What Thanksgiving? I'm laid up still with Shingles and my poor daughter in law is

[CTyankee]

down with a horrible sinus infection. We were heading to my daughter's house in Boston for the holiday. I'm in a great deal of pain but mercifully I have some painkillers. My lovely dtr in law is in awful shape...

[redwitch]

1. Sick at the holidays sucks.

My friend is just recovering from shingles and she has been miserable. I hope yours are better soon.

[Bertha Venation]

2. Oh, man . . .

I am so sorry to hear this. I am sending warm and healing vibes to the both of you. I earnestly hope you're both better very soon.

[LiberalEsto]

3. I'm so sorry that you and your daughter-in-law aren't well

I hope you both feel better ASAP.

My husband had shingles last year and tried apple cider vinegar both externally and internally, and said it helped him.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5835472_treat-shingles-apple-cider-vinegar.html

[CTyankee]

4. i keep thinking it's gonna be over and then it's not over...

my d.i.l. is waiting to hear from her doctor re what she can possibly do. So I'll know more when she calls.

I was so hoping the shingles would be almost gone by now (had it for 2/1/2 weeks) but the pain is just worse and worse Saw the doc two days ago and got the new scrip for painkillers but I'll be out of them by Monday at the rate I'm going. Scabs are just about gone and I'm red and blotchy...don't mind how I look, tho. It's the pain...

[IdaBriggs]

13. Have you tried Manuka honey?

It became our go to skin saver this summer.

[CTyankee]

16. do you get it from a health food store? I never heard of it...

[IdaBriggs]

17. I picked it up at a local healthy grocery store type place.

It was suggested for helping with healing some skin issues, but honestly, we became huge fans when my boy child ended up with some severe contact dermatitis after playing in a bounce house running full tilt/sweating/probably some kind of reaction to the cleaning solutions they used. Anyway, we slathered him in the Manuka honey, and it was gone in a few hours. Very happy and impressed. No idea if it will help with your situation, but you should know in a few hours.... Good luck!

[kiva]

15. For me the shingles pain lasted for five weeks.

The painkillers were great...mostly got tired of wearing the same two things that didn't brush against the sores.

I do still have one spot that is painful when I get stressed or cold or when something irritates it.

[CTyankee]

26. I have a good deal of laundry that have necklines that show residue from the drying up

process on my neck so I have them to wash when I feel up to doing laundry. My doc is not giving me a hard time at all with the pain meds and he is far from a Dr. Feelgood type. He took a quick look at my neck when I was in picking up my scrip and said it was going well in the healing process. So I feel I am in good hands...

[Coventina]

5. So sorry to hear this CTyankee!

I hope you'll be feeling better soon!!

[blogslut]

6. May your day be lovely

...in spite of it all.

[catbyte]

7. Oh, God, I feel your pain. I had a shingles outbreak 2 years ago. It started with a slight

burning on my left thigh the Tuesday before Thanksgiving; it was full-blown on Thanksgiving & I spent most of the afternoon in the Urgent Care Center. It was my 10th bout in 15 years. Apparently I'm one of the lucky 1-2% of the population that get multiple outbreaks. I'm on a daily antiviral & pain meds for the permanent nerve damage down my right sciatic nerve (where most of my outbreaks are concentrated.) I so hope you recover soon & never get them again. I have been blissfully shingles-free for the past 9 months since taking the daily antiviral. I HOPE your DIL feels better too.

[CTyankee]

9. OMG, you poor thing! It's horrible.

I'm just hoping I don't run out of my pain meds before either the pain goes away or I can get another scrip from my doctor to take to the pharmacy. In the evening, at least, I can have some wine, which helps a lot...

[CTyankee]

11. it's sunday morning and I am still in pain. On my way home tomorrow I'm calling my doc's office

to see what can be done. A daily antiviral might be in order. I might have that form of shingles that just stays in the body forever. all these dreadful things that can happen...

happy to report my DIL is a bit better and everyone else is fine, too. It's been a rough weekend and I'll be glad to get home. you have no idea how many "diagnoses" I have from my two daughters, tho...who keep telling me of impending doom if I continue to take the Percoset. For some reason they think I'd be better off with Advil. Thy seem to get mad when I say my doctor is handling this and he just examined me the day before I left for t'giving. One is threatening to call a family friend, an anesthesiologist who lives nearby. Yup, like I'm sure he'll want to get involved in this...LOL...

[oregonjen]

12. Capsaicin helped a relative of mine that suffered from nerve pain from shingles

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/tc/capsaicin-topic-overview

Hope you get relief soon.

[catbyte]

14. The daily antiviral helped me a lot. Does your doctor have you on prednisone or other

steroid? Those always helped me get over the acute part of shingles. By all means, ask your doctor for more pain meds. It takes a body in pain longer to recover than one that's not. I feel so bad for you. That skin burning of the rash, but then that deeper nerve pain will just drive you nuts. The prednisone also helps alleviate the nerve damage. I've had post-herpetic neuralgia since my first bout. The nerve kept getting re-injured with each successive bout, so now it's pretty much permanent. Multiple shingles runs in my family--my dad, grandma, aunt and 2 out of my 3 first cousins have had them at least 3 times. I'm the winner, though. Tell your daughters--politely--to back off. Over 90% of people who use narcotic pain relief do not become addicted--untreated pain is much more dangerous to your mental and physical health. Please let me know how you're doing. Shingles are the WORST.

[elleng]

8. VERY sorry to hear it, yank;

was hoping most of your horrors would have ended by now. Am in NJ w daughter, s-i-l, & 2 kidlets; pictures later.

[CTyankee]

10. glad you are with the kidlets...such a happy time for you now...

[ailsagirl]

18. Shingles are awful (as if you didn't know)

Did you get (or are you planning to get) a shingles shot?

