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Oh dang Kathryn, that sucks. The post herpatic neuralgia, i.e. pain after shingles is a concern. Might sound kooky but a cotton ball with amber listerine rubbed in the area for some reason gives relief to some. Go on your trip. Empty your mind. Your Mom will be fine. Blessings and happy, healing thoughts your way.
Kathryn, so sorry to hear about your shingles! My mother had that when she was in her 50's and it was agonizing. I hope you have a mild case.
Did you get the shingles vaccine? I know it only cuts the chances of getting it in half so it's far from foolproof. My doctor said 1 of 3 adults get shingles at some time in their lives and the vaccine cuts the odds to 1 of 6. So you may well have gotten shingles with or without the vaccine. Since my insurance paid for the vaccine, I got it.
I agree, keep those painkillers close by. How long do shingles last? I hope it's over before it's time for your trip to Nashville.
Thank you. Oh, I am going to Nashville! Come hell or high water.
I'm doing OK with the meds -haven't had to take the Tylenol #3 yet. I may have caught the shingles just in time - I hope so. I feel prickly, sort of itchy sensations down my leg and actually up my side into my upper arm but the rash is mild and it's only on my left lower back and across my hip so I can deal with that.
I didn't get the vaccine because I'm too young to qualify for it at a reduced rate so it was expensive. Grrr.
Never knew stress could trigger shingles. We're lucky Spousal Unit didn't get shingles when dealing with his mom's farm sale, move to a retirement community, death a few months later, then dealing with both parents' wills probate at once (she'd never done his dad's).
Now I'm dealing with Mom's car accident and recovery, cataract surgery, new glasses and hearing aids, and if she doesn't pass the DMV test for a new driver's license, we'll have to sell her rural place and move her closer to both daughters. I'd best get my fanny over to my doctor and get a shingles shot toot sweet.
YES! That's why I posted that I had them, because my doctor told me it was nearly certainly caused by extreme stress, which I have had since October and really three years prior to that with very little break in the action.
So I wanted people to realize that our stress can trigger shingles. Honestly, I hadn't even thought about getting them, OR getting the vaccine - with many insurance plans it's not covered as preventive or with a discount till folks are over 60 and I'm 55. Hindsight being 20/20 I still may not have gotten it since, like the pneumonia vaccine, it's only 50 percent effective, but still...
So far I have a pretty mild case of shingles which is good. Thankfully not much of a rash, but I do have a deep sort of pain in my lower back and hip and weirdly, in my stomach SKIN. Now that's a very strange feeling. PLus pants with a waistline hit right at the rash area, and the skin is very sensitive to any clothing so that's a challenge - can't walk around nekkid! But I do have several pairs of microfiber panties and several pairs of microfiber sort of lounge wear pants/jammies that don't really LOOK like jammies - I could probably even get away with going to the store in them and I for SURE could get away with going to Walmart in them, though I'd rather stick a hot poker in my eye than do that! So at least I have some comfortable clothing that does minimize the hypersensitive skin thing.
Hey...I don't have any moomoos or mumus - whatever you call them, those house dresses. If I did, I could go pantyless and float around in one of those dresses and that would feel even better but I would really look like a goober. I don't mind looking, errrr, relaxed around the house and around my husband but I do have my aesthetic limits. I'll have to be in more pain than I am now to go that route.
Oh dang Kathryn, that sucks. The post herpatic neuralgia, i.e. pain after shingles is a concern. Might sound kooky but a cotton ball with amber listerine rubbed in the area for some reason gives relief to some. Go on your trip. Empty your mind. Your Mom will be fine. Blessings and happy, healing thoughts your way.
Thank you! Apparently several home remedies work well on the rash - this sounds like another one to try. I have also heard that a mixture of baking soda and vinegar works well, and also capsaicin (?) oinments as well. So far the rash is not severe - it's the nerve pain under the skin that's the worst pain, like you mentioned. That and feeling like someone is randomly sticking needles into my hip, which is not at all pleasant.
My mom called me four times last night between 1 and 2 am saying that she urgently needed a call back from me AS SOON AS POSSIBLE because she was trying to decide whether or not to go to church today and the bus driver was coming to pick her up ANY MINUTE and we had to decide what to do today (severe weather).
I have her calls blocked at night because she calls so often in the middle of the night obsessing about some upcoming appointment.
As you guys may know, my mom's house sold quickly and the closing date is the first of May. My brother (the mentally ill one) was supposed to get leave and come get the furniture and some other things that my mom was giving him, out of her house the middle of April. Well. I should have known that was too good to be true. He told me last night, "Well, I can't come." I said, "Hey. All I can tell you is this - and pay very close attention: 1) I am not moving anything else. I have shingles, brought on by stress, and I am 55 years old and I've already moved some of your stuff. I'm not moving one single thing more. 2) If you want anything out of that house, you need to coordinate with someone to come pick it up -and THEY need to give me several days' notice because I have a busy schedule myself. 3) Everything you want better be out of that house by April 20th because on April 21st I am calling a crew of guys I know and they will come get every single thing out of that house and it will be gone."
Your body is telling you enough is enough. You are sick. You are internalizing all the stress. You need to stay home and do little. Anything important can be brought to you to sign. Your mom can be fine on her own for a week. You need be off duty, period.
Put dry oatmeal in a blender or food processor and turn it to powder....then use that in slightly warm bath. Also cold milk on washcloth as compress for areas that hurt should help.
