I have shingles and am feeling very sorry for myself. When I had it in 1973 I was suicidal with the pain but as I have now been given antiviral drugs I'm hoping it will not last the month it did last time. It's not easy for carers to get to the GP is it? I had to change two appointments C had today and arrange at short notice for someone to sit with him. I did get an appointment though for which I am very grateful. Tomorrow an ambulance is coming to collect him to take him to the hospice so I don't have to go. I have been told that I have to show the drivers his DNR form or they won't take him. While he is away I will lie in our summerhouse and wallow in self pity......well maybe for a while anyway.
š¹ x
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NannaB
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Oh dear NannaB wishing you all the best and hope you are feeling better soon, sending you a big hug, and take it easy in your summer house. Love Yvonne xxxxxxxx
You have a really good wallow -shingles are horrible . At our surgery we have been offered inoculation against shingles but it is certain age brackets - like if you are 70 or 78 or 72 - its very odd but it is part of a national program and I guess you can probably have a private inoculation which would be worth it once you have got over this lot .
Yes Georgepa, I asked about the shingles jab in December when a big notice was pinned up in the surgery. I asked if I could get it again and the GP said I could but I wasn't old enough for the jab as it costs Ā£200 a shot so was only offered to the more vulnerable. I should have paid for one privately.
Oh gosh NannaB - shingles are the shits (Am I allowed to swear a little bit on this forum?)
You have my absolute sympathy - for the shingles AND for having to scramble around to get C taken care of. Not easy at all.
Hopefully the meds will work quickly - med tech has sure changed (improved!) since the 70's. Benzocaine cream helped when I had them. I hear Calamine lotion can help too as well as cold packs.
I don't swear. My mum made sure I knew not to by washing my mouth out with soap when I was 7 after telling her my friend had a bloody nose. She didn't wait for me to explain it was a nose bleed. At work, however, I got into a very bad habit sharing my office with a collegue/friend. If something upset her she would say, oh poopoo nana ( as the end of banana). If something worse happened it was oh poopoo nana with a bra, and when she was really angry, oh poopoo nana with a bra and a thong! Working together for 15 years we were both poopoo nanaring quite often and I still do. It's been a bit of a poo poo nana day today.
Oh No! Shingles are the WORST! I am so sorry for you and hope this bout passes quickly. Isn't it just awful that stress can bring on worse things for you to deal with? Lord, have mercy!
Oh not shingles....are those contagious? Wil C be in there the whole length of your recovery? I am so sorry....I will look to se what kind of relief agents are out there....
Whoops! Mislead you. Colin is going to his usual day centre session. He will be home in the afternoon. I usually take him so the ambulance is just to help me. As to it being contagious, it depends who you speak to and what Internet site you read. The GP I spoke to today said you can only catch it if you are in contact with the blister fluid, yuk, but as some of those at the hospice have weak immune systems it is better to be safe than sorry. I'll be very careful with Colin, wear gloves when doing things for him and at it is my back affected, it will be covered all the time anyway, so he should be OK.
Yes I learned as I went to the shingles/ sites....It sounds like relief comes in the same form as for chicken pox...that makes sense huh lol. on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the worst , where are you now as far as discomfort? can they give you oral pain killers or just topical ?
Ok and wait you are still taking care of Colin while you suffer like this oh oh oh im sorry ......I wish there was something besides type that I could do for you...... Thank goodness C has a place to go for a few hrs a day....but still........
One positive thing I do have to say is isn't it nice that you have such a wonderful internet community.....I am so glad you have someone to help you along in your neighborhood in which you live.... And then you have the rest of us who will console you here.
You know a funny thing about tidying up....that means you have neglected another room...so now your concern is switched to that room and on and on, something ALWAYS needs tidying. My son finally took his 72 cutlass from my driveway,,,(YES< YES<YES) ...so I cleaned the garage....then I felt enough energy to clean the bedroom . Put all THAT crap in garage; now garage is a mess again; bedroom is still a mess and the Cutlass is back! Damn! And you know . my house is no less messy than when I had a job teaching. And true that no one really ever sees the dust or the socks in the shoes kicked off by the couch....their house has the same thing hahahha,,,
Well I hope that every day finds relief from those nasty blisters...take care of yourself , relax , let your neighbors help....and like someone said, C will survive without your 100% attn. Now go and take care of your own self!