I had an outbreak in my 20s and it was not fun. I know it's much worse when one gets older.

Feel better!!

[CTyankee]

19. yes, to the shot but after I am healed for about a month...

hubby got his shot, thank god.

I'm beyond help at a cerain point, tho. It has to start healing faster. otherwise I am playing catch up. I'm paying for extra help to come in and do laundry but I can do short runs to the supermarket every other day. Thank god everything I need is within a short drive. Hubby has his own disability with spinal issues but he can do some stuff.

I won't go see the family at xmas if I am still in these dire straits. the only reason I did it this time was because my son picked me up/dropped me off but he will be going to his own inlaws for xmas and I'll have to do the 2 hour plus drive to boston myself and I'm not up to it at this point.

[TexasBushwhacker]

20. That's it. I'm getting the shot! n/t

[CTyankee]

23. I wish to hell I had! smh...

[suffragette]

21. So sorry to hear this. I had shingles years ago and it's terrible pain.

Definitely needed the antiviral and pain meds.

Also, kept two bags of frozen peas in rotation, replacing as needed.

[CTyankee]

22. I keep a couple of cold packs from the drugstore and alternate them, wrapped in

an old T shirt...it only works for a while but it is blessed numbness for a least a half hour or so.

Picked up my renewed Percoset scrip just now and am waiting for it to kick in. I realize that in these types of situations it is such a blessing to have my doc's office and my pharmacy nearby...it is hell having to juggle that on a long holiday weekend such as this last one...you sure have to plan ahead...

[suffragette]

25. What I liked about the peas is they conformed to various curves and there were no sharp edges

And yeah - 'blessed numbness' it was.

So glad you have the pharmacy nearby.

Has your daughter-in-law tried elderberry syrup? It's not immediate and I still use over the counter meds for symptom relief, but I used to have terrible sinus infections with every cold and using the elderberry syrup helped immensely in changing that.

Hugs to you both!

[CTyankee]

27. thanks. I think it developed to be more of a migraine headache not the sinus thing...

so she is better, too...

[geardaddy]

24. So sorry to hear this.

I've had shingles and they SUCK dog balls. Did you get some anti-viral meds from your doc? They help immensely.

[CTyankee]

28. I got them but it was too late to do much good. I was on the Acela heading for D.C.

when I discovered the blister on the back of my neck. You MUST get the antiviral asap and by the time I got mine it was already too late to prevent too much of an eruption. So don't delay! Better, get the shot if you can!

[geardaddy]

29. Aww that sucks.

Hope you feel better soon!

[UTUSN]

30. So sorry, you gorgeous DU/human-you. n/t

[CTyankee]

31. Oh, thank you so much for that...I have felt hideous for the last several weeks with

this outbreak on my neck, shoulder and back on my right side. I needed someone to remind me that it isn't forever but it's hard not to feel sorry for yourself. I try to cheer myself up with DU and don't know what I would do without it and people, like you, who are so fabulous...

thank you for your uplift of my spirits today...I couldn't get a better gift for my soul or my body...

sending you my deepest appreciation, UTUSN...

[ailsagirl]

32. Hang in there CTyankee-- this WILL pass

[CTyankee]

34. and my blessings on you too, ailsagirl...

[ailsagirl]

36. Right back 'atcha!!

[elias49]

33. Ugh. I've been to shingle-land myself.

I was prescribed gabapentin, max dose for quite some time.
The good news? I don't remember how it felt.
This, too, shall pass.

[CTyankee]

35. I note that the good news in all this is that my spinal arthritic pain has stopped...my guess is

that the pain was due to a spasm that finally worked itself out. But I am so grateful for this development...

[Mosby]

37. Lower back pain? Like at the base of the spine?

[CTyankee]

38. yes, right around the tailbone...

[Laffy Kat]

39. I had it when I was 16 weeks post-partum.

I. Am. So. Sorry.

[CTyankee]

40. oh, dear god, I can't imagine what you must have gone through...

how long did the pain last? I'm at the end of 5 weeks now and have yet another refill of my Percoset prescription ready to take to the pharmacist. Hoping he'll give me encouragement and maybe some ideas about topical stuff that is readily available. The Percoset only goes so far...

[Laffy Kat]

41. I hate to tell you this, I still have pain.

That was 23 years ago. BUT pain only comes on when I'm run down--kind of like a reminder to rest--and I can manage and abate the symptoms. I had it on the left side of my head which meant a complementary case of unilateral meningitis. The capsaicin creams were just hitting the market at the time and the doctor gave me samples which really helped with the superficial pain. The headaches are still left side, naturally, and I just take OTC pain relievers and go to bed when they occur. Most people simply get over it and you will too, I'm sure. My best advice: REST; nothing else will help as much as rest. Good luck. Now go to bed.

[Munificence]

43. Oh, I am so sorry.

I was one of those rare cases of having 2 really good doses of chicken pox within about a year time frame back in the 70's.

Flash forward to the age of 32 and the shingles showed up......and they hurt like hell.

I could tell I was coming down with some type of nervous system disorder. I even mentioned it to two different Dr's at the time that I happened to run into. I described how I could feel tingling in my arms/extremities and a weird feeling throughout my entire body. The second Dr was a general practitioner that lived in my neighborhood at the time. After I described my symptoms to him he immediately said "Have you ever had Chicken Pox". I told him "twice". He said "Good luck with your shingles as it is only going to get painful from here".

3-4 days later I was laid up in bed. They started to show up on my stomach then spread around to my back and up and under my arm pits. I was miserable for nearly a week and bed ridden.

Good luck, shingles are no joke. I am sure that you know and have been told that shingles can be a tale-tale sign of other underlying issues so please make sure you get yourself all checked out and are given a clean bill of health.