Starting a couple days ago I have been in the most excruciating pain in my life, and was close to being unable to walk at all from the pain. I tried all the OTC pain pills in the house and even some of the VA's leftovers from previous incidents. Finally yesterday I got into the Dr's office that was swamped with patients. Yes I had Chicken Pox as a 5 year old child, and am now 77 in reasonable health for my age. Age is not the problem though.

I HAVE SHINGLES IS THE PROBLEM, AND IT'S A BIGGER MEDICAL PROBLEM THAN ANYTHING I'VE EVER FACED. Even the 5 surgeries at VA Dallas were not this bad. When I got to the Dr's office yesterday 3 days from when I started calling for an appointment and had to wait 2 hours past my appointment time, I was laying on his exam room floor writhing in pain when the Dr walked in . I was already unable to walk without using a cane, and could not stand up without an assist.

The Dr's exam was brief but thorough, he also had been thru a shingles infection, wrote the necessary scrips, recommended the wife get a Shingles vaccination as she also had had Chicken Pox as a child, told her to take me home 1st, then go to the WALMART down the street where he sends his scrips and told her to make sure SHE GOT A SHINGLES VACCINATION TOO.

24 hours later as I write this, and half a dozen variety of Pain Meds later, I slept thru the nite with only one run to the potty and take another pill at 2am, and this morning WALKED from the bedroom to the den at 7am with only a hint of the massive pain I'd had when I went to bed at 11'ish. I can now walk a little without the cane this morning but still in pain at about a 30% level of what I had when I went to bed.

Hope ya'll pay attention and GO GET THE SHINGLES PREVENTION SHOT instead of going thru what I've been thru in the last 24 hours.
Ron

Sorry to hear that and hope you get some relief soon!

Very sorry to hear this. As someone who had a bad case of shingles I can understand the pain & frustration. My shingles were in my left eye. The pain was so intense the doctors had me just existing in a vicodine haze for 4 months. I survived, but I was left with Post Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN) which is nerve damage to the main nerve above my left eye. That pain is always there but I have learned to live with it. You have my prayers.

Good reminder. I had it around my belly years ago. Itched like crazy but luckily it didn't hurt.

Shingrix is the shot name, I've had mine.

Charlie

Wife and I got ours a couple years ago. After my son and his cousin both had shingles in college, I want nothing to do with that.
Hope you heal up quickly.

I came down with Shingles at the worst possible time for us. My wife was diagnosed 2 weeks ago with Pneumonia, and is still coughing up stuff a little more often than the Dr thought she should yesterday at his office, but is improving steadily. We use the same GP, and I've come to trust him implicitly.

My wife's sister has a niece that is getting married soon and her 80 year old older sister is going bonkers with taking over the preparations, as the niece's mother is terminal with cancer, but not interested in family matters even though she is still active.

So, my wife is headed to sisters house near LaGrange tomorrow to get into the Wedding preparations. Sister's youngest son has been super successful financially and is taking the Wedding Party to New Orleans for the day for a Wedding Luncheon at Commanders Palace I think it is, and back to Houston that evening, but his plane only seats 8 or 10, and my wife is trying to make the trip to support her family if a seat is available umm week after next I think it is....and meanwhile make a full recovery, while keeping our Home Decor bidnizz afloat and getting me healthy enough again from the this latest bump in the road, so I can hold the fort down up here.

When it rains at my house....IT POURS is a True Statement.
Ron

I’m sorry you had to go through this. Been there done that. I got the shingles on the upper left quadrant of my face when I was in my mid 40’s. I looked like I got into a club fight and didn’t have a club. Big whelps that opened and scabbed over, excruciating pain. My doctor got me on pills for it and it very slowly healed. I’m 70 now and still have scars and a droopy eye from it. I am vaccinated now.

On a humorous note . . . When I was 3 weeks into my shingles, I had big scabs on my face but decided to go to church anyway. Meryl, an elderly lady, was sitting down from me and started staring at me. During greeting time, I said, “Good morning, Meryl.” She then asked me how I got hurt. I explained that it was shingles. She replied, “Better stay off the roof.”. I explained that it wasn’t that kind of shingles and that it was caused by a virus. She nodded her head as if understanding. After the service was over, I said “Meryl, I hope you have a good week.” She replied, “Better stay off the roof.”

Miss Meryl & I had similar thoughts when I first heard the Word...Ask me about lots of things but I used to be really dumb about medical issues...until I got into Dallas VA and took a short course into "Med Speak" for the 5 surgeries they did on me .... and botched 3 of them.

Shortly after we moved down here to Palestine and I got into Olin Teague for the first time, my appointment for my left eye cornea issues was with the Dept Head of Opthamology. He scheduled me for a come back for the next week , but had the appointment re-scheduled to the Head of Opthamolgy up the street with his old teacher and friend at BS&W. I walked in and the Dr began peppering me with ?'s about what was done and by who & when.