Comparing it to the pain I had in 1973 when it was in my ear and on my face, it is at about 5 but it's not continual thank goodness. The skin is very sensitive. It's weird. If I touch it very gently I get the stabbing pain then the skin feels tingly and numb. ( don't touch it then I hear you say) I also feel a bit strange. My head doesn't really ache but isn't right. Difficult to describe, a bit hungover but I haven't had a drink for quite a while.
I didn't know what a 72 cutlass was. I guessed it was a car, manufactured the year we got married, so I googled it. It has a big bonnet doesn't it? Is your son's in good condition? I hope it doesn't drop oil all over your drive.
When our middle son graduated from university the person who presented the certificates started her speech saying something like, I want you all to listen to the advice I am going to give you and if you don't remember anything else, I want you to remember this. We all waited for the words of wisdom she was handing down to our children about to go out into the big wild world. She said, "Don't dust. Total waste of time. As soon as you have finished, it is back again. When it gets to a certain thickness it doesn't get any deeper and it will never reach the ceiling".
I think I may have taken too much notice of it.
You are right about this community. I'd be lost without it. I have good friends but none of them really know what our lives are like.
It's Friday again. It's always Friday. Hope you have a good weekend.
Hi NannaB, A 5 is painful. My chiropractor asks patients to rate our pain. I was too scared to say a 10 so I stuck with 7 until today when it actually was about a 2. And if I twist on the knee, it it shoots up to a 12. the skin, too is numb and I too rub it .. the dr says it normal ...normal is no pain....oh well, but Im getting better. As long as I don't have to pick B up!
The cutlass' bonnet is exactly why its back in MY YARD!
the bonnet is made of vinyl. Over the years this vinyl has soaked up water and has been slow going to dry out. This caused the metal underneath to rust.....My son found this out when after he took it to his apt. he found it to be soggy...and pressed a hole right through the bonnet and metal roof . He doesn't know what to do...he can fix an engine but has never worked on the body.....So since he can't drive it, back to my place for 'good keeping'. Lesson learned:vinyl is like a sponge! make sure it is out of the elements at all times well, 90%!
Hahaha I love the commencement speaker's words of wisdom on dust. My house is a testament to those words! And the supportive words of this community can really get you through the moment maybe even day right,,,I am so glad I found y'all.:))
I described B's condition to a boy who is getting his masters in Kiniseology ....the study of movement...he was enthralled by this 'new' phenomenon! I sent him to CurePSP.com for more answers. I don't care where you go , 99.9% of the people will be unfamiliar with this disorder! That leads to its own stress....which leads me back to you....Please take good healthy breaths...relax....take care of yourself....Good thoughts lead to quicker healing
You have my heartfelt sympathy i know how bad shingles can be i normally get a flare up every few years. Brian had shingles about 3years ago and it knocked him for six but i think the antivirals did shorten the duration of suffering. Hope you get well soon........ but don't rush to get C back make the most of getting better. Janexx
NannaB, I wish I could fwd you this site it is WebMD. It has alot of good home remedies. just google , how to sooth shingles, it had alot of stuff that ppl here have recommended and a few other things. Oh I do hope you find relief...
I just got a booster for shingles.... But after contacting shingles once who would have thought you would get them again!!! I think you have earned your pity party NanaB. I hope you get better soon ! <3
Oh NannaB, what can I say, that others haven't already. This is really when life kick us in the teeth, when we are down. How can we look after our loved ones, feeling like "Ā£&@&Ā£&!!! I suppose the simple answer is you can't! Bev, you have to take of yourself (hard I know). But how can you take care of Colin, when you are ill. I hope you have requested extra help! Yeah, I saw that little pink pig fly as well! Please, please take things easy. We all know that stress doesn't help shingles. You must get some more help, just to get you through this difficult time. Life hasn't been easy for you for quite a while, this is life's nice reminder that you are doing too much! Take notice NOW!!!
So enjoy your time in your Summerhouse and don't you DARE do anything else!!!
