Don't Catch It If You Can: Lupus and Contagious Conditions

Just recently my daughter had her fourth birthday party. Being an autoimmune disease mother who tries to be so careful, I do not know how I end up getting sick - but I got sick after the party.

I woke up the next morning with blisters and a rash. I thought they appeared due to my lupus, so I avoided the issue. But it started to become more painful, and I started to have very bad nerve pain. I was avoiding going to the doctor for a while, but one day the pain was too overbearing and I ended up going to the hospital.

Lupus and shingles

I was seen at the ER and the doctor told me it looks like a lupus flare - but that I might also have something called shingles. Shingles is an acute inflammation of the nerve ganglia with a skin eruption of the middle body.¹ The doctor thought it was strange that mine was at my middle thigh and my leg. It was way more painful than what I most times experience with lupus.

The doctor told me it never really occurs in someone my age, but while it was in blistering status I needed to not let anyone touch it or be near it. He said it is very contagious during that stage, so it was very hard to be around my children during that time.

He also told me to wear pants to make it easier around my children. Those days were dreadful because my children loved being under me and being around mommy. I ended up sleeping often and just being in pain during this time, but doing for my children.

The healing process

The ER doctor prescribed me Prednisone, Valacyclovir, and Norco. The steroids and the inflammation pills helped me to cope with having shingles, but sometimes my skin would continue to itch after the healing process.

Getting through the healing process was a good thing, because after the blisters busted I was no longer contagious. I was able to be around my children and start my return back to normal.

How easy it is to get sick

This experience had me thinking, if I was contagious with shingles, then who had it to begin with and why would they come to my child's party? I had everyone using one specific bathroom and I used it as well during the day, but I did not think I would get this sick or that it would be that bad.

With shingles, it has been painful to sit, walk, even to lift my arms. I broke out in hives all over my body and where those hives are is where the pain is. I discovered that part was just my lupus.

I also had to take steroids to help deal with the rash and pain. I really hope that stops because I do not want to take steroids my whole life. I already do not have tissue between the bone, so that is what makes it hectic for me with taking steroids.

Please be careful who you let around you and or in your house because if they have something contagious, or don't take precautions, you can easily get sick.