Just When I thought

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osmotar
osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Just when I thought ok, chemo over, rads over, follow-up PET scheduled for end of March, I can concentrate on getting on with my life one day at a time...I had an appointment today with my internist for a non-cancer issue, I wake up this morning with red blister blotches on my left side going around to almost the middle of my back...dipped and be darned I show them to the doc and by golly SHINLGLES!!!! Since I never had these, don't even know anyone that has had them, I say to doc..ok how...and she said since I had chicken pox as a child, the virus stays in your system forever (didn't know that)and since I had chemo /rads , my immune system was/is comprimised (I knew that ) and that stress ( who doesn't have stress) could and in my case did activate the virus. She said that where I have them now is the only area that will be affected, BUT (and isn't there always one lingering somewhere) that the active blisters/rash could take anywhere from 14-21 days to crust/clear up (yuk)so in the meantime I need to stay away from the elderly, the sick, babies, etc, etc. For now it's calimine lotion, soaks in Aveno oatmeal solution, antibiotics, and if the pain (which I don't have yet) gets too bad vicodin (yeah). Yikes I say, but again one day at a time. Has anyone else here gotten shingles after their treatments?

Enough of my rant....it is what it is.

Linda

Comments

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #2
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    If this were the county fair
    you just won the blue ribbon. Nope, I haven't had the shingles yet, and I hope not to. But you've been told correctly. Dang. Did you get started on one of the antiviral meds, like zovirax? It will cut the duration down considerably.

    Here's to better health.
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #3
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    Argh!!
    Sorry. Heard shingles can be very "uncomfortable". Hope yours clears quickly. When I asked, my doc said he'd recommend the vaccine. His nurse said my insurance wouldn't cover it, and it was expensive (like three or four hundred dollars).
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #4
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    Ack. So sorry. That sucks!
    My step mom had shingles. She went to the doctor and told him that she thought she had shingles. It was so bad and she was in so much pain. She doesn't go to a doctor unless she's dying. Anyway, the doctor said, "That's not shingles, it's poison ivy." my step mom said no way it was poison ivy. He insisted, then said, "If that's shingles, then it's the worst case of shingles I've ever seen." Long story short, yes it was shingles, (she went to another doctor) because it got even worse. They gave her anti virals, and then she ended up with pneumonia. She was soooo sick, It was awful. Her son, my step bro, is younger than me, and he broke out in shingles too, a couple years ago.

    Linda, sure hoping it gets better soon.
  • tommyodavey
    tommyodavey Member Posts: 727 Member
    #5
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    sweetblood22 said:

    Ack. So sorry. That sucks!
    My step mom had shingles. She went to the doctor and told him that she thought she had shingles. It was so bad and she was in so much pain. She doesn't go to a doctor unless she's dying. Anyway, the doctor said, "That's not shingles, it's poison ivy." my step mom said no way it was poison ivy. He insisted, then said, "If that's shingles, then it's the worst case of shingles I've ever seen." Long story short, yes it was shingles, (she went to another doctor) because it got even worse. They gave her anti virals, and then she ended up with pneumonia. She was soooo sick, It was awful. Her son, my step bro, is younger than me, and he broke out in shingles too, a couple years ago.

    Linda, sure hoping it gets better soon.

    A Minor Case
    Wishing you to have the most minor of cases in the history of shingles. May it last the minimum amount of time and be done with it.

    You've been through enough already and now this. And now I hear insurance companies may not pay for the vaccine? I am going to call mine and ask. That was on my list of things to do once I heal from this disease.

    Take Care,

    Tommy
  • shoemandan1
    shoemandan1 Member Posts: 19
    #6
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    Shinlgles
    Linda i,m sorry to hear about this.its bad enough going through cancer and treatment without throwing in shinlgles.My wife had them about ten years ago.As I recall they were painful for her.Lets hope and pray that yours will be a mild case and quickly heal.
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #7
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    longtermsurvivor said:

    If this were the county fair
    you just won the blue ribbon. Nope, I haven't had the shingles yet, and I hope not to. But you've been told correctly. Dang. Did you get started on one of the antiviral meds, like zovirax? It will cut the duration down considerably.

    Here's to better health.

    Went to
    Went to my local Walgreens , and they claim they have already checked their voice mails and faxes, nothing from my doc, of course when I call the docs office they were already gone for the day..so left a message..but to answer yes I will be taking some type of antiviral meds.
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #8
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    Pam M said:

    Argh!!
    Sorry. Heard shingles can be very "uncomfortable". Hope yours clears quickly. When I asked, my doc said he'd recommend the vaccine. His nurse said my insurance wouldn't cover it, and it was expensive (like three or four hundred dollars).

    Vaccine
    They don't usually give the vaccine until your 60, i'm close, but doc said she was concerned that it was too close to the end of my treatments, but will give it to me in a few weeks. Not sure about the insurance portion, I've been fornutate that my ins covers quite a bit.
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #9
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    sweetblood22 said:

    Ack. So sorry. That sucks!
    My step mom had shingles. She went to the doctor and told him that she thought she had shingles. It was so bad and she was in so much pain. She doesn't go to a doctor unless she's dying. Anyway, the doctor said, "That's not shingles, it's poison ivy." my step mom said no way it was poison ivy. He insisted, then said, "If that's shingles, then it's the worst case of shingles I've ever seen." Long story short, yes it was shingles, (she went to another doctor) because it got even worse. They gave her anti virals, and then she ended up with pneumonia. She was soooo sick, It was awful. Her son, my step bro, is younger than me, and he broke out in shingles too, a couple years ago.

    Linda, sure hoping it gets better soon.

