In preparation for writing this blog entry I attempted to find statistics for the occurrence of shingles in women after they’ve given birth.
Although I couldn’t find any numbers; I did find many women recounting their shingles experience via forums and blogs.
There is a commonality – all these women realized they were at the very height of whatever stress they were contending with.
Some reported it being their struggles with breastfeeding or -as was my case , self-sacrifice to an unhealthy extreme.
There was also- almost always – a moment of insight that came along with the shingles. Acceptance of what had gotten us to this point and what we could do to change things.
I’ve found -through repeated experience – a physical manifestation of symptoms is the last stage of unresolved emotional turmoil.
It’s as if the body finally exclaims – You are not meeting our needs and don’t seem to be getting the message!
That’s yet another commonality I found within these stories. We were not feeling well and yet -we persistently pushed our needs aside.
So , Id like to add my own story to the collective of women who have shared this experience . And – rejoice in the gifts that it brought along with it.
It all started with a pain in – maybe on – that’s the thing , it felt internal, yet – it didn’t. Felt like an interior bruise – that at times felt sharp.
Didn’t seem like there was much for me to do about it so – the days passed and a rash appeared. I can’t explain how but – instinctively , knew -somehow – that it was shingles.
Before I tell you what happened next – let’s recount what led me to that point . Anger was one emotion that stands out. I remember those angry red blisters -that appear with shingles -perfectly encapsulated what had been my interior landscape for some time.
Rigid and inflexible are a couple more well-suited descriptors of my behavior up to that point . I’d have lists of tasks to attend to -all the while , being my sons primary care giver. Not at all working with that days natural rhythm of unfolding.
I was sleep deprived and was not at all vocal about my needs. Breastfeeding around the clock and my diet was limited due to certain food intolerances on my sons behalf. (There will surely be a post about that )
Another major factor -that I’m able to see more clearly now – was a lack of vitamin D. It was a long , dark cold winter. I make sure to supplement during the winter months now. I use a naturally derived source of vitamin D. (Info below)
It is customary – almost a rite of passage to be sleep-deprived for the first few months of your child’s life but – if you find yourself acting like an angry maniac – please take a deep breath and assess your situation.
The act of asking for help – triggers something within us – and – usually , we are presented with answers on how to improve our situation to better suit our needs.
If you’re reading this with a case of post-pregnancy shingles – I assure you that good things are coming .
For now I’ll continue with my story . What I did to speed up healing time and ensure that the baby did not get infected – while still continuing to breastfeed.
After the rash appeared – I did what most people would do – I googled it. After looking through photos – it was questionable . Though – within a day , the rash started to take shape and was unmistakably shingles.
Found a nearby walk-in clinic and they confirmed that it was indeed , shingles. She sent me home with a medication that many claim is safe while breastfeeding but – I could not find any studies done to confirm this. In addition – when I asked the pharmacist for her opinion – she said , personally – wouldn’t take it.
So , I decided against it. Instead, I got myself an L- lysine supplement and vitamin C via plenty of lemon water . Both lysine and vitamin C are said to inhibit the virus from replicating .
A recommended dosage for lysine supplements while experiencing an outbreak of shingles is 1,500 to 3,000 milligrams per day. I took two 1000 milligram pills a day for the first week and just one a day the second week.
My main concern throughout was that my son would ultimately get chickenpox. I was fortunate that the shingles rash was located on my back and not elsewhere. It is contagious through direct contact of the fluid within the blisters- which – inevitably will burst. Each night Id wash the area with unscented soap and apply a lemon balm ointment.
Lemon balm is said to help reduce pain associated with shingles. I found a balm that alleviated the itching and discomfort – tremendously . (I’ve posted the info down below).
I’d then place gauze and seal it with tape. Eventually though- I began to experience painful skin irritations from the tape and switched to an ace bandage. Id ensure that no part of the rash was left exposed.
Each night I’d ask my husband to assist me with this . After months of an ever widening distance growing between us – this turned out to be an exercise in healing for both of us.
The whole experience lasted just a couple weeks and from what I’ve read – seems to be the general time table for most post-pregnancy shingles
Looking back now – I see how things began to shift from that point forward. I began taking care of myself and letting things go more often than not.
There’s a refrain my mother likes to say – when we feel better – we do better. Amen to that!
- Triquetra plant-based D3
- Teliaoils Lemon Balm Salve
- Solgar L-Lysine 1000 mg
** Disclaimer : I am not a qualified medical professional – therefore , not in the position to dispense medical advice . Just relaying my own experience
