Jun 09 2008
The World’s Leading Authority in Shingles
So, yeah, my kid has shingles. And why do I love you all? Because you’ve been trying to help me figure out what ELSE it is. Y’all? Sweet as sugah. Sadly enough, it really is shingles, and since I now know every single thing there will ever be to know about shingles*, and therefore have an excuse to be an over-bearing know-it-all in yet another field of medicine, I thought I’d tell you how you can know if your kid gets it, too. Which they won’t. Because almost no kids do. Because only my freakazoid family gets these stupid, weird illnesses.
Really. How many kids do you know with conjoined toes? How many people do you know with two holes in their heart (who are still alive?) Horseshoe kidneys? Tumors on their brains and their thyroids? DOGS WITH LYME’S DISEASE? Bungholes in the middle of booty cheeks? It’s a good thing we’re witty.
Shingles: A kid has to have had the Chicken Pox first. Now, if you’ve vaccinated your kid for the CP, chances are they’re never going to see the shingles in their childhood. Chances, mind you. It’s extremely rare for a kid with the Chicken Pox vaccine to get shingles. Apparently, it’s not rare enough. (Side note: I fought that damn vaccine tooth and nail, got bullied into giving it to her, and am now violently spitting at that moron.)
Exposure to a virus causes it. The odds are stacked really high in favour of that virus needing to be the Chicken Pox virus, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be that. It can be any old virus that really gets their immune system distressed. That virus courses itself through their little body and low-and-behold! What does it find? It finds some lingering Chicken Pox anti-body (immunization or just residual from actually having the disease.) The anti-body and the virus meet. They woo. They make exchange of vow. And then, once they’re all confortable and start farting in front of each other, BAM. The virus cheats on the anti-body with the neighboring nerve. She’s way more edgy, and closes the door when she pees and stuff.
You can tell it’s shingles and not, say, the Hand Foot Mouth thingy that a lot of you guessed 3of3 has by this: H/F/M produced little rashes around the, you guessed it, hands and mouth. And sometimes on the booty. Shingles, however, are isolated and don’t seem to spread very far. They follow a nerve. They tell me it’s commonly found on the chest. 3of3 has it it a nerve of her left arm. What we saw was a rash in her fingers (nerve endings, yo) that then appeared in her palm, around her elbow, and more or less in a straight line up her arm (following the path of the nerve it hit). They are large clusters of rashes that have lots of small, fluid filled blisters in them. It kind of looks like a bunch of little spider eyes looking back at you. For us, it looked like a contact burn at first, and then an allergic reaction, and then an insect bite, and then I noticed that it was hanging out around her joints. That was my first BIG clue.
The pain comes from the pressure on the nerves. The pain is quite intense.
The good news is that when children get it, the duration isn’t as long and the pain is not anywhere near as intense as when an adult gets it. It still hurts, but $5 and one box of Dora band-aids plastered up her arm, and she’s hangin’ tough.
The other good news when kids have it is that no medications really do a dang bit of good, so unless it’s in the nerves of the face or eye, they are going to send you home with a prescription for lollipops. You can give Tylenol if the pain is really bugging them, but you will NOT have to force anti-virals down their throat. Also nice is that it’s not horribly contagious. If it can be covered with clothing, it’s not considered non-communicable. Unless you’ve got a thing for licking rashes. Which, if you do, could you maybe not read my blog anymore, okay?
Oh, and one other bit of good news? The kid slept until ELEVEN today. That? Like heaven.
*You know I’m kidding, right? Because, yeah, I’m totally kidding.
Comments close after 14 days. And there's Captcha if you're nasty. 42 Comments to “The World’s Leading Authority in Shingles”
You mentioned her left arm….shingles is only on one side of your body too, right? (I did a lot of research on shingles last year when I was trying to figure out an excuse to leave the office). Supposedly it can cause severe headaches on the accompanying side of your brain as well. Not fun at all. Hope she gets through it quickly. Although the 11:00 wake up time IS appealing. Like, a lot.
Oh yeah, and I wanted to congratulate you on being the only person I’ve ever known who has mentioned a virus and antibody farting in front of each other. Well done.
matt’s last blog post..Three Years and Counting – A Father’s Perspective
i have nothing witty to say except herpes.
also, when i had them (twice) (shuddup) it killed me and was all over my ribs. i took a LOT of baths that week or so. (and EXTRAfyi, it was directly sandwiched between my three cases of chicken pox. i is freak medically, too.)
zoeyjane’s last blog post..Me, Being the CEO
I’m sorry, I can’t get past the fart joke.
I’m twelve.
All I know is my granny had ‘em.
They was nasty.
Xbox4NappyRash’s last blog post..Coming all over Dr. Phil
Hope your little mite feels better soon.
And your guinness goes down a treat!
tiff’s last blog post..48 hours?
i repeat what i said the first time: the poor baby!!!!!
the planet of janet’s last blog post..Fun Monday: the I remember when edition
shingles getting on your nerves?
k, bad joke. sorry.
