Tim has been diagnosed with Shingles. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox and can occur in adulthood in those that had chicken pox as children. It is the second eruption of the virus and it may have lain dormant in the nervous system for years after having the disease. It usually occurs in senior citizens after age 5o when there is a weakening of the immune system. There is a vaccination for shingles but you have to be 60 to get it. Sometimes younger people get shingles but that usually happens after some health crisis that seriously weakens their immune system or stresses their nervous system such as in auto-immune diseases like HIV or something.
Shingles occurs on only one side of the body and starts in the nervous system. It often occurs as a band around the middle from stomach to back, which is like Tim's which is one spot front and one spot back. It can occur on other parts of the body and can leave scars. This root beginning often means there is a great deal of pain and the area of breakout can be extremely sensitive to touch or even slight breezes or clothing for months or even years after the break out is healed. So far Tim has not been experiencing any pain.
Shingles is only contagious to people that have not had chicken pox, such as babies and young children, and then they get chicken pox, not shingles. The doctor prescribed some anti-viral pills for Tim. Just a few pills cost $140.00. Fortunately our insurance through BYU-H plus Champus Tri-care through the military covered the cost. It is amazing how expensive medications are these days.
