Shingles Belong On A Roof

Ever since I was diagnosed I've taken medication (acyclovir) to prevent shingles. Shingles arises from the same virus that causes chicken pox and shares many of its same awful features, including the blistery itchy rash. You only get shingles if you've had chicken pox. The virus then goes dormant in your nerve roots. It can "wake up" in older and immune suppressed people and the virus shows itself as shingles. I've been on automatic refill for this drug at my Target pharmacy. Well, they didn't fill it last month and I didn't notice that I was out, given my 12 or so drugs I take daily. Three weeks of no protection and the opportunistic virus rears its head and bites me in the ass. Unfortunately I have the rash and the significant nerve pain in the most inconvenient of places--my left buttocks! Are you kidding me? I want to scream, "what next" but I'm afraid of what could be next. I'm constantly reminded of John Lennon screaming, "I've got blisters on my fingers," on the Abbey Road albumn. My refrain: I've got blisters on my ass.

Although this can be a very painful, extended infection I have responded well to the high doses of valacyclovir I've been taking since Monday. Keeping the fingers crossed.

Mike has completed his first visit to MD Anderson in preparation for the donor leukocyte infusion in January. Since he is the first one on this protocol he claims he spent one of the days "getting them organized." He says that after his next visit he will have them in shape to handle my visit. He is a Type AAA personality and now I have his blood running in me.

Dan