Pain aplenty

Slept OK last night, but noticed the pain was slowly increasing. Took an Endone pill when going to bed, and 6 hours later, at 3am, had to take another (the last one for the 24 hour period). Woke up and everything was hurting. And the pain had come back severely at the top of my legs/lower back. Was sort of joined with more pain going down both legs. That was what originally made me think I'd done something to my back and it was affecting my sciatic nerve. 

Had been trying to find out about it online. This gave a pretty good description of what's happened:

Shingles (herpes zoster) is an acute infection of the nerves that supply sensation to the skin, generally at one or several spinal levels and on one side of the body (right or left). Patients with shingles usually have had chickenpox earlier in life. The herpes virus that causes chickenpox is believed to exist in a dormant state within the spinal nerve roots long after the chickenpox resolves. In people with shingles, this virus reactivates to cause infection along the sensory nerve, leading to nerve pain and usually an outbreak of shingles (tiny blisters on the same side of the body and at the same nerve level). The back pain in patients with shingles of the lumbar area can precede the skin rash by days. Successive crops of tiny blisters can appear for several days and clear with crusty inflammation in one to two weeks.
Link

Fuck no wonder I'm in pain. The bloody Shingle virus has attacked my sciatic nerve FFS! And although the Shingle blisters themselves are only on the left side, the pain is on both sides at the base of my spine, including in the front. Hurts like hell to touch even where there's no rash at all. And it's down both legs, although perhaps more on the left than right. It's pretty full on, basically the whole bottom part of my body hurts to varying degrees, even round my lower stomach. Daughter took these pics this morning. She's a bit freaked out by it, but as I've researched it a lot online it's easy to calm her down as I know what's happening.

  

The whole lot now is starting to scab, which is good. I do wish though there was a corresponding reduction in pain levels, I guess that's still to come. Have made a appt with my HIV GP Tuesday. He's back on Monday but when I rang yesterday he was nearly booked out for the day already, only appts left were late afternoon. Ended up getting one Tues appt a bit after 11am.

Simon has gone to the movies with the friend who he was looking after her dog a while back. Told him last night that I was feeling a bit upset about it all, especially that it happened just perfect timing for his visit. Feel a bit better that at least he's getting out. Trying not to feel guilty as it's not my fault, but I do feel sad.