Shingles - (A story in 3 Parts)

This is Part Three of my "I'm stuck inside with the Shingles" series. Part One can be found here and Part Two is here.

Driving back from the Bruce Peninsula, I had convinced myself that I had a shellfish allergy and that it would only get worse with time. I quietly resigned myself to a life without oysters, clams, shrimp, mussels, lobster and, my personal favourite, Alaskan crab. 

The next day, the rash was worse...much worse. I made a trip to the Urgent Care clinic at the hospital near my home and was quickly diagnosed.

• The good news...shellfish are staying on the table
• The bad news...I had shingles.

It isn't as painful as I have heard it can be for many. I have described the feeling as a mild, localized sunburn. I am on medication (1000 mg of Valacyclovir - 3 times a day). The biggest downside is that I am stuck inside while beautiful summer weather taunts me through the windows. I can't use sun blocking chemicals on my skin & I don't trust my T-shirts to be dependable sun protection. 

So, I'm watching movies, playing video games and making up for an absence of physical activity by writing blogs and preparing for school in September. I figured I would burn up some boredom by sharing a few recollections that frame this experience - hence the previous two blogs.

As you might imagine, I have learned a lot about shingles in the past few days. 

• It is the chicken pox virus. When you get the pox (which I had as a kid) the virus just lies dormant amid your nerves.
• It is usually triggered when your immune system is compromised ... but sometimes, as in my case, for no discernible reason.
• It travels along your nerves and is always localized to one side of your body (for me the right of my torso).
• It can affect your neck and face ... which is reason for concern because scaring or damage to the eyes and ears is possible. (Whew!)
• It begins as redness, becomes an angry rash with a raised texture and then pustules form. (This is the stage I am in)
• The pustules will eventually burst and leave behind itchy scabs that you should not scratch. (I am not looking forward to this!)

There is a vaccine, Shingrix, which is recommended for adults over 50. However, it is only free if you are over 65 in Ontario. Although, I suspect I have coverage through my health benefits. If you live in Ontario, here is all the information you'll need.