Julieverse – an educator. a marketer. a resource.Julieverse – an educator. a marketer. a resource.
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
    • Hair
  • Parenting
  • Education
  • MORE
    • Books
    • Gifts
    • Travel
    • Tech
    • Food
    • Blog
    • Health & Fitness
    • Tattoos and Body Piercings
  • Contact
  • About
What's Hot

The Major Benefits of Horse Riding

March 16, 2023

5 Best Military Watches to Consider in 2023

March 1, 2023

Cowboy Tattoos: Meaning, Designs, and Inspiration

February 20, 2023
Julieverse – an educator. a marketer. a resource.Julieverse – an educator. a marketer. a resource.
  • Home
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
    1. Hair
    2. View All

    Crimp Your Way to a Perfect Hairstyle: A Comprehensive Guide to Crimped Hair

    February 15, 2023

    Feed-In Braids: A Hairstyle That Deserves the Popularity

    February 1, 2023

    Best Hairstyles Depending on Your Face Shape!

    December 23, 2022

    Get in on the Craze: 15 ‘House of the Dragon’ Hairstyles That Everyone is Dying to Try

    December 20, 2022

    Crimp Your Way to a Perfect Hairstyle: A Comprehensive Guide to Crimped Hair

    February 15, 2023

    Feed-In Braids: A Hairstyle That Deserves the Popularity

    February 1, 2023

    Best Hairstyles Depending on Your Face Shape!

    December 23, 2022

    Get in on the Craze: 15 ‘House of the Dragon’ Hairstyles That Everyone is Dying to Try

    December 20, 2022
  • Parenting
  • Education
  • More
    • Books
    • Gifts
    • Travel
    • Tech
    • Food
    • Watches
    • Home Ideas
    • Blog
    • Health & Fitness
    • Tattoos & Body Piercings
  • Contact
  • About
Julieverse – an educator. a marketer. a resource.Julieverse – an educator. a marketer. a resource.
Home » Health and Fitness » Are you familiar with Shingles
Health and Fitness

I have Shingles. Gimme a break. (with #breastfeeding information. #bfing)

Julie Meyers PronBy Julie Meyers PronMarch 8, 2012No Comments5 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
What should I do if I have shingles?
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Email

So, unless you’re new to this blog, you probably know that I’m a pretty busy lady. Let me recap:

  • PTO President
  • e-boutique owner
  • an active blogger on many sites
  • freelancer
  • starting a consulting company
  • night school teacher
  • working on a Philadelphia-area-blogger-collective-group-thing (that I’m not going to try to explain right now)
  • mom of 3 (one of which is breastfeeding)
  • wife
  • house-runner
  • …

The [dot dot dot] should make it clear I’m not done, right? And you wonder, or at least I know many wonder, how do I do it all? Well, apparently, I don’t. Or I shouldn’t. Because my body can’t keep up with me, and now I have Shingles.

Monday, I noticed a huge feeling of irritation around my bra line. I must have changed bras 6 times, trying to find one that didn’t irritate. But, thinking it was something from the first, I did my best to ignore it and work through the pain.

Tuesday, the pain was so much worse. In the afternoon, I noticed a series of red bumps in one area. Strangely, the pain was worse where the bumps weren’t. Still, I lived, mommed, and worked through the pain, concluding that it will, eventually go away. That night the fearful monster entered my mind, and I got caught up in the what if’s. So, I asked the Huz to stay home in the morning (he’s usually gone by 7:30 am) so that I could see the doctor. Something just wasn’t right, and, after 7 years of parenting, I know to follow my gut.

So Wednesday morning, I left before the kids so that I could put my name on the list during open hours at the doctor’s office. Once I was in the actual room, the wait time between the nurse and doctor was long enough that I fell asleep on the table. Let me tell you; it was probably the best 20 minutes I’ve had in a while. (sorry, honey).

Anyway, it took all of a quick glance and the question “are you busy or stressed?” for her to diagnose me: “Are you familiar with Shingles?”

“No.” pause. “I mean, wait. As in Chicken Pox?” –me

“Exactly.”

And then she went on to explain: Once you had chickenpox as a child, it never truly leaves your body. It’s always in you. And when you’re beat, and your immune system is compromised, the pox comes back up to the surface, resulting in shingles. It’s more common in older people because they already are in stages of immunodeficiency, but stress and exhaustion bring it on just as much.

(Now, I’m taking this to mean that since our children have been vaxed, they, too, have the pox in their systems which would mean that they can get Shingles when they’re older, too. But I’m not a doctor. Just thinking through the facts as I understand them.)