I'd had a home accident that had been addressed by a prominent Dallas Dr who'd taught Cornea replacement all over the world. But Replacement Cornea's only have a 6-8 year life span and need replacement again. Dallas VA had attempted a different solution and I became legally blind in that eye. Then we moved out of Dallas VA's service area and into OlinTeague' s at Temple TX service area in April of 2016

Short Story Long....the old gentleman at BS&W wanted to know the name of the guy in Dallas VA who'd done the most recent work on me...and blew me off the chair with answer to my ? of why do want to know. He replied " I sit on the Licensing Board for this kind of Eye Surgery" and I dropped the subject.

I never saw the old gentleman again as he passed about 18 months after that interview, but Eye Surgery was his life and my situation made him ask those kind of questions. He had trained the his planned replacement, who had taken my 1st appointment at Olin Teague, who is still there as I recall....and runs a totally trustworthy shop.

FWIW I can't even get my records out of Dallas VA reliably....even with me sitting there for 4-5 hours a trip waiting for the missing files.
Ron

Ron, that’s real interesting about the eye specialist. I hope your pain subsides real soon. Seems like I was a month or so getting over mine. I need to register with the VA. I got so disgusted trying to get my Dad his benefits yrs ago that it left a bad taste in my mouth toward the VA. It was 2-3 yrs after I applied that Dad (WWII vet) finally got approved. He died 3 weeks later.
George

I've had chicken pox and shingles and still got the shot, I did not have a bad case, but I definitely did not want a repeat.

At what age do they recommend you get the shingles vaccination?

Fifty, I had shingles in my 30's, which is why I was advised to get the vaccine. Enough time had passed that my doctor thought that it would be a good idea at age 60.

Thanks. Got a couple years yet.

Are there any side effects?

My dad had shingles in his 50’s and it pretty much ruined his life.

I’m 37 so if they recommend getting it at 50 still have a ways to go

I can't speak about the shot. I was fortunate and had no lingering effects, but I know people that have had lingering neuralgia, for some it lasts a lifetime.

That sounds horrible. My prayers are with you and thanks for sharing. I have never experienced that but I have had kidney stones and those will make you puke from pain. Is there a shot for kidney stones?

I'm 65 and was vaccinated against shingles last year.

I have a friend that told me about his shingles recovery some years back. I left his place and went straight from there for the vaccination. I've had the vax again and this is a reminder to see when that one was to see if I'm due again.

As far as your eye, I cannot say enough good things about this place. https://www.corneatexas.com/

Dr. Henry Gelender has done cornea replacements on my mom, an uncle and an aunt, all with success. https://www.corneatexas.com/about/dr-henry-gelender

On my last visit with my mom when he was signing her off I mentioned the family history of Fuchs disease and my concern. We were literally shaking hands, me saying thanks for taking care of my mom, and he said hop up in the chair. He asked my age, looked into my eyes, and said I had a nearly zero chance of getting it. Needless to say I was impressed. He could have had me schedule an appointment for a later date.

I got the 2 shot vaccine couple years ago from my pharmacist.

Same here - I haven't heard about the vaccinations that were just one shot or I would've asked for that just to skirt the extra stab...same with the pneumonia vaxx...

Here is an update on where I am in the regaining a so called normal health curve....whatever that is, if this is the starting point for the rest of my life.

My GP sez the pills he prescribed back on March 24th, Prednisone, Baclofen, & Gabapentin, which is the "official" Shingles Start Date has "killed" the Shingles ...but I am still in a recovery mode but PTL with only about 50% of the pain levels I started with mostly in the right groin, hip, knee, shin, ankle & foot, and still unable to walk normally or drive, as I cannot raise my right foot or leg normally to reach the gas & brake pedals. My walker is my best friend and getting a little beat up ...but then so am I.

Had a MRI yesterday to try to uncover all the leftover issues and pain sources in my lower back & right leg, and still waiting to hear what all they found. Nothing below the waist in my right leg, right hip and lower back is anywhere close to normal, and still 50% of full blown painful...but at least I can now take as many pain pills as needed.

Jeez Louise why'n God's name did I not get a shot when I was advised to by several folks who were in a recovery cycle. The MRI tech & my GP Doc are both buried with Shingles patients.
Ron

I PM'd Wiley the cure for shingles and he never responded . Here is the answer to the problem of shingles.

I am really surprised that your GP didn't prescribe Valacyclovir. Our littlest twin son (grown up) came down with shingles and they started him on it and within a few days the pain was gone and he was completely healed up in a few weeks.
Hopefully you will make a full recovery and very soon. So sorry for your pain, I watched my dad and a friend go thru it and I took the 2 shot vaccine as it is supposed to give better protection than the 1 shot version.

I had the original one shot. Doc says I need the two shots. Thoughts?