The "Oh No! They're Back!!" Story

It was an ordinary day. 5:00 AM, August 14th and it's raining. And, I feel like crap. My shingles have returned to create havoc again. I spent yesterday morning in the ER, trying to figure what I can do to walk again. My left leg feels like it is on fire and I am having trouble walking and laying down, trying to sleep. The plan of attack this time is 500mg of a strong pain-killer every 6 hours and the start of the drug Gabipentin to help with the shingles. The drug Gabipentin was originally developed for epilepsy, but is now used to also help with neuropathic pain. I started with one dose yesterday, will take two doses today and three doses thereafter. Not sure for how long, but maybe for life, since the singles virus will always remain in my body and can flair up at any time. The pain returned last Friday afternoon, after I returned from visiting with my mom. While walking back to my car after the visit, I felt a burning sensation in my left leg. Within an hour it was a full-blown return of the shingles that I first developed last April while on vacation in St. Martin. How depressing to know that I'm going to have to battle this disease once again. My family doctor is not open over the weekend so I opted to take the pain medicine Tramadol and wait until Monday morning before calling for help. Sunday night was terrible with trying to find a comfortable position to sleep, all the while keeping my wife from getting her sleep. About 3:00 AM I headed to my easy-chair in the family room, which is about the only way I can get any relief. 8:00 AM I was on the phone, but found that none of the doctors at Lancaster Internal Medicine were going to be in the office. Now what? Carol told me of an infectious disease doctor who helped one of her friends so I placed a call to her practice. Told that the earliest appointment they had was in October. Holy s*#t! They did tell me that they have three doctors and one of them is always on call at the General Health Hospital or Campus. OK, now I know what to do. Carol and I hopped in the car an headed to the Lancaster General Hospital ER. Actually, she hopped in the car after helping push me into the passenger side. She dropped me off and I struggled to the ER desk. They saw me coming and grabbed a wheel chair for me. I told them I had shingles and they took me right away into a waiting ER room and closed the door. Wow! Within a few minutes an ER doctor opened the door and entered. After a quick discussion and an examination of the scarring from my spine to below my left knee he left. Returned with two choices. Medication or a patch to help relieve the pain. We both decided that the scars and pain were too widespread for the patch so he gave me the medicine options. I could try what I chose or I could take the strong pain killer and a depression medicine. Hey, anyone who has shingles has to be depressed, but I chose the Gabipentin. I got my prescriptions and headed to the pharmacy. After walking in the house, plopping in my easy-chair and turning on the TV, wouldn't you know that on the screen was an ad about shingles. 1 in 3 people will develop shingles in their lifetime. If I had only seen the ad months ago and heeded their advice to get the vaccine, not of this would be happening. Let me tell you, you don't want this disease. It is HELL!! Feel like I'm being punished for every sin or bad word I ever said or every bad thought that ever came into my mind. If only I could have my leg cut off and still be able to walk I would do it. Need I say more to influence you to get the vaccine if you have ever had chicken pox and have never developed shingles yet. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.