Immune System Kick Start

Unusually 5 days ago I had a pretty bad headache at the back left side of my head! I was in a lot of pain but just thought it was a headache due to the heat as it is boiling here in the UK. On Tuesday evening after having a shower I noticed that I had an oval lump half the size of my baby finger on my head where I was having headaches and it was really sore to touch. On the Wednesday morning I booked an appointment at the hospital as I was slightly worried and I have to be extra careful as I have not long had a transplant. I managed to get an appointment for the afternoon and by then I started getting a sore neck and behind my ear. I then noticed red spots which were really itchy! My mum thought that it could be shingles and when I got to the hospital they checked me over and said that It was shingles. It was relieving as I was thinking the worst. I have never had shingles but my mum suffers from them all the time and says how painful they are. 

My consultant said that a lot of patients are affected by shingles a few months after having a transplant and this is because for the first 5 months after my transplant I was taking a drug called Aciclovir (400 mg 2 times a day) this stops me from getting the herpes virus and since I have stopped taking it daily I am more prone to shingles. He said that even though I am poorly and feeling rough with having shingles it is a good thing as this gives my 'new immune system' a first kick in to work as it is the first virus I have had to fight since having my transplant. I have been put on a high dose of Acicolvir (800mg 5 times a day) and some REALLY strong pain killers. The pain of having shingles is awful and it's worse as I have them all over my head and neck so sleeping is a nightmare but I am resting lots and watching films and catching up with lots of tv series that I started to watch in hospital. This is just a little bump but i'm sure once I have rested and recovered ill be back to my usual self in no time!

UPDATE - It took two weeks of tablets and rest for my shingles to clear up.

Always smiling x

 ♥