Guilty on the armchair hypochondria!
(I did refrain from suggesting syphillis, also a big hand rash disease…..if she’d been a teen, though…..it might have tempted me.)
Good thing for her about the shingles (putting a good spin on it). When she gets preggers someday, she won’t have to worry about chicken pox as a teratogen. (I don’t think)
christy’s last blog post..Flying too low
My dad had them when I was in high school…guess who got chicken pox at 16??
Jen-The Mom’s last blog post..Exactly HOW Did You Get Here?
My niece had shingles when she was 8, so 3of3 isn’t that wildly unusual. The bad news? She got it again when she was 9… Oh wait, you didn’t want to hear that…
If it’s any consolation… if she did have chicken pox instead of shingles, you’d have a very itchy, rashy, cranky contagious little person on your hands. One that definitely wouldn’t sleep till eleven.
Latte Mommy’s last blog post..How Exactly?
My brother has conjoined toes on both his left and right foot.
We told him that is why we was able to out swim us… webbed toes and all. ;)
Hope she feels better.
ohmommy’s last blog post..Slip ‘n Slide: An indepth study of personalities
Aw, poor three-of-three!
daysgoby’s last blog post..old meme, new twist
Hope she feels better soon.
soge shirts’s last blog post..National Spelling bees
Who needs WebMD when you have Mr. Lady???
Hope she’s feeling better quickly!
McMommy’s last blog post..The post where McDaddy hijacks my blog.
Snort. Seriously, conjoined toes?
Ree’s last blog post..Seriously? Me?
Hey, I have a horseshoe kidney kid, too!
Jess’s last blog post..Note to self
Poor dalring.
My MIL had those. They suck.
Quick recovery and love.
Sorry I’ve been gone. I was out of town and couldn’t read the hundreds of posts so I just had to banish them all. I’m back and I’ll try not to be such a slapdick flogger.
rachel’s last blog post..Mouthwatering Monday: Southern Fried Chicken
suckity suck suck and fuckity fuck fuck… sorry if you aren’t into hear profanity… :P I can’t believe that your little toddler has shingles…. not that i have heard of everything there is to hear, or everything medical, BUT i haven’t ever heard of a child having shingles… although i haven’t really heard of most of the things in ONE family that you listed either…
I guess you all can do your own medical studies at home. bummer though.
i hope that 3of3 is already feeling MUCH better… i’m not sure if they itch like chicken pox but i remember having cp so badly that i was one big walking/laying miserable scab… ugh!! they were horrible. my mom would give me bakingsoda baths and then coat me in calamine (sp??) lotion and one of my dads undershirts… still not helping the itchiness of it all…
I have heard that adults that have shingles are in a LOT of pain, so i’m glad to hear that children don’t share the same pain level, but it sucks that it hurts them at all, or that even after the cp vacine that she would still get this crap… damn drs… what do they know anyway???? seriously, i’m not a dr hater, but i have had my run around with some really effing idiots!! my daughter had on going thing that we are at the drs every week for a LONG time and sometimes multiple times a week… it was freakin’ horrible… they did so much to this little girl and put her through all kinds of test and shit and creams and meds and all 2 peds, 1 allergist and 2 dermatologists later a nurse told me to stop giving her daily vitamins for a month and see what happens… Viola!!! She was a freakin’ genius!! it was the damn vitamins… low and behold… bloody idiot drs had NO effing clue!! assholes. anyway… enough about us… I really do hope that your daughter starts to feel better and that this doesn’t come back again… EVER!!
best wishes!!
xoxoxoxoxox’s jenn
Jennifer’s last blog post..you MUST watch this…
Oh no, hope she is feeling better soon.
For some odd reason I thought only adults could get shingles.
Hoping for a speedy recovery.
LifeAsIKnowIt’s last blog post..How I Landed Myself A Vacation
So sorry to hear 3of3 is ailing, but thank God for Dora bandaids. If pharmaceutical companies could only figure out a way to patent them, they’d suddenly cost about $55 a box.
Now, moving on … please define “horseshoe kidney.”
Betsy Bird’s last blog post..Gone Too Soon
I think I got off easy, then. I had them a few years ago and they were more of an annoyance than any real pain. Felt like prickles on my chest or something. But dammit, I’m entitled to a few back-Guinnesses or something right? I hope 3of3 feels better soon!
BusyDad’s last blog post..(Hey, guess what? Dad’s out of town and he left his keys behind. Sssh.)
So, now I know what shingles are. Thankyou!
Veronica’s last blog post..Instructions for cleaning the toilet:
Oh Lord. I’ve never heard of a child getting this either, but thank God it’s not as bad for them as it is for adults. Hopefully she’ll feel better soon.
And fluid filled blisters that look like spider eyes? No wonder you covered them!
Robina’s last blog post..Graduation Pics are in!
I have both heard of and seen kids get the shingles. In fact, they are quite common in the elderly and in children. Not sommon in, like, we all have to worry, but you rarely see them on a teen or middleaged person, just kids and old folks. So there. My Sam got the chicken pox after he had both the vaccine and the booster; to NOT get them in our family is not an option, as two of the four kids have asthma, so we all have to get all the vaccines. What a pain!
