damn shingles update : they’ve admitted me! I went for... - NRAS

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damn shingles update

Bon1 profile image
Bon1
43 Replies

they’ve admitted me! I went for an audiology test because I have lost hearing on my right side where the hideous rash is. Next thing I knew Infectious Diseases were shoving their oars in! Apparently they want to give me intravenous anti virals. I am very grateful for being looked after but supposed to be going away 😭 it’s also my daughter’s birthday tomorrow.

thank you all for your fantastic advice after my previous posts.Bon

X

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Bon1 profile image
Bon1
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43 Replies
Amnesiac3637 profile image
Amnesiac3637

Oh dear! Hope this stops all the extraneous visits to medics though and you have at least a fighting chance of having good medical attention and getting sorted out once and for all. Better to be admitted now as worse may have followed and taken longer to cure. Do hope it all works out well for you and you get away as soon as you’re well enough. All best wishes.

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply toAmnesiac3637

Thank you so much. Yes I’ve definitely earned my a and e “frequent flyer” miles this last week!!!

Bon x

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase

Oh gosh! One way or another the timing is pretty awful for you but you’ll be getting really good care and hopefully it will get you back on your feet quickly. Relax and enjoy your enforced rest as much as you can in a hospital, shingles is pretty awful and yours sounds like something else! Still there’s no point being a frequent flyer if you’ve not got something spectacular, get well soon x

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply toFruitandnutcase

Thanks so much FNC. This group and it’s astonishingly caring and intelligent contributors have been of such comfort and practical help to me over the years .

X

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply toBon1

Same here. I joined Thyroid U.K. then as my autoimmune conditions decided to invite their friends inti my life I have found other groups. I don’t know how I would have got on without HU and it’s group. Real life savers 😊

Stills profile image
Stills in reply toFruitandnutcase

Hi FnC, long story short, I think I may have over active thyroid. Do you recognise these symptoms:

Headache fever weight loss change in bowel habits abdominal stabbing pain bloating post menopausal spotting breast and lower back pain urgency to wee fatigue panic doom anxiety sleep issues nightmares hotter ( increase in joint pain difficult to isolate due to Stills) dizziness and malaise.

Dr is looking at ovarian cancer but I’m not convinced.

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply toStills

Sounds like you are having a hard time at the moment. When I had Graves I lost masses of weight, felt really ‘jumpy’ and anxious, plus the gloom and doom feeling, and I was really short tempered, my heart absolutely pounded, I used to wake up with that and dripping in sweat. I was SO tired all the time though, I used to go to bed straight after tea every night, I suppose constantly waking up with the pounding heart caused that.

No bloating or spotting though. I got bloating when I had diverticulitis or get a UTI. You should probably be glad your doctor is checking out ovarian cancer. I know mine did when I had my first bout of diverticulitis - he poked about, said he couldn’t feel anything nasty but I noticed from all the bloods he sent off that cancer was one of the things on the list so it’s good if yours is aware of and has checked that. Good luck, hopefully you will get your results back soon and your doctor will know what to do from there.

Stills profile image
Stills in reply toFruitandnutcase

Many thanks for your reply, you’re right of course that they check everything. Diverticulitis is in our family so I’ll have a read about that. The anxiety and dread is awful and usually I run towards danger so to speak and face it off unless it’s spiders so this is strange for me. Anyway tests are ongoing and I’m sure to get the scan soon. Thanks again FnC and glad you are recovering from Graves, wishing you good days 😃

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply toStills

We’ll, it’s not really strange - you’re not feeling well and you’ve got lots of horrible symptoms and it doesn’t help that your sleep is disturbed but it sounds like your doctor is checking everything out. Take care x

cathie profile image
cathie

hope those anti virals kick in fast!

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply tocathie

Thanks Cathie. It’s all so annoying 😂x

Deeb1764 profile image
Deeb1764

bad timing it is but better you are being looked after which is more important for you and your family 🥰

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply toDeeb1764

Thanks Deeb, I know you are right. All came as something of a surprise!

But it served as a reminder that many many of us just keep on keeping on, and those around us don’t realise how high risk we actually are. It was a shock to hear the consultant state that so baldly even though we “know” in theory.

Best wishes

Bon x

Madmusiclover profile image
Madmusiclover

oh gosh! I’m glad you are getting the right treatment.

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply toMadmusiclover

Thanks MML they are very attentive. Sad - I have an incredible view of the london skyline!

Bon x

sylvi profile image
sylvi

Wow darling i hope you recover soon. I hear that shingles is a very painful complaint. xxxxx

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply tosylvi

Thanks Sylvi. Hope you have a lovely day. X

vonniesims profile image
vonniesims

Better to knock it on the head now as it can recur as it has with my friend 3 times

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply tovonniesims

Argh I don’t fancy this another two times. I understand now that the anti virals didn’t work for me due to my immune suppression. At least of it happened again I would be there holding an arm out! Thanks for your good wishes x

Sheila_G profile image
Sheila_G

I know it is disappointing but you can go away when you are better and you can celebrate your daughter's birthday when you are better. It beats being in agony for weeks or months. Good luck. I hope it clears up quickly.

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply toSheila_G

Thanks Sheila. You are right of course. I’m having a pity party 😂. Thanks for your good wishes x

janmary profile image
janmary

hoping the antivirals work quickly - and reassuring for us all to here how well the services worked for you. Enjoy the view - a glorious day!

