Thursday, May 31, 2012

Shingles

Life with two kids is going well, and it's not much more chaotic with one than two.  But my job is ridiculously busy.  Want to know how well it's going to be back at work?  I've been back at work for two weeks now, and yesterday I was diagnosed with shingles.  Yes, shingles.  That disease that old people get.

Yes, yes, I know that anyone who's had chicken pox can develop it at any point.  What I didn't know was that being postnatal can trigger it, too.  And I am annoyed, because I originally got misdiagnosed (thank you, crappy European socialized medicine.  Sure, everyone has coverage, but how does that help if you get diagnosed incorrectly?  I've used the crappy medical system here twice, and been misdiagnosed both times.  But I digress).  By the time I was correctly diagnosed (by my private doctor here--couldn't see him the first time because it was a Sunday, so I had to go to the ER), I was outside the treatment window to take the medication for shingles.  And, then we had to deal with whether the girls would get chicken pox as a result of my shingles.  We ended up vaccinating Miss M, as it was the only vaccination she has not gotten.  It turns out that I had sky high varicella immunity levels during my pregnancy, so SB should be well protected.  So they are safe, at least.  And I am in pain and run down and generally don't want to get out of bed in the morning.

So yeah, that's my crap news:  I have shingles.  That's how being at work is going.  Sigh.

7 comments:

Io said...

Friend! I am so happy to see (despite this particularly crappy post about shingles, ouch) that you are doing so well- two babies! Man, I was absent for a looong time.

Heather said...

You poor thing! I hear shingles is very painful. Hope you feel better soon. And I've known plenty of younger people that have gotten it.

Kyla said...

Oh ouch, shingles are just the pits. I totally hear you on the crappy state of public healthcare over there, I'm sure I told you how we said we lived at a relatives house to keep going to the one good doctor we found when we lived in Europe. It's shocking.

Good to hear the kids are safe from it though, hope you feel better soon.

Rebeccah said...

Oh man, that sucks about the shingles. As if being postpartum and working isn't hard enough!! Hope it eases up soon.

Lisa said...

That's crappy ... its hard enough leaving the little ones at home after a maternity leave but to have to deal with that too? Pure crap. I hope you're on the mend soon!

Jamie said...

Man, that's some craptastic news. I am so sorry!! When I first read the title, I thought I hope that doesn't mean what I think it does.

I don't know much about shingles, but I hope the pain and general malaise are over quickly.

Darla said...

Ug! Shingles are never fun - my cousin and husband both got them in their 40s ... I somehow have managed to avoid both them and the pox. Best wishes on the healing and child chasing!