Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Monday, November 28, 2016

Shingles Report


Bob still has his shingles but actually is doing much better than I expected he might. He's wearing suspenders that belonged to his twin brother.  Bob's not not normally a suspenders guy but these days suspenders are more comfortable than a belt. However, even suspenders aren't completely comfortable because he says they rub where his pacemaker is located and that makes him nervous.

I've never been able to tell much about his discomfort level.  Only one day has he complained about the pain. I gave him his first dose of Gabapentin before bed the day he was diagnosed and he slept well. At the time I thought that was good but now I'm not so sure. The next morning after breakfast I gave him a second dose of Gabapentin and pretty quickly realized there was a problem, his blood pressure bottomed out. It took him most of the day to recover. Since then he's had no more Gabapentin. Makes me wonder if he could have slept on to glory from that first dose if it caused his blood pressure to drop like the second dose.

The lesions look good, like they're drying up. He's finished the antiviral medication. Now we just wait and see if they're gone or if they're resting.

17 comments:

  1. We are pretty fragile being elderly and having poor health. Keep on working on health everyday.

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  2. Thankful for every 'good' day. He's so fragile it would take very little to push him over the edge.

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  3. I feel so badly for anyone with shingles! Glad to hear Bob's is getting better.

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    1. He has a good attitude, complains very little, and remains pleasant to be around. He was a real trooper through this holiday week-end. Daughter leaves in the morning.

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  4. It sounds like you have it all under control, Linda. You are quite amazing, you know.

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    1. Almost every day I learn something new. Every time he has something new happen I try to think what I could have done differently but of course he never does the same thing twice. A total learning experience.

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  5. So glad to hear that Bob is feeling better. The shingles can be so painful! You did the right thing by holding the Gabapentin dose. Not every caregiver would have recognized the connection between the pill, his BP and how it effected him. You are a good nurse/detective!

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    1. I'm ever on the watch about Bob's blood pressure. Gabapentin surprised me but I catch on quick. I tossed that bottle into the bin of 'never take again' meds.

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  6. I'm happy to see this report. I've been wondering how you guys were getting along. I hope things continue to go in the right direction. No surprises.

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    1. I'm seriously hoping this is a mild case since this is his second time. I hope he doesn't pop more lesions after a few days. A serious case of shingles could easily be fatal for him. So far, so good.

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  7. Glad to hear Bob seems to be doing better. Hope the shingles vamoose soon so both of you feel better.

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    1. Absolutely. It is so hard to keep things running smoothly for him.

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  8. Wonderful news about Bob and the dreaded Shingles. You were right on top of things and prevented a serious problem with the meds. Well done.

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    1. Some days I wish I was a pharmacist. This is a hard way to learn meds. I have a bin full of 'never take again' meds for him.

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  9. I'm so glad he's recovering well. Mom had shingles several years ago and still talks about how painful it was. She says she has a new understanding of the level of pain people talk about when they mention shingles.

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  10. This really is good news. Your experience with the Gabapentin's a reminder that we all need to take some responsiblity for watching how we or others in our care respond to drugs. I still remember Mom's reaction to some pain medication (can't remember the name, now) -- it wasn't pretty, but she would have kept taking it, just because the doctor said so.

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  11. I got the shot but you can still get it. I'm actually dealing with the itch again. Bob has my sympathy.

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