I was driving back from Bend on Thursday and stopped for gas. As I was pulling into the gas station, I had a sudden sharp stinging in the left side of my lower back. I thought a wasp had slipped into the open window and got me. Hurt like hell. But I couldn't find any bugs.
The pain subsided after about 20 minutes. I didn't think much about it after that until yesterday morning, when I discovered there was a rash in that area. Still figured it was a bug bite. Come afternoon, I was feeling fatigued and run-down. That's when the oh-shit light went on in my head. Shingles. Called my doctor, sent him a picture of the affected area. Sure enough. So now I'm on Acyclovir 5 times a day. Fun times. Middle age sucks.
I got shingles in my mid 20s. They say stress can bring it on. But I know that pain and it ain't fun. Good luck to you, Raz.
I wonder if I can get the vaccine for that one? Definitely don't want to go through that again. Sometimes I still feel side affects 20+ years later.
The likelihood of a recurrence of the disease for you is statistically very small. About 50% of people who have had chicken pox will get at least one attack of Shingles, but only 10% of those will get a second case. Getting the vaccine could decrease the chance even lower, but only for about 3 years or so and it wiil not eliminate the chance altogether. The vaccine can only prevent the disease altogether if given to people who haven't had chicken pox. They don't really understand the nature of the Zoster virus' hibernation, and have yet to figure out a way to locate it in the nervous system when it's hiberating - at least not in living tissue. If you're still having pain, but not flareups, it's likely postherpetic neuralgia due to nerve damage from the previous infection. How's that for Internet Doctoring?
Anyway, may not be worth the trouble of the vaccine, or maybe it is to you. Discuss it with your doctor.
My case is mild - just that one stab of pain on Thursday, and subsequently an itchy rash and low-grade fever and malaise. Calamine lotion is managing the itch. My dad had a much more painful case a couple of years ago. So I'm lucky.