Anyway, the doctor (who I met today and think is wonderful) looked up medicine, and we both celebrated because the prescription is breastfeeding safe. But. That doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily safe to breastfeed Little. So I have a task ahead of me: Get lots of rest, destress, take my meds, and get on the phone, pronto, with the ped to check on Little, who, at 7 months, hasn’t been and is too young for the Chicken Pox vaccine.

She also explained that Shingles is contagious only to the touch. If your outbreak is on the face or hands, then you need to stay inside because you’re likely to touch something and spread Chicken Pox, but because they’re covered, you’re safe to live life to its fullest… as best you can when you’re destressing and resting.

The Lactation Consultant cleared the meds that I’m taking, but the breastfeeding part is still a bit of a challenge. Because the outbreak is along the bra line, with one “pock” on my breast, though not near the nipple, its safe to breastfeed because it’s not mixing into the milk. If the pox were on the nipple or areola, it would be a totally different story, and I’d be doing the old pump and dump because the milk would be contaminated, not as it’s created, but as it comes out. Plus, you just don’t want the baby to mouth a chicken pock.

View Post

My Lactation Consultant is also a pediatric nurse practitioner, so I killed a couple of birds with this stone phone call. We went on to talk about the kids, and she agreed that the boys (who were both vaccinated) are safe around me. And that Little should be too. The incubation period for Shingles is as long as it is for Chicken Pox: 14-21 days. So it’s likely that she would have already gotten Chicken Pox if breast milk didn’t offer her immunity (it does, even when the mother is sick.) The problem, however, is where the pox is on my body. They’re right at a place where she touches when she nurses. In fact, Tuesday, I found myself moving her hands away, not knowing exactly what was wrong but knowing that something didn’t feel right and she probably shouldn’t touch it. Because I want to be so careful that my baby-thumb-sucker doesn’t touch the pox, I’ll wear my nursing tanks, which will present a barrier between her and most of the pox, and cover the exposed pox in moleskin.

Please note: this is not medical advice. This is the advice I have been given as a breastfeeding mother who has Shingles.

Previous ArticleWhat happens when a stressed Mom goes to Pilates?
Next Article What do vitamins & healthy supplements really teach kids?
Julie Meyers Pron
Julie Meyers Pron
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Tumblr
  • LinkedIn

I'm an elementary school teacher and a Public Relations manager. I'm the owner/editor of Julieverse. A marketing strategist and freelance education and parenting writer by trade, I attempt to carve out time to enjoy playing with kids, PTO, cooking, and exercise.

Related Posts

The Major Benefits of Horse Riding

By Julie Meyers PronMarch 16, 2023

7 Habits That Will Transform Your Eating Habits for the Better: The Benefits of Healthy Eating

By Jenny FriesDecember 16, 2022

Healthy Living – What are the best tips for a healthy lifestyle?

By Julie Meyers PronMarch 8, 2022

Me Time: a total necessity in Mommying

By Julie Meyers PronMarch 8, 2022

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Don't Miss

5 Best Military Watches to Consider in 2023

By Julie Meyers PronMarch 1, 2023Updated:March 1, 20236 Mins Read

Military watches have come a long way from their origin as mere timekeeping devices for…

Cowboy Tattoos: Meaning, Designs, and Inspiration

February 20, 2023

Crimp Your Way to a Perfect Hairstyle: A Comprehensive Guide to Crimped Hair

February 15, 2023

Bond with Your Kids While Spending Time Outdoors

February 10, 2023
Our Picks

Homework help: How much should I proofread my child’s work?

By Julie Meyers PronJanuary 30, 2013Updated:April 10, 20223 Mins Read

Here’s why we aren’t sure Le Tote is a worthwhile investment (UPDATED)

By Julie Meyers PronFebruary 17, 2022Updated:February 17, 20228 Mins Read

Counting Our Blessings–a Quick Look Back at Our Crafting Hour During the Help Our Kids Radiothon

By Julie Meyers PronFebruary 20, 2022Updated:February 20, 20222 Mins Read
About Us

Welcome to Julieverse where I share stories of parenting with advice for parenthood.

As one who has been called a “Momcyclopedia” and a “real life Google,” I’m a mom many come to for advice on day-to-day. I created Julieverse to be a resource with tips to make life easier and more enjoyable for moms. I use my background in education, parenting, and marketing to guide parents in their everyday life.

 

YouTube Pinterest Instagram Twitter Facebook
  • Get In Touch
  • Advertising
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • TOS
© 2023 Julieverse.com. All rights reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.