And silk is your friend. Buy some silk loungewear & long nightgowns and stay home & flipping lounge. Did you hear me, LOUNGE. I am sorry. Get better fast.
Your body is telling you enough is enough. You are sick. You are internalizing all the stress. You need to stay home and do little. Anything important can be brought to you to sign. Your mom can be fine on her own for a week. You need be off duty, period.
Put dry oatmeal in a blender or food processor and turn it to powder....then use that in slightly warm bath. Also cold milk on washcloth as compress for areas that hurt should help.
And silk is your friend. Buy some silk loungewear & long nightgowns and stay home & flipping lounge. Did you hear me, LOUNGE. I am sorry. Get better fast.
Thank you!
I have done nothing all day. I did nothing unenjoyable yesterday (though I did run around a bit with a girlfriend but just a little while - most of the day we sat around either in the living room or on the patio doing nothing but talking).
I am going to take it easy tomorrow till tomorrow evening when I am meeting the woman who is supposedly going to clean my mom's house.
And I don't have silk stuff but get this - I LOVE lounge wear by Soma that is made of microfiber (and it feels great against my skin and very light against the shingles rash). Well, Friday I was meeting some students of mine at a local resale shop (I meet with students each semester at a local resale shop to help them stretch their professional attire budgets), and I hit on a cache of SOMA loungewear in my size that was marked at $1 FOR EACH PIECE. This was right before I went to the doctor and I already figured I had shingles - which I did - and that I might be "lounging around" for a few days - LOL.
So I bought them. Also, earlier this week, I had lucked up on some fabulous "loungewear" at Dillards for about 65 percent off. So as luck would have it, by Friday afternoon when I got confirmation of my most irritated fears, I had amassed about 3 or 4 pairs of super soft microfiber lounging stuff that actually looks nice and feels even nicer! There is a God and He knew just what I needed.
Today for the first time, I was in enough pain to break out the Tylenol #3 and WOW does it ever work! But I don't think I could drive and take this stuff. Still - it relieved the pain and made me all nice and sleepy and totally unmotivated to do anything but sit around and doze and read.
Honestly, I am going to take it really easy between now and Wednesday when I am flying to Nashville. I have the super soft clothes, I have some oatmeal (thanks for the tips) and I really have nothing pressing to do between now and then.
So hopefully I can get some rest. I feel like such a slug. Honestly, I hope I can get a handle on all this stress.
This is the second time since my dad passed away the end of October that I have come down with something not so serious but actually debilitating - and both times I have known it was from stress. First time was bronchitis and I lost my voice as well - for a week I literally had no voice - which was actually sort of good because it gave me the excuse I needed to get everyone to STOP TALKING TO ME.
Oh, and frankly, I don't believe that my brother can't come down because he can't get a pass. I believe he doesn't WANT to come down and he wants someone else to move and store this furniture. That's too much like work for him to want to do it - but he did manage to get a pass to go to the farm to piddle. So I just emailed his director and assistant director and told them that he said he couldn't get a pass to come do what he really needs to do. I reminded them that my mom's house is only 2 1/2 hours from the farm.
I reminded them that the house is already sold and that my brother has had 5 months to get this stuff and has not managed to do it. I reminded them that on April 21st I will give it to someone else and that he will no longer have the opportunity to get it. I reminded them that I am 55 years old and that I have already moved some stuff for him and that I am done moving stuff for him and will not do a bit more of it.
So we'll see what happens. One thing I know is going to happen is that 1) I'm not moving his stuff or paying anyone else to move it and 2) on April 21st that house is going to be empty. I don't care who has the stuff as long as it's not in my garage and I don't have to move any of it.
Anyone want a nice mattress set, an antique hutch from Belgium, a beautiful antique oak desk, some nice bookshelves, a cute little uphostered chair for a bedroom, a leather sofa and recliner, a hand knotted silk 8 x 10 rug, a four poster queen size bed and dresser and mirror by Pulaski, and a few lamps? I can arrange to open the house if you can just come get it!
Oh, and frankly, I don't believe that my brother can't come down because he can't get a pass. I believe he doesn't WANT to come down and he wants someone else to move and store this furniture. That's too much like work for him to want to do it - but he did manage to get a pass to go to the farm to piddle. So I just emailed his director and assistant director and told them that he said he couldn't get a pass to come do what he really needs to do. I reminded them that my mom's house is only 2 1/2 hours from the farm.
I reminded them that the house is already sold and that my brother has had 5 months to get this stuff and has not managed to do it. I reminded them that on April 21st I will give it to someone else and that he will no longer have the opportunity to get it. I reminded them that I am 55 years old and that I have already moved some stuff for him and that I am done moving stuff for him and will not do a bit more of it.
So we'll see what happens. One thing I know is going to happen is that 1) I'm not moving his stuff or paying anyone else to move it and 2) on April 21st that house is going to be empty. I don't care who has the stuff as long as it's not in my garage and I don't have to move any of it.
Anyone want a nice mattress set, an antique hutch from Belgium, a beautiful antique oak desk, some nice bookshelves, a cute little uphostered chair for a bedroom, a leather sofa and recliner, a hand knotted silk 8 x 10 rug, a four poster queen size bed and dresser and mirror by Pulaski, and a few lamps? I can arrange to open the house if you can just come get it!
Sounds like it would fit right in at our house & have a big ass aluminium horse trailer! But I think your brother will do something once he realizes it will be gone forever, if he doesn't.
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