Thanks Heady for your advice and concern. I do have some lovely friends who are always offering to help so I am now calling on them because I need them, not because I feel I have to give them something to do. Funny things go through my head when I am not well. The pain started during the night on Monday. I woke up with someone sticking pins in the back of an effergy of me. That's what it felt like anyway, short, sharp painful stabs, and guess what was going through my mind; I can't call an ambulance because my bedroom is too untidy. Obviously I didn't need an ambulance but in the middle of the night everything is blown out of all proportion isn't it. My bedroom is still untidy and it's staying that way until I feel better. That's one job I won't get my friends to do.
We are a funny lot us women i told my neighbor off for being so silly when she had a fall at 3am because she waited untill 6 to phone me. She wanted me to go round and do the washing up before she would get help. I said they not bothered if theres a bit of washing up or anything. All they interested in is making sure your ok and getting you up off the floor.
Yet when i had to phone the ambulance for Brian he was laying on the floor and i was wizzing round with a broom because the floor hadn't been done for a couple of days and i didn't want them to think i was a lazy moo. Janexx
You are right NannaB, the government should do something about, the middle of the night can be... Well "Ā£&@&Ā£". Comes to mind!!!!
Glad to hear you have asked for extra help, the only thing you should be worrying about, is getting fit again. Colin will survive without your 100% attention. Worst comes to worse, put him bed and snuggle up beside him, if your back can cope with extra heat! Do you both some good!!!
I put him to bed yesterday afternoon, mainly to get him off his bottom. Another sore appeared during the day. I think it is the steroids making his skin thin. Unfortunately he is in a 3ft hospital bed so a bit of a squash but I did snooze on his rise recliner. I've just said goodbye to him in the transport ambulance. Feels weird not taking him but good not to have to deal with getting the wheelchair in the car and remembering to put on all 5 straps.
stick with it nanna b thats a horrible thing as well matey just relax mate every day will take care of itself best wishes to you and colin peter jones queensland australia psp sufferer in sorry I cant help you with that matey
hi nanna b your pretty sharp mate and hows me old mate colin doing ok I hope and you have not been getting out of bed the wrong end have you mate see yer take care both of you see yer petyer jones queensland Australia psp bloke
o Nanna I know what that is like . it's a reminder for me to ask about my Jb . I think now they also do it when you are 78 . I don't want it again .
john also had it when he was about 40 . he had dreadful pain with it . the GO advised him to take some Vitamin B tablets . I bought Brewers yeast tablets for him . I do think it did help with the recovery . yes I used Calamine when I had it .
hope you can at least have a rest today . I have been looking at the dust for a week , think it will still be ther tomorrow .
I am having the meeting today with the nurses to assess for CHC .!!
Hi Jill, thanks for your concern and kind words. Amazingly things aren't as bad as I thought they would be comparing it to last time. I started having pain last Monday and went to the GP on Thursday when she put me on anti viral drugs, every 4 hours 5 times a day. Blisters haven't appeared and I've learned that you can have shingles without the blisters so I'm hoping that's how it will be for me. I have the pain the burning, stabbing and tingling sensation in the area and feel unwell and lethargic so as I am still caring for Colin at home, I am dozing when he does, which is often. Our youngest son is coming today and he said he will help do anything I want.
I hope you are doing OK and have a good weekend. I don't know where the sun has gone. Our middle son is setting up at Glastonbury today and his family are going on Tuesday so I think we are in for more rain.
I KNWO THE PROBS WITH SHINGLES AS MY EX -HusBAND HAS HAD A NASTY BOUT OF IT BUT IT WAS IN FACT CANCER FO THE OESOPHAGUS WHICH HAS SPREad to his abdomen. he ha s been going downhill v fast and since friday has been receiving palliative care in a care home - I don think he will las t ,more than a few days at the most band i hope he does not suffer too ,much he is not having much pain a.t the moment ND I HOPE HE JUST SLIPS AWAY FAIRLY SOON FOR HSI SAKE AND ALL HSI FRIENDS SAKES TOO
NOT that i aim saying that u havecancer nanna b - far fm it i hope and,i hope u continue to take it easy with colin as well
lol Jill
hugs and xx to you and colin and your sons as well
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