Updated: Dec. 20, 2015
Originally Published: June 8, 2015
When my mother hit 43, I was a self-assured college student and, through my cynical lens, she seemed ancient. With her Merit menthol cigarettes, devotion to Hill Street Blues, and an immense Pioneer stereo system that could rival a small car, I thought she was in the twilight of her youth. Yet my friends disagreed, often saying, “She’s so young,” as their parents were nearing 60, far too conservative to smoke, and still skeptical of Eric Clapton’s past in a band called Cream.
Fast forward to now, and I find myself at 43, with two opinionated kids of my own. Armed with Miss Clairol and a persistent patch of blackheads, I like to think I appear younger. My wardrobe hasn’t changed much—still rocking the same Converse and hoodies that I once rolled my eyes at when I was a teen. I act younger too; I enjoy swearing and still find my kids’ fart jokes hilarious.
Today, however, I received a diagnosis I believed was reserved for the elderly. A painful rash has settled on my back, and it hurts like crazy.
As a child, I remember hearing about my grandmother’s battles with shingles—a name that sounded more like a roofing material than a health condition. I vividly imagined her skin flaking off like shingles layered on a roof.
While at the pharmacy, waiting for my prescription, I often read the pamphlet about shingles prevention. It was filled with images of older adults in various states of worry, contemplating whether they should speak to their doctors, as suggested by Merck pharmaceuticals, the pamphlet’s publisher and maker of the shingles vaccine. I always thought shingles was just another issue for the aging population, like bladder control problems or osteoporosis.
That was until I asked my husband to look at the awful rash on my back. “Oh my God,” he exclaimed in a supportive, yet panicked tone. My teenage son chimed in, “Whoa, Mom, that looks disgusting. Are you dying?” My daughter added her own flair of disgust with a loud “Gross!”
Feeling unsupported, I turned to trusty Google and typed in “hot rash back lumpy.” The not-so-professional diagnosis? Shingles.
Shingles? I’m too young for that!
But when the nurse practitioner at the Minute Clinic took a look, the first word out of her mouth was “herpes.”
Herpes?! I thought I was too old for that!
“Herpes zoster,” she clarified, “the medical term for shingles.” Great.
I called my mom. “Hey, how old were you when you first got shingles?”
“Shingles?” she said, sounding confused. “I’ve never had shingles. Your grandmother did, though…”
I gritted my teeth while driving to the pharmacy, where the Merck pamphlet seemed to taunt me from a nearby display (my blood pressure was 166/72—was that good for an old person or bad for a young one?). The pharmacist apologized for giving me a name brand prescription instead of generic because it was out of stock. “Did everyone get shingles at once?” I joked, trying to lighten the mood and convince myself my humor still proved I was youthful.
His response was low and conspiratorial, “We’re out of generic valacyclovir because so many people are coming in for, you know, outbreaks.”
I like this pharmacist; I’ve relied on him for years, but he’s definitely in his 60s. I don’t want to be part of a club with him! And what made him think I was some promiscuous individual who caught a sexually transmitted infection at a wild party? Even wild women wear hoodies to pick up prescriptions!
“It’s pretty painful, isn’t it?” he noted, seeing my watery eyes. I nodded and asked about products to soothe my skin. “I recommend Aveeno oatmeal baths and calamine lotion,” he replied.
I bought both, along with a six-pack of Ensure, just to be safe.
Today’s lesson? Shingles isn’t just for the elderly, and I need to keep a closer eye on my health. If you’re interested in learning more about family planning, check out this resource on couples’ fertility journeys at Make a Mom. And if you’re considering at-home insemination kits, Cryobaby has some great options. For more medical insights, you can visit Cleveland Clinic for a deeper dive into intrauterine insemination.
In summary, shingles caught me off guard, proving that age is just a number—but pain is very real.
Keyphrase: shingles diagnosis
Tags: [“home insemination kit”, “home insemination syringe”, “self insemination”]