Shingle bells!

My mama has shingles! She has cancer, a cough that doesn’t seem to want to part with her, and now she has shingles!

Three days ago, Mama complained about some rashes she felt on her back. I thought it was some insect bite, or an allergic reaction to something—she has been having so much allergies lately—although I hadn’t encountered such kind of rashes before. She said it was bothering her and it ached, especially when it was hot--and it was always humid. I told her not to scratch the spot so she won't cut her skin, and she said she did not. So I rubbed some ointment to alleviate the burning sensation.

The next day, however, there was another set of the same rashes on her chest, and the ones on her back ‘grew’ and became lesions with fluid in them. They looked like chicken pox, but they were confined in specific parts of her body—on the right part of her back, and on her chest. Although at that time, the ones on her chest were still red rashes. I was afraid it might complicate things for her since she has cancer and she’s taking some medicines. So I told her to see a doctor. She said she planned to see a dermatologist the next day. But I feared the skin disorder might be a reaction to femara she has been taking, so I looked it up on the internet. And there, I saw, it was shingles. At least all the symptoms fit. So I sent message to her oncologist describing to him Mama’s condition, just to verify. He confirmed it, and told me to have Mama see him for further check-up and prescription.

The next day, off my Mama with my sister went to her oncologist, and she was given acyclovir tablet and acyclovir ointment. Immediately, she started with her medication. This morning, though, I caught her preparing for bed. I thought she had fever but she said was just sleepy. The previous night, she hadn’t been able to sleep. Her shingles bothered her. She couldn’t find the right sleeping position. Her lesions would become painful when they touch anything, let alone be crushed as she lay down. I had told her to sleep on the waterbed, thinking the coolness of the bed would help her sleep. Obviously, it didn’t. Even as she was about to lie down, she changed her mind, saying, she still wouldn’t be able to sleep. So I took a washcloth, wet it with cold water and pressed it into her lesions. It relieved her a bit.

Now that night is here again, all I can do is hope Mama can sleep soundly.