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply tojanmary

Thanks JanMary. Well…interesting you should say that… the first time I went to an and e with hearing trouble they took the ear wax out of my ear and said that should fix things. This was despite me asking about what the stabbing pains and facial tingling might mean…and once they prescribed the anti viral tablets for the shingles the assumption was that everything would now be oK. But judging by my conversation with the ENT doc this morning, people like us who are immune suppressed are often in a position where standard drug doses are insufficient.

The big message from me to anyone out there is to keep asking questions if there is stuff that feels wrong. The shingles would have kept going into the deeper structures of my ear and things would certainly have got way worse.

Thanks so much for your good wishes

Bon x

Plumcrumble profile image
Plumcrumble

Hope your feeling better soon 💐

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply toPlumcrumble

Thanks so much. Starting to feel a bit brighter x

Green230461 profile image
Green230461

Hope you get better soon 🌻🌺

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply toGreen230461

Thank you so much . Have a lovely day x

Gnarli profile image
Gnarli

Wishing you better

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply toGnarli

Thank you so muchGnarli. Have a great day x

liveinwoods profile image
liveinwoods

Oh my goodness! You poor thing! I hope you feel better soon! Shingles is awful, even when it is a mild case but your case is extreme.

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply toliveinwoods

Thank you! Yes it’s been quite a ride 😬x

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply toBon1

How are things going for you in hospital now Bon1? Hopefully you are being looked after and it isn’t too bad - well it’s awful but I’m sure you know what I mean. . Not the sort of holiday you imagined you’d be having. Is there any chance you will get out in time be able to make the holiday although I imagine if you were flying anywhere that might be off because if your ear.

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply toFruitandnutcase

Hello FNC thanks for checking back in. Well I’m still here and they are doing LOTS of tests which I know I should be grateful for but it is awful for my anxiety. The holiday is to visit relatives by the seaside so no planes to contend with . I don’t think I could even consider that at the moment. So it’s still a small possibility. As for my daughter, I think she’s probably made her peace with me not being around for her birthday because my husband’s more, er relaxed, style of parenting means she won’t have a crazy person nagging her to get home early tonight! Bon x

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply toBon1

It’s hard to get to se a doctor especially on in a hospital but once they get you it’s amazing what they want to do.

Once you’re properly well you can go and convalesce with your relatives by the seaside. Try not to worry - especially about the birthday girl. Take care x

BonnieG123 profile image
BonnieG123

Hi, Bon! I had shingles in my sciatic nerve on my left side. I have permanent nerve damage because of three stupid doctors. One doctor refused to see me because if it was allergy to the meds I should go to the doctor who prescribed them (a partner in the same practice) but he was on vacation. Went to another in the practice who said it was shingles but I could go back to work because it was covered. Got home to a message from the nurse who said I left without the prescription. Called the office. She was gone for the day and left no message for me. Two months later I was limping around with open oozing sores and went to another doctor who looked, jumped back and said “Eww!” She did send me to a dermatologist, but he couldn’t see me for two weeks. When he did see me, the cream he gave me started to heal the sores immediately but way too late to save my nerve. had they given me the antiviral at the time of my first visit, I would have been saved from a life of pain now in its 17th year! Take the intravenous antiviral and pray hard. Shingles is as you said hideous! Both the rash and the pain.

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply toBonnieG123

Argh Bonnie what a horrible story and with such traumatic far reaching consequences. So many occasions where you were not listened to. ☹️

I appreciate your kind words

Bon x

gardens4 profile image
gardens4

Thank you for some interesting but sad for yourself, news. I have been so unwell since my shingles rash started to fade four weeks ago and I also have a severe pain in my neck and ear, on the same side my rash was. I did not connect them. I have had pain around my kidneys too! It's awful.

I hope you feel better soon.

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply togardens4

Dear gardens thank you for your kind message. Yes now that the active infection has passed I am wondering how long the nerve pain and tinnitus are going to go on for 😬. Take care Bon x

Prof99 profile image
Prof99

So sorry to hear your news but, better to be treated in the UK and near home than have to endure a foreign hospital, maybe even language! And, you know in this day and age that they wouldn’t have called you in unless they deemed it absolutely necessary – so annoying though it is, count the small mercy that your illness and concerns are being treated with care and respect. Get well soon and enjoy a royal style second birthday celebration with your daughter once you are fighting fit.

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply toProf99

Dear Prof sorry it took me so long to see this kind message. I am out now but very battered and still in a fair bit of pain. I can see how people become a bit reluctant to travel abroad when they have health issues- the prospect of how unsettling being in hospital abroad would be is daunting. I hope you have had a good summer. X

nanapat61 profile image
nanapat61

Just read your post from 6 days ago so ! really hope things have improved for you with the hospital care and you can get home soon (or already home?) Get well soon!

Bon1 profile image
Bon1 in reply tonanapat61

Ah dear NP that is so kind of you to send this message. I am out of hospital now and working my way through a bucket load of oral anti virals now that they have stopped the intra venous ones. It’s a scary reminder of how vulnerable “people like us” are especially as most of us just get on with things most of the time.

Best wishes

Bon x

nanapat61 profile image
nanapat61 in reply toBon1

Oh, good that you're home...and how are you feeling now? Much better, I hope.

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