Sorry I have been absent so long....

[Mimi_2_Charlie]

I have been sick with shingles three times in the past few months. I finally got a vaccination a few weeks ago, but when I get super stressed, this seems to be how it manifests itself in me. I had to "divorce", so to speak, the cause of the stress. Nope, not my husband. So I have a very mild, so far, case of them again. But I am still taking preventatives, so hopefully they won't get any worse and I can kind of get back into the swing of things here.

I like Danyale's live chats, but couldn't find any info about when the next one was. Can anyone help?

PS: Our last grandbaby was born on October 18th and my daughter was just ginormous. I have a page done and will try to get it posted so you all can see. But she did actually make it to full term for the first time ever and her baby was 2 lbs bigger than her first two. I do have one picture of me and Baby Xander, and will try to post that also.

[Unica]

Vicki, hoping you feel better soon. Congratulations on grandbaby!!! Can't wait to see pics. Big hugs and welcome back!

[Danyale]

aw, guerl...sounds like you have really been through it the past few months. I knew you were not well, but thought things had gotten better. I am THRILLED for the new grand-baby. I will run by the gallery first chance I get to see those pages!

The next chat with me and the girlz is next Saturday, the 17th at 2pm EST. Here is a link so you will know where to find it if you ever wonder. I update this thread every month with the new ad and change the dates accordingly.

CHAT THREAD INFO

Glad you are back, and I hope you continue to get better. hugz~

[cardinalskate]

I'm new around here, but I'm sorry to hear about all your troubles...I've heard that shingles can be miserable. I saw the new baby in your gallery and my goodness how precious! Glad to have you back!

[Mimi_2_Charlie]

Thanks Kate. Welcome! He is a little love. I can hardly stand the wait till Christmas when we see the family again!

[gonewiththewind]

Hey Vicki ~ my hubs has gotten two MILD cases of shingles. Like he had one area the size of the palm of your hand and the other was about the size of 2 50 cent pieces. He said it was so painful/uncomfortable/itching/burning. They told him he has to be over 60 for the shot OR that he continues to have repeat flareups. Glad you are feeling better and congrats on the new grandbaby!!!

[LivyBug]

Congrats on your new grandbaby!

[Mimi_2_Charlie]

Hey Vicki ~ my hubs has gotten two MILD cases of shingles. Like he had one area the size of the palm of your hand and the other was about the size of 2 50 cent pieces. He said it was so painful/uncomfortable/itching/burning. They told him he has to be over 60 for the shot OR that he continues to have repeat flareups. Glad you are feeling better and congrats on the new grandbaby!!!

Cheryl, I had three very severe cases and now a mild case. I got my shingles vaccine about 3-4 weeks ago. The FDA approved the shingles vaccine for those 50 and older in the spring of this year. However, I live in Oklahoma and about the only place you can get the vaccine is the health department and they are governed by state regulations, so couldn't even give it to me with a doctors order or they would violate the policies and jeopardize their funding. Oklahoma is a very backwards state in lots of respects and is a hard adjustment after living in Dallas for so many years. But my doctor and I figured out a way for me to get the vaccine, so my current case of shingles is very mild and not even painful right now. The other three times have been awful with the first case being the biggest and worse. They started in the middle of my back and covered my right "cheek" and the whole top of my right leg all the way down to my knee. The other three cases have all been on my face, which is a super bad place to have them because you are kind of stuck at home so you don't expose others to them. You can't cover them with a sleeve, so we couldn't go see our new grandson until they were clear. This time I have about 6 little blisters and I know they were caused by a situation with a family member, so I have cut all contact with that person. I have three autoimmune diseases, so I am very susceptible. BTW - Insurance doesn't pay for the vaccine and it is 10 times more expensive than a flu shot, but for the mildness of this round, totally worth what I had to pay. Shingles runs along the nerve paths which is why they are so painful! I would encourage your hubby to try to get the shot if you live in a state where your doctor can order it.

Thanks to everyone for the congrats!

[hollyinjapan]

Oh Vicki, that just sounds horrible. So sorry for you. My mom had a pretty bad bout of shingles three years ago, I think they still linger from time to time. I sure hope you get them all out of your system and can be well soon!

[Mimi_2_Charlie]

Thanks Holly! I would love to know more about how you are living life in Japan. I sort of assume military, but if you want to talk about it, just pm me sometime.

[dawnfarias]

Wow, Vicki - glad things are looking like they're on the up-and-up. Congrats on the new grandbaby!

[EliseH]

Oh, Vicki-- hang in there! My husband got shingles a few months ago-- also from stress-- and I was shocked at how painful it was for him. Hopefully you're on the road to a very complete recovery! Congrats on the babies-- love!