Kori’s last blog post..Flashback Friday: Calf Feeding
My father is recovering from shingles right now. The night before his doctor figured out what it was, my father was at a social gathering and shook the hand of a man who had a six month old baby along. The baby got chicken pox. Meanwhile my brother and I, who never got the pox despite all the sick children we had to play with, could not come help our father live through the pain. He was unable to get out of bed for like two weeks. Now the rash is gone and the pain is managable but he still winces every time there’s a bump in the road. He says the pain could persist for a year or more. Shingles sucks. I’m glad the childhood shingles is so much less dramatic. Of course, I really can’t ever get chicken pox at this point!
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:( Bleh. Shingles.
I wish it was a dance. It kinda sounds like a dance.
I don’t care who is right or wrong or how she got them I am just glad to hear it isn’t as painful to children because really? That was what was breaking my heart and I was all NO!! NO SHINGLES!! POOR BABY!!! :(
Thanks for the lesson. I never knew you could get shingles without the chicken pox but then again the chicken pox vaccine is fairly new and I assume has some of the dead virus in it so maybe in freak families (your words, I think you are perfectly normal.. kiss kiss ( I )
You learn something new every day. :)
Special K’s last blog post..My man has many hats
Ouch! I put on my vintage 1980’s style E.T. face with full on glowing red finger and I say again: Ouuuuuuuch.
Hope it clears up really soon. Like right now.
anne nahm’s last blog post..I Put on My Wizard Hat and Pig Kicker?
My 8 yr old niece got shingles when she was little. My friend got it when he turned 30. and my grandfather got it when he was 80.
Not fun.
I am sorry your little one has it !
Oh-and thanks for stopping by my blog. I have read your blog and the Stark Raving Dad after learning of Busy Dad from the Weekend Bloghoppers.
And I consider you a “celebri-blogger”, so I am majorly honored that you graced me with your presence!
Can I get your bloggograph?
Oh. Dude. Don’t tell me that. I fought that stupid vaccination, too, and had two doctors tell me horror stories about the rare cases of Chicken Pox that are showing up now, and…. ARRRRGHHHH… I caved. If we get shingles, I’ll sue someone. I swear I will.
I hope your kiddo is better soon.
Deb (Missives From Suburbia)’s last blog post..The Pimp, The Ho, and the Beef Combo Burrito
Poor thing - they apparently hurt like hell. Hope she feels better soon!
Don Mills Diva’s last blog post..To everything a season
I just need to know . . . how many diseases can Dora Band-Aids cure (or at the very least “make feel all better”)???
LaskiGal’s last blog post..I Need an Intervention
NewscasterHotties mom claims she has shingles on her chest… I am wondering if that is what makes her such a raging bitch.
Dirty Laundry Diva’s last blog post..Mr. NewscasterHottie and Guest
Hope the little one feels better! My grandma had shingles a while ago - it’s kind of a bitch. Sending you lots of interweb encouragement!
calicobebop’s last blog post..Pants are tight - but I feel good!
how is she doing today? feeling better i hope. how are you doing?
I’ve got 2 scars on my chest from getting the chicken pox at 18. They are huge. I scratched them in my sleep. The story changes if I’m at the pool, though. That version involves a biker gang and a knife fight. I win.
NukeDad’s last blog post..Is This Thing On? Hello? Anyone? Bueller? Adler? Fry? Fry?
Poor 3of3 :(
Hope the little miss is feeling tippity-top and back to her normal, mischievous self very soon! Lord knows Mr Lady needs 3of3 back as her makeup police. No more black lipstick*, Mommy!
*juuuust kidding on the lipstick. i’m sure you could rock it. only you.
flickrlovr’s last blog post..This Is Not My Day (A.K.A. gr$a#gl!(@kssj2JS!(#@!)
Oh sweetie. Sending you my love. Hope 3of3 is over the worst of it. Yeah, nothing witty or like clever to say, just want to let you know I am here…
Kelley’s last blog post..Wow, trippy man…
My step-mother-in-law (got that?) just had them and it was HELL for her!! Hopefully your little one comes flying through this. But damn, she slept til 11, it’s almost worth it! And love that “prescription of lollipops”. They do cure all, suckers and bandaids are all you need.
amy’s last blog post..Ladies who Lunch
I hope 3of3 feels better soon.
SherE1’s last blog post..I am spent…
Man, that is not fun at all. But I will agree with your prescription.. I can’t tell you how many boxes of different boxes of bandaids I have in hiding to make the boys feel better.
Though nothing made the hand, foot, mouth disease any easier on us.. (yeah I know not helping)
I hope 3of3 is feeling a little better.
Kim’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday - Career Assessment
Yikes! I’m glad I never caught that. But I’m even more glad that you know what the issue is and know how to deal with it. Screw that evil vaccine!
Ricardo’s last blog post..When No One Cared