“My mother had shingles on her face and I’m here to share the story”

My mother had shingles on the B1 zone (top left) of her face. It was an experience that we, as children, felt very bad.

On the evening of February 15^th, my older sister called to say that our mother had red eye. I asked her to send me a photo, in which I forwarded to her cardiologist asking if she needed to stop her usual anticoagulant medication to prevent further bleeding in the eye. Her cardiologist said no, but I have decided to ask my sister to take her to an ophthalmologist the next day. During the call, my mother mentioned that she also had a headache; I told her to take a painkiller, but she did not do it.

On February 16^th, my mother’s red eye got worse. My sister brought her to Vibhavadi Hospital and she was diagnosed with severe blepharitis, with multiple scratches on her corneas. I felt sorry for the pain she must be feeling but I was also relieved that she was getting treatment. However, the ophthalmologist had some concerns when my mother complained about the lingering headache.

The next day, the ophthalmologist appointed a follow up for her eye condition to diagnose the specific pathogen that is causing her discomfort. After the checkup, her condition did not get better so the doctor started to suspect that there was an underlying condition, such as herpes—however no other sores were found on the left side of her face. Meanwhile, her headache was still present.

On the 18^th, my sister sent me a photo of our mom, who was now developing fluid-filled sores and red patches on the left side of her face. My heart dropped. My hands started shaking as I started doing research on herpes in the eyes, and it turned out that the leading symptom was a headache. Unfortunately, it can also damage the corneas and destroy one’s vision if left untreated. This time, I made 3 appointments with a dermatologist, an ophthalmologist, and a neurologist; and took my mother to the dermatologist right away. The dermatologist confirmed that she had shingles, because the sores were showing up along the cranial nerves line in the B1 (top left) zone of the face. My mother was in so much pain, I could hardly believe it.

I almost cried thinking about all the times my mother was telling us about her excruciating headache, the ones we thought was just a normal headache or from blepharitis. My mother was admitted to the hospital and was taken care of by Dr. Phagarnart Eiumtrakul, ophthalmologist. The best option for the successful treatment of shingles in the elderly is to administer medication through the IV.

Neurologist Dr. Pongsakorn Tanayapong also came to see my mother and after a thorough examination, he confirmed that her headaches were directly linked to the outbreak, and not by issues related to the vascular system.

After knowing the truth about my mother’s ailments, every one of us siblings were feeling so guilty for not believing her when she told us something was wrong.

Mom was in the hospital from February 18^th to 22^nd, and every day she got better from the medication she was administered. However, her corneas were damaged from the outbreak, but showed signs of improving. Every single doctor that took care of her were amazing and kind, with special thanks to Dr. Kitti Trakulrattanawong, thanks to all the doctors who were patient and understanding with answering questions from our family. Thanks to the nurses in Ward 8 V, who were constantly in and out of the room checking on my mother and giving her medication, as well as being emotionally supportive throughout her stay at the hospital.

Even though my mother was getting better, but the medication she took had many side effects and the main one was fatigue and sleepiness, sometimes she forgot where she was, sometimes she dreamt she was here and there, sometimes she would pray to herself, and she would have conversations with us then forget about it.

The side effects lingered when she returned home to my sister’s house, causing her to be excessively sleepy and forgetful. These got better when her medication was adjusted, and even though she constantly had a headache (normal in elderly patients with shingles), but most of the time she is alert and able to do things on her own, like talking on the phone and scolding at the family dog.

My sister kept a close eye on our mother’s medication and constantly took her to checkups for her eyes which are healing, but her left eye was so damaged that her vision was affected. Two weeks later, we still felt guilty for allowing mom to suffer for 3 days without doing anything about it. At the age of 89, we should have taken her to a doctor as soon as she told us something was wrong.

Things that I have learned from this experience:

1. The first signs and symptoms of shingles may not be red rashes or fluid-filled blisters. If an older family member repeatedly inform you of their discomforts, please do not ignore their call for help. Take them to see a medical professional as soon as possible.

2. Vaccination for shingles are necessary for people over 60, because it is better and safer to prepare their immune system for the virus. Even though it does not protect them 100%, but it can help make the symptoms during an outbreak less severe.

3. Don’t leave your elderly family members alone if they are dealing with an illness and are not mentally alert. Talk to them consistently to encourage their cognition to be active, but focus on positive and lighthearted topics.

                                                                                                                                                  Written by Pu-Phad (pseudonym)