Tag Archives: pain

One of the first things I saw on television this morning was the commercial featuring “Mr. Hyperbole” Terry Bradshaw promoting the vaccine for shingles:

Since I have had the misfortune to have shingles twice at an unusually young age, I feel like I need to speak up — to confirm that what he’s saying is true (because his style of delivery can sometimes appear false).

Shingles is a bitch, pure and simple.

You have a horrible, itchy rash on your skin, just as Terry described.  But what makes it 10 times worse is that the pain runs far deeper.  It’s like your internal organs are on fire, and your muscles ache — all at the same time.  And you have the rash to deal with, too.

Quite simply, you are miserable.

I had my first case of shingles in my 20’s on my back, which is a fairly classic presentation.  It made breathing almost impossible. In my early 40’s, it reappeared on my shin, which is so unusual, it took ER doctors two days and a ridiculous amount of testing to diagnose.  I had phantom leg pain from that case of shingles for almost two years.

I wouldn’t wish shingles on my worse enemy, so if your doctor recommends the vaccine, give it serious consideration.

Terry and I aren’t lying.