The "Breakfast in the Buff" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Making a breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage links, toast, and juice for Carol and me.  Told her to sleep in an extra half hour while I make breakfast for us.  Couldn't stand to stay in bed any longer because of the pain.  Two days ago, while getting out of the pool at our rental villa in St. Martin, Carol asked if I knew I had a rash.  We arrived on a Thursday, three days ago, and within another day I had this unusual tingling sensation in my right thigh and felt like I may be getting the flu.  I just assumed that I had received too much sun our first day at the pool and it would fade with time.  The next day was when Carol mentioned the rash to me.  She looked more carefully at the rash which was on the rear of me and told me it started in the middle of my back, about waist level, and ran at an angle down my butt to my left leg and then to my knee.  Following my sciatic nerve line.  And, she said it looked like shingles.  Ouch!  I'm on vacation.  Last thing I need right now.  Our last trip to St. Martin had to be canceled when I needed immediate back surgery to help correct the pain I had in my right leg that prevented me from walking.  I don't need another problem, especially while I am on vacation. Carol was familiar with the shingles virus since she had shingles a few years ago and the rash resembled what she had that time.  Shingles (herpes zoster), is a painful rash caused by the chickenpox virus (varicella-zoster).  Shingles is most common in older adults and people who have weak immune systems because of stress, injury, certain medicines, or other reasons. Most people who get shingles will get better and will not get it again.  I just have to hope I fall into the "most people" category.  And soon!!  Being sick on vacation really sucks!  What really bothers me the most is having something touching the rash.  Really adds to the pain.  So, I told her I would have to make breakfast for us in the nude.  Didn't matter to her she said, since she was still going to be in bed.  But then I realized that wearing the bathing suit to go to the beach was going to be a problem.  Immediate solution: head down the hill to the clothing optional beach where you don't need a suit.  Worked perfectly, but sitting on the beach lounger did create a few problems.  Had to lay on my side to keep the rash from touching the beach towel.  When it came time for our evening meal, she wasn't as understanding.  Told me there was no way we could go out to eat unless I put some pants on.  Dr. Carol did some research for me on the web and found that the rash, which consists of many blisters of varying sizes will go away in a few days, but the pain may last for over a month.  Getting my pain under control right away will hopefully prevent any nerve damage that may cause pain that could last for months or years.  Something I really don't want to endure for years.  Personally, I am convinced that with some pain pills, visits to the clothing optional beach and bathing in the salt water will cure me in quick fashion.  If not, I'll certainly enjoy giving it a try, if you know what I mean. And, sorry I have no photos to show you what my shingles looks like.  Carol refuses to take photos of the rash, since she knows I will want to publish them and she said I don't need to have photos of my butt all over the world.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.