talk to me, someone....

[old tree man]

oooooh Anne they can be quite painfull, lots of hugs and get betters soon from us
all the best
russ

[Annpan]

Thanks

E hasn't had CP... but hey she has to get it some time right?

The doctor was quite funny (if anyone has seen the friend episode when Joey has kidney stones... it could have been the same Dr)

He is a lovely friendly Asian man, but spoke like I was on a game show

Him (after looking at the spots) - "It's Shingles"
Me - "really?, I've never had chicken pox"
Him - "you don't need to have had chicken pox it is a different virus....It's Shingles!!!"

Like he was going to tell me to collect my prizes.


But the rash is spot on, so it definitely is. I have a few other spots too so I don't know, maybe I have a really bizarre mix of shingles and chicken-pox.

The only thing is, I am feeling early flu-ish too. Sore throat, malaise, on-off runny nose, slight temp, like I could wake up in the morning with a stinking flu.

So maybe I have Chicken-pox on a bed of shingles with some fresh flu as a side order....

either way and despite my complaints I'm not too bad.... touch wood

[Anne A]

I will be thinking of you over the next few months, my doctor warned me that shingles can come back and 'bite' three or four months down the line, so make sure you take the medication because it can cause serious damage to nerve endings, three months after the spots had gone, my hair was falling out, I was totally exhausted and I was achy and depressed. this lasted about six weeks and I then recovered.
So please make sure you look after yourself!

[Millymollymandy]

Ooh gosh Ann I hope you won't get any worse or that your daughter doesn't catch chicken pox - yes she may well get it at some point but preferably not now when you are under the weather!

[ina]

Bad as it is - good to know it's nothing worse. Look after yourself, Ann.

[mrsflibble]

ann, my thoughts are with you.

[thesunflowergal]

another for you Ann. Hope your feeling much better very soon.

I hope E does not get the pox at the moment, but if she does add Bicarb of soda to her bath and let her soak in it. It worked wonders on my two!!

[mrsflibble]

oatmeal works as a soother too, put a handful of rolled oats of oatmeal in the toe of a sock, hold it under or hang it on the hot tap so the tap runs through the oatmeal/oats. have the bath just above blood temp.

[Annpan]

Thanks again everyone

I am really feeling not too bad.... still getting my rest and I think that the meds are making me feel groggy... dabbing lavender water when I feel an itch.

OH is a pretty crap looker afterer so I am currently bossing him about from my bed - E is still in bed and chickens are still not out...grrrr..... so I don't know if I get rid of them for the day, I stay in bed but have to look after myself. If I have them stay in, I will have to get up to help them.... ho hum....


ETA. Thank MrsF, unfortunately I don't have hot running water, so a bath is out of the question

[gigglybug]

Hugs to you Annpan

I hope you recover soon!

My nan had chickenpox and shingles at the same time, so it can happen. It was before my time but my Mum said that they took blood from her because its rare and that they could use it for something else, something to do with the antibodies think.

Take care

[MKG]

Out of interest, a pretty comprehensive rundown on shingles ...

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Shingles.htm

Mike

[Millymollymandy]

But that says you only get shingles if you have had chicken pox which Ann hasn't.

I don't know if I've ever had it because when we were young my brother had it properly and was ill, and towards the time he started getting better I got a couple of blisters and that was it; I wasn't ill at all. Does that count as having had it?

[Annpan]

I know MMM, I don't understand....

I don' have just one patch of spots but it is in bands (with a few strays) and it is on both sides of my body.

I assume that either
a. this is a mild strain of shingles as I must have had a mild strain on CP as a child (my brother had it when I was 8 and I was made to share a bed with him, for at least one night - I was never ill, it also did the rounds in my schools 3 times and then once in my work)

b. My doctor is wrong and this is a different kind of viral infection (but the spots do look just like some of the milder shingles pictures I can find on google - and apparently it is a tell tale rash)

c. This is chicken pox which for whatever reason has manifested in clusters of spots rather than many individual spots.


Either way I am feeling mildly poorly, with clusters of itchy spots which seem to be fading due to rest and/or the anti-virals.

However, it seems the illness can last a few weeks, so maybe it will get worse?



What can I say, I'm a medical anomaly.

[Muscroj]

yes as I understood it shingles only appears if you've had chicken pox already as the virus lays low in nerves (I think???) and then manifests itself when you are a bit run down. You can't 'catch' it, like you'd catch chicken pox, but someone who has never had chicken pox CAN catch CP from someone who has shingles.

I'm pretty certain that's correct as I did a load of reading when my dad had shingles as I was pregnant at the time & wanted to be sure of the facts.

My guess is that you have indeed had CP in the past but only a very minor dose & therefore you perhaps weren't aware of it.

Whatever it is, I hope it doesn't hang around too long & you're feeling fit & healthy again soon

[Annpan]

Rant Warning, Rant Warning!

Well... I got out of bed to go and do a bit of weeding, i was sick of just lying there...

Went down stairs to find OH in front of the computer despite the fact that there are things to be done, kitchen is a bomb site (since he made breakfast and lunch for himself and E, he is the kind of guy who won't think about lunch till 1.30) The stuff he left sitting in the middle of the dining room floor last week (right infront of the cupboard with my stock in it, so I can't get in without stepping on something.)

So I told him
"I'm going out to get a bit of fresh air and do some weeding, maybe you could join me?" thinking he might help move the wheelbarrow, take up the compost, put fresh water out for the chooks, etc,etc, etc... you know to save me straining myself...

40 mins later and totally exhausted I come back in the house and he is still on the 'puter...

So now he informs me he's feeling a bit "Bleauch!" Then proceeds to grump around the house.

Now, I am back in bed feeling physically exhausted and angry because him feeling "Bleauch" means that's me done with resting, by the morning I will be the one looking after everyone and I know for a fact he will go back into work on Monday morning leaving me with all the housework (plus some) All the meals to cook, all the childcare - and I have been told to stay in all week, so that means no day trips and no visitors.

I know it could be worse but I did get the feeling that he might at least try to share the chores at least over the weekend..... sigh, sigh and thrice sigh.


So should I get up again in 30 mins and go and do all the tidying and house work? should I nag him to do it? or do I rest just now hoping I will feel better on Monday and able to deal with it all (which I doubt with all that I am reading about shingles)

[/rant]