It was a new experience being a patient with HZ. I never imagined it could be so painful. But take it or leave it - it was.
I remember that bout of chicken pox way back in 1968. But who ever bargained for another round of HZ over half a century later! It started with a tingling sensation around my right eye, forehead, nose and upper lip. That was curfew time. Ophthalmologists in the private sector were not seeing patients. Chaneling Chambers were empty. Patients could not get about due to transport problems. I decided to go to the EU in SJ (Kotte Hospital) instead of the EU in a private hospital. I am glad that I did.
That was a Friday. After initial treatment, I was asked to come the following Monday to the Eye Clinic.There doesn't seem to be any residual damage to the eye. So far, so good. I was concerned about that.
I am recovering fast (so called uneventful recovery). After all, I am a Retiree. So, no problems there. That was my only problem, if you can call it that. With the recent regular curfew, I am quite used to being locked down!
This blog (created in March 2011 by Lucky) is about new entrants to the Colombo Medical Faculty of the University of Ceylon (as it was then known) in June 1962. There were a total of 166 in the batch (included 11 from Peradeniya). Please address all communications to: colmedgrads1962@gmail.com. Header image: Courtesy Prof. Rohan Jayasekara, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo (2011 - 2014). Please use the search bar using a keyword to access what interests you
Wising you a full recovery Lucky, Must have been a nasty experience.
ReplyDeleteThank you Speedy.
DeleteLucky
ReplyDeleteGlad you are recovering well. When we were medical students all the diseases that we learnt about in the myriad of books happened to others we called "patients" or even "cases". Now we happen to be those "cases".
I missed out on the first wave of Chicken Pox and got it while a medical student. That was a "Near Death Experience". My neighbour then was Dr Ratnayake who was Consultant Dermatologist at GHC. He was quite concerned about my condition but felt it was best to be at home. For the Herpes Zoster or shingles I took the vaccine which my GP offered on a routine visit. If I remember correct only those who have had chicken pox get shingles. It seems the virus lays dormant somewhere in a dorsal root ganglion only to get re-activated. As knowledge evaporates faster than it was acquired I stand to be corrected.
You are absolutely right. In fact, I read quite a bit on HZ during the last few days.
Deletelucky, when I was about five years old I got measles, varicella, pertussis and mumps. Many years later when I was at Chest Hospital Welisara, I developed herpes zoster with vesicles appearing in a horizontal line,on my abdominal wall. At that time Aciclovir was not available but fortunately I did not develop any neuralgia. Now I routinely prescribe the Varicella vaccine for children over one year in the private sector. Several years ago I have treated a few cases of neonatal varicella, which is rather serious.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sanath. I just don't know how I contracted HZ as I hardly have any contact with patients.
DeleteLucky
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the HZ,glad that you made an uneventful recovery.I contracted chicken pox in 1976 while looking after a patient with a chronic haematological malignancy and HZ.
Thank you Bora.
DeleteOn another topic, I just heard that Gail (Mohanlal Fernando's wife) had passed away. This might be stale news to you.
Lucky, when you had varicella the first time, few viruses would have remained in an anterior horn cell, rather dormant. When your immunity dropped it would have multiplied and presented as herpes zoster.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Sanath.
ReplyDeleteI have also posted a rather informative e-mail from a friend of mine who is a Consultant Neurologist in UK, as a separate post.
He is Conrad Atulathmudali. You might remember Conrad who was in the "300" batch and an Old Anandian.
Hi,Lucky,
ReplyDeleteSorry hear about your agonizing experience with herpes zoster of your trigeminal nerve.I did not log into the blog column for a few days and miss the whole saga.
During my medical student days and as practitioner,I avoided facing the facient on Consultations.Unfortunately,I caught Chickenpox,while doing a GP locum North Staffordshire,by coming close contact with an elderly lady with Shingles(herpes zoster)Our friend Bora seemed to have experienced the same by coming in contact with a lady with Shingles.
One could get Chickenpox by having a contact with a patient with shingles.On the contrary,herpes zoster is due to reactivation of the virus hiding in the anterior horn cells.I had the Varicella-Zoster vaccine,couple of years ago,from the GP.Your old friend Conrad has given a comprehensive account about herpes zoster.
Hi Lucky,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry that you have had to undergo this nasty experience. I saw Nihal's comment above that now we are the "cases" that we used to discuss as medical students, and that is so true! In the US people over a 'certain age' who have had chicken-pox sometime in their lives are advised to get the "shingles shot." I believe that even if you get shingles they may still administer the vaccine to prevent a recurrence. You may be a candidate for that and it may be a good idea to check with your doctors and your friend Conrad A. (I will post a comment and ask him that!). I escaped chicken pox in my childhood, but succumbed when I was in my early 30's. My daughters experienced a very mild illness, but I was a mess! Luckily it was winter and I was able to cover up the lesions on my face by pulling down my hat and wearing a scarf over my face! I hope I am protected from shingles now because I did get the vaccine a few years ago. I wish you a complete recovery without any residual damage.
Hi Lucky, I hope you are feeling better, I have been avoiding taking the vaccines for quite sometime but when I was diagnosed with the aortic sten I realized I too am a "case" as ND puts it. Like quite a few of our batch developed chicken pox in my 30's. Interestingly I had severer rash symptoms of high fever and myalgia and my wife and I were residents, and the night before the rash broke out with the vesicles and the whole works I really felt very sick so I called my wife who was in the hospital and asked her to come back, being still a Resident she had to admit patients and was busy. I remember telling her if she did not come back right away I will be dead by the time she comes. Thats how severe this condition . To make a long story short she did come back and in the rush to come it collided with the garage door. Anyway the fever came down and soon broke out with the rash. Incidentally my wife was 36 weeks pregnant with our first child. Thanks for Acyclovir ( developed initially for Herpes Vaginalis) it has helped many people with shingles. Lucky I will pray for your quick and complete delivery. best Rajan
ReplyDeleteThank you Rajan.
DeleteSrianne & Rajan,
ReplyDeleteI too escaped having chickenpox while living in SriLanka.But became a victim while working in General Practice.I caught the virus from an elderly lady with Shingles.by exposing repeatedly,by visiting her at home,to see to her,health.
Lucky will be a candidate for the the Shingle vaccine,provided he has no contra-indications.Hope the vaccine is now available in,Sri-Lanka for a reasonable price,stored properly in a Pharmacy.I read the literature in the internet and CDC recommends the vaccination to anyone over 60 yrs of age.I am sure that applies to citizens in US.
In UK,Shingrix is given at the age of 70 and 78 yrs of age.Any one born after 2nd September 1942 is also eligible to have it before 80 yrs of age.It seems, the vaccine is less effective after that age.
Best wishes for,Lucky,not to have any recurrence of Herpes Zoster.