I was diagnosed with shingles 7 years ago at the age of 32. They hurt and burned horribly. They were in the back of my head, under my hair...scabs everywhere..uck!!!

Since then I have been diagnosed with lupus. One of the flare up symptoms is the butterfly rash across the cheeks and nose. So about 2 months ago, I noticed a really reddish kinda welt on my right cheek and chalked it up to lupus. About 2 weeks ago, I started getting a terrible red rash on the right side of my neck. I didn't have time to pay attention.

I was in the hospital with Steve yesterday, and one of the nurses in his room said (without me asking) "Thats a nasty looking case of shingles you got". I said "huh"??? I called my doc and was in his office w/in 2 hours. Yep, shingles again. Its extremely rare to get it more than once. And he said he can't treat it unless I came to him within 72 hours of the first sign of the blisters, and that the welt on my cheek from 2 months ago is NOT lupus but the mother shingle. He also thought it important for me to know that since I neglected myself (once again) that I could possible have this for 6 months instead of the standard 2-6 weeks.

I already have major self esteem issues...this isn't helping...

OK, got that all out!