I knew something wasn't right when the "pimples" I popped the day before were now twice their size. These "pimples" actually hurt...A LOT. The other dots on my belly button didn't so much bother me except for being a nasty red color. My spine didn't so much hurt anymore. I may have acquired tolerance to it, but it wasn't unbearable pain. I also noticed a few small red dots on my lower back. I knew it was time to go to the doctor.
Luckily my school has a student health center where it is convenient for me to get in for an appointment between classes. I didn't have health insurance so I was lucky that my undergrad offered free services for students. Well, it probably is paid for through tuition and fees. I left my ASL 2 class a little early and went. Because my school has a nursing program, some of the nursing students assist at the student health center. The nursing student that took my weight and vitals was a girl that I used to be in a program with. It was kind of weird, but I didn't mind because I volunteer in an academic setting at a dental clinic. Eventually the nurse practitioner came in and asked if I had been outdoors -- thinking poison ivy. I answered no and she told me I had shingles! She explained what it was and how it was caused by the chicken pox virus. Luckily what I learned in immunology was making sense...however, I was still puzzled to how I, a young, healthy college student, could get shingles! I didn't want to insult her, but I asked for a second opinion. I thought it was impossible for me to be that stressed out for the virus to reemerge. While I was waiting for the doctor to come in, I looked up shingles on my ipod and was in more disbelief! After reading about the statistics I didn't think that I could have had shingles. My pain symptoms were right on, but my "popped pimples" that regrew didn't look anything like the blisters showing up online. They just kept telling me how sorry they were. I didn't really understand because I didn't think the pain was THAT bad. I left with a prescription of 10 days worth of Acyclovir.
I dropped off my prescription at a drive through pharmacy and picked it up about a half hour later. I had some time to spare so I went to Publix and went crazy in buying health foods. I still didn't feel as much pain. The pain was actually much less than the first few days so I thought I was homefree and had a mild case. I started my antiviral medicine at 5:30pm and went to bed early...
These are photos a few hours after I started acyclovir.
I have just found your blog after googling shingles.
ReplyDeleteFour days ago, I started having lots of pain under my arm and in my left breast. I have since had a temperature and last night a rash appeared - blisters on my left breast, on my side and on my left upper back area... I went to the doctors this morning and they confirmed that I have shingles. Like you, I am surprised. I am only 22. But, the doctor talked about stress and how that can bring it on - there is no doubt about the stress I have been feeling. I have just finished my teacher training and am now desperately hunting for a job. :/
Here, the doctors will not give you anti-viral drugs. They told me that I didn't fit into the 'at risk' groups [mainly people over 60]. Just having to manage it at home with pain killers. Not fun...
Going to read on and see how your experiences went... Glad you are better now though [as I've noticed this is an old blog]. :)