RE: Shingles/Chicken Pox

Nora Blalock (NBlalock(AT)elpc.org)
Wed, 11 Mar 1998 11:13:21 -0600

Dear Sharon:
The pox is easier to catch than shingles but don't be fooled.
Shingles IS contagious. My father died of cancer in 1994. My mom said
he never had chicken pox. However, because of the pain from the cancer,
he developed shingles. During his last week we brought him home and had
to put a catheter on him, change his clothes, bathe him, etc. all while
he was in the bed. Shingles was all over his body. We wore plastic
gloves and did the best we could not to touch the lesions. However, my
mother caught shingles from him and developed a rash on her arm. She
had never had shingles in her life. I don't know why I did not catch it
myself. Anyway, the next year she got thrash in the mouth. My mom has
diabetes and it has caused damage to one of her nerves and she has been
in pain for over 3 months. Two weeks ago she broke out in full-fledged
shingles on her middle back and another patch just over her buttock.
When the rash broke out, she immediately called the doctor and he gave
her a new drug that fights shingles: Valtrex, 500mg. (She took 2 tabs
every 8 hours.) This past weekend I looked at her back and the lesions
are drying up nicely.

It is a good thing you went home. I would have sterilized my
desk! (LOL) Shingles is nothing to play with and I consider it a
vicious, intelligent virus definitely out to get those it can. I cannot
begin to tell you the pain and discoloration to the skin and the havoc
that virus plays in one's body. I think the worst thing is that it can
cause blindness. I have seen it transmitted 3 ways - (1) through the
chicken pox virus, (2) through intense, prolonged pain, and (3) from
touching it. Beware.
Nora in Chicago

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Marsden51 [SMTP:Marsden51(AT)aol.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 1998 7:03 PM
> To: tmic-list(AT)eskimo.com
> Subject: Shingles/Chicken Pox
>
> Last night I posted the following:
>
> << Aurore's post made me think about something. One of my co-worker's
> has
> shingles. Do I need to be concerned about this? She was in the
> office on
> Friday and sat at my desk with me. She has shingles on her face.
> She didn't
> come into the office today and will see a specialist tomorrow for
> treatment.
> I have never had chicken pox or shingles as far as I know. >>
>
> Today my supervisor told me her husband was going to bring their baby
> to the
> office (she is 10 months old) because she had chicken pox and the day
> care
> wouldn't accept her today. I immediately went to the phone and
> called my
> neuorologist. I explained the situation with the co-worker with
> shingles and
> the baby with chicken pox. The doctor told me he wouldn't be too
> concerned
> about the shingles but he said I should be very careful with the
> chicken pox
> and stay away from it. He said most people are exposed to the virus
> by the
> time they are 5 years old. But adults do get chicken pox and I have
> no
> knowledge of having the pox. So, I left work and came home for the
> afternoon.
> So, I watched my soaps instead of working.... not a bad way to spend
> the
> afternoon, huh?!
>
> Sharon M. (from Arizona)