    Doc is
    Doc is concerned about the pain, she even mentioned that the pain could continue long after the shingles go away. It amazes me how over night they came out.
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #10
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    tommyodavey said:

    A Minor Case
    Wishing you to have the most minor of cases in the history of shingles. May it last the minimum amount of time and be done with it.

    You've been through enough already and now this. And now I hear insurance companies may not pay for the vaccine? I am going to call mine and ask. That was on my list of things to do once I heal from this disease.

    Take Care,

    Tommy

    Thanks
    Thanks Tommy ...hoping for minimal and minor
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #11
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    shoemandan1 said:

    Shinlgles
    Linda i,m sorry to hear about this.its bad enough going through cancer and treatment without throwing in shinlgles.My wife had them about ten years ago.As I recall they were painful for her.Lets hope and pray that yours will be a mild case and quickly heal.

    Thanks
    If it was easy where would the adventure be...not trying to minimize all of this, but it is what it is. Hoping that I won';t need the pain meds.
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #12
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    sweetblood22 said:

    Ack. So sorry. That sucks!
    My step mom had shingles. She went to the doctor and told him that she thought she had shingles. It was so bad and she was in so much pain. She doesn't go to a doctor unless she's dying. Anyway, the doctor said, "That's not shingles, it's poison ivy." my step mom said no way it was poison ivy. He insisted, then said, "If that's shingles, then it's the worst case of shingles I've ever seen." Long story short, yes it was shingles, (she went to another doctor) because it got even worse. They gave her anti virals, and then she ended up with pneumonia. She was soooo sick, It was awful. Her son, my step bro, is younger than me, and he broke out in shingles too, a couple years ago.

    Linda, sure hoping it gets better soon.

    ACK for sure
    The only good thing, is that I can't get it again , just @#$##@ that I got it now.
  • Pumakitty
    Pumakitty Member Posts: 652
    #13
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    Sorry
    I hope they get better soon. My coworker had them on his face around his eye. It was realy swollen, but he had never had much pain. They last about 1 month for him. He is all better now. Take it easy and please feel better soon.


    Lots of hugs,

    Kathy
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #14
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    osmotar said:

    Doc is
    Doc is concerned about the pain, she even mentioned that the pain could continue long after the shingles go away. It amazes me how over night they came out.

    post herpetic neuralgia
    Very much less common once you are treated with the antivirals. Here we are telling you how bad this is going to be. LOL, shoot, you've already dealt with the bad stuff. This will be nothing, and you may not get much pain at all.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #15
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    osmotar said:

    ACK for sure
    The only good thing, is that I can't get it again , just @#$##@ that I got it now.

    Shingles repeat
    Most people won't get shingles again, but I know some who have. (i know for a fact my great gram did. My step mom may have had it twice.) I looked it up, because I was so sure about my great gram. It said 1 in 50 have it again, and I also saw 4%. The latter number came from an anti-viral med site.

    We are going to go with you definitely being in the 96% who will not get it again! :)
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #16
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    SOS....
    Shingles On the Side...what...bawahahaha, you didn't think I was going somewhere else with that did you....really...., LOL.

    I'm glad that they figured it out early and something that can be controlled and cured.

    Another on of those bumps in the road.

    Best Always,
    John

    Although being in the military for awhile, I do like SOS.
  • Greg53
    Greg53 Member Posts: 849
    #17
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    Pumakitty said:

    Sorry
    I hope they get better soon. My coworker had them on his face around his eye. It was realy swollen, but he had never had much pain. They last about 1 month for him. He is all better now. Take it easy and please feel better soon.


    Lots of hugs,

    Kathy

    Shingles and insurance
    Linda,

    Sorry to hear you got shingles. Hopefully they will be a mild case.

    When first out of treatment I asked my GP, who is proactive about these things, what I should be getting in the way of vaccines (plus a few posted about them on here in the distant past). Pneumonia and shingles, is what Doc said to get due to possible compromises to my (our) immune systems. ( I had chemo, rads and tonsilectomy and rad neck dissection BTW). Anyways, he gave me the pneumonia vaccine but said (like others have mentioned) that shingles vaccine is only recommended for those over 60 and it would cost $500 out of pocket for the shingles vacine. So I decided to wait. I just had an appointment with GP and he he indicated THEY (insurance, FAA, State Police???? - don't know who THEY were) changed the policy and the age for shingles vacine is now 50 - so got that vaccine recently ( I know from my pic I don't look a day over 30).

    Just a thought, if you are post treatment you might want to look into these 2 vaccines.

    Positive thoughts going out to everyone!

    Greg
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #18
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    Skiffin16 said:

    SOS....
    Shingles On the Side...what...bawahahaha, you didn't think I was going somewhere else with that did you....really...., LOL.

    I'm glad that they figured it out early and something that can be controlled and cured.

    Another on of those bumps in the road.

    Best Always,
    John

    Although being in the military for awhile, I do like SOS.

    SOS
    I could never eat that stuff...and an ex BF who loved.
  • RogerRN43
    RogerRN43 Member Posts: 185
    #19
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    Antivirals
    If I remember right, antivirals within the first 3 days is the most effective.
    Yes, shingles is the chicken pox virus that we acquire in our younger years and hibernates inactive until our immune system weakens, then it travels the nerves out from our spine affecting one side of our trunk, arms and/or face.

    It is completely manageable and the severity varies from one individual to another.
    A few people have long term nerve pain mainly on their skin but it usually subsides in time.
    If you start the antivirals, this is less likely to happen.

    Hoping you have a very mild case and it simply subsides, treatment or not.
    My brother had a rare case of shingles in his 20's and he suffered no long term effects.

    Good luck Linda,
    Roger

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