I actually ended up throwing up at school and they called my parents and the school nurse thought the rash on my leg looked like chicken pox. And then we went to the doctor.

It sucks but, what do you do? Take the kid to the doctor everyday just to make sure they aren't sick? Its possible to be sick and show no signs or symptoms and still infect someone else.

Yup, my chicken pox symptoms started on a family camping trip. I was just fine when we left home, but wound up in the ER 24 hours later. Chicken pox are a tricky bitch.

beethery

I just... I'm smelling something.

ashley8918

beethery said:

I just... I'm smelling something.

VulgarGirl

CMGragain said:

MagicInk said:

CMGragain said:

I was told by a doctor at the time that I had shingles as the result of being exposed to an elementary school student who had come to school with Chicken pox.  There was an epidemic of chicken pox within the school.

Mothers, keep your children at HOME when they are sick!

When I had chicken pox I had no signs of the virus for two days. I had slight rash on my back leg, but I got those all the time from the heat and the sun (yeah I live in the desert and sometimes get hives from the sun), so my parents thought nothing of it. I actually ended up throwing up at school and they called my parents and the school nurse thought the rash on my leg looked like chicken pox. And then we went to the doctor.

It sucks but, what do you do? Take the kid to the doctor everyday just to make sure they aren't sick? Its possible to be sick and show no signs or symptoms and still infect someone else.

Yes, that is certainly true.  Though,as a former teacher I sent many students to the nurse because of obvious illness that could have been easily observed at home.  Thank goodness for modern vaccinations!  You young mothers are so fortunate!  I will never, ever understand the anti-vaxers!
My husband caught polio in 1958, while attending his cousin's birthday party.  They knew the cousin was sick, but they didn't know it was polio.  DH was lucky.  Cousin has one leg shorter than the other because of polio.

How did he catch polio from his cousin? I didn't think it worked like the flu.

Here's what I found on wikipedia: The disease is transmitted primarily via the fecal-oral route, by ingesting contaminated food or water. It is occasionally transmitted via the oral-oral route,^[19] a mode especially visible in areas with good sanitation and hygiene.^[20] Polio is most infectious between seven and 10 days before and after the appearance of symptoms, but transmission is possible as long as the virus remains in the saliva or feces.

KatWAG

My uncle went blind from shingles. That shit is serious.

ashley8918

MagicInk said:

MagicInk said:

CMGragain said:

I was told by a doctor at the time that I had shingles as the result of being exposed to an elementary school student who had come to school with Chicken pox.  There was an epidemic of chicken pox within the school.

Mothers, keep your children at HOME when they are sick!

When I had chicken pox I had no signs of the virus for two days. I had slight rash on my back leg, but I got those all the time from the heat and the sun (yeah I live in the desert and sometimes get hives from the sun), so my parents thought nothing of it. I actually ended up throwing up at school and they called my parents and the school nurse thought the rash on my leg looked like chicken pox. And then we went to the doctor.

It sucks but, what do you do? Take the kid to the doctor everyday just to make sure they aren't sick? Its possible to be sick and show no signs or symptoms and still infect someone else.

Yes, that is certainly true.  Though,as a former teacher I sent many students to the nurse because of obvious illness that could have been easily observed at home.  Thank goodness for modern vaccinations!  You young mothers are so fortunate!  I will never, ever understand the anti-vaxers!
My husband caught polio in 1958, while attending his cousin's birthday party.  They knew the cousin was sick, but they didn't know it was polio.  DH was lucky.  Cousin has one leg shorter than the other because of polio.

How did he catch polio from his cousin? I didn't think it worked like the flu.

Here's what I found on wikipedia: The disease is transmitted primarily via the fecal-oral route, by ingesting contaminated food or water. It is occasionally transmitted via the oral-oral route,^[19] a mode especially visible in areas with good sanitation and hygiene.^[20] Polio is most infectious between seven and 10 days before and after the appearance of symptoms, but transmission is possible as long as the virus remains in the saliva or feces.

Whoa. Now that is a party.

theartistformerlyknownas

ashley8918 said:

MagicInk said:

MagicInk said:

CMGragain said:

CMGragain said:

How did he catch polio from his cousin? I didn't think it worked like the flu.

Here's what I found on wikipedia: The disease is transmitted primarily via the fecal-oral route, by ingesting contaminated food or water. It is occasionally transmitted via the oral-oral route,^[19] a mode especially visible in areas with good sanitation and hygiene.^[20] Polio is most infectious between seven and 10 days before and after the appearance of symptoms, but transmission is possible as long as the virus remains in the saliva or feces.

Whoa. Now that is a party.

You really shouldn't judge regional or cultural differences in birthday party traditions. Don't be a snob.

CMGragain

MagicInk said:

CMGragain said:

MagicInk said:

CMGragain said:

I was told by a doctor at the time that I had shingles as the result of being exposed to an elementary school student who had come to school with Chicken pox.  There was an epidemic of chicken pox within the school.

Mothers, keep your children at HOME when they are sick!

When I had chicken pox I had no signs of the virus for two days. I had slight rash on my back leg, but I got those all the time from the heat and the sun (yeah I live in the desert and sometimes get hives from the sun), so my parents thought nothing of it. I actually ended up throwing up at school and they called my parents and the school nurse thought the rash on my leg looked like chicken pox. And then we went to the doctor.

It sucks but, what do you do? Take the kid to the doctor everyday just to make sure they aren't sick? Its possible to be sick and show no signs or symptoms and still infect someone else.

Yes, that is certainly true.  Though,as a former teacher I sent many students to the nurse because of obvious illness that could have been easily observed at home.  Thank goodness for modern vaccinations!  You young mothers are so fortunate!  I will never, ever understand the anti-vaxers!
My husband caught polio in 1958, while attending his cousin's birthday party.  They knew the cousin was sick, but they didn't know it was polio.  DH was lucky.  Cousin has one leg shorter than the other because of polio.

How did he catch polio from his cousin? I didn't think it worked like the flu.

Here's what I found on wikipedia: The disease is transmitted primarily via the fecal-oral route, by ingesting contaminated food or water. It is occasionally transmitted via the oral-oral route,^[19] a mode especially visible in areas with good sanitation and hygiene.^[20] Polio is most infectious between seven and 10 days before and after the appearance of symptoms, but transmission is possible as long as the virus remains in the saliva or feces.

Polio could be contracted in several ways.  In this case, the sick cousin blew out her birthday cake candles, and my DH was sitting opposite at the table.  He got saliva on his face.  He spent most of the next year in bed.
Currently he sleeps with a bi-pap breathing machine.  He is always alert for post polio syndrome, but so far, so good.