About 6 weeks ago, I said that I need to talk to my doc about the vaccine next time I see her... Three weeks ago yesterday, I wore a pair of shorts I hadn't washed first. Three weeks ago today, I noticed a rash above my butt crack. And thought it was just a rash from the shorts... By that weekend it had spread across my lower back and left buttock, and around my hip right up to my pubes, thankfully, no further... And realized, it was NOT just a rash. Two weeks ago today, I began to feel like I'd exercised and was quite sore. The next day, the sore became severe deep tissue pain. And made an appointment to see my doctor. Still not thinking shingles. Wrong. I saw her that Friday, she gave me an anti-viral med to limit the effects of the shingles, but I was well into them. I couldn't ride my bike, I couldn't go to the gym, anything that made me sweat irritated the skin and any and all movement made me regret it. And then my left hip began to hurt, and that deep bone pain is tough. I know deep bone pain after one knee replacement and planning the other..
Ok, Three weeks into this. I am still sore, but improving. MOST of the rash is gone, but there remains spots that had scabbed over and are healing, these itch terribly and are irritated by sweat. TRIED to ride my bicycle Sunday, about 3 miles was my limit, the spot in my groin and left thigh is still highly agitated... I don't feel like I got hit by a bus anymore... I DO have a high pain threshold... This tested that pretty hard. I took the offered percocet a few times.
My doc put me in for the vaccine in a month or two. I need to be clear of all symptoms she says. The odl vaccine was 50-70% effective, she said. The new is better than 90%, though she says I'm likely good for 2 years without. But if I don't get the vaccine, I WILL get shingles again. So, yeah, I'm getting the vaccine as soon as I can.
Coincindence? Or just random bad luck. I had Chicken Pox at 6 years old, in June... Now Shingles, at 56, in June... Makes one think, eh?
A friend once told me, after I had a severe Gout attack, that he'd rather have Shingles. Not long ago, I said the same thing before this got worse. I hate to think what it would be like without the anti-viral for the last 10 days... I don't want either...