I Had Shingles, And I Wouldn’t Wish It On My Worst Enemy!

Shingles can appear anywhere, even on your face. Thankfully, mine were hidden on my chest and back

It all started with some back pain. At first, I chalked it up to a pulled muscle or something, as I’ve had back issues for the greater part of 20 years now. About a week later, I flew to Oregon for work, and while there I noticed three red spots on my chest. Acne? Maybe, not sure.

The following day, I boarded my 6-hour flight home, and I was in absolute AGONY, my back pain on a whole other level! So much so that had the stewardess bring me vodka after vodka, desperate to dull the pain (to no use). Thankfully, I still had Executive Platinum status with American at the time, so at least the drinks were free.

My flight got in pretty late, so I just got into bed and passed out. The next morning though, I woke up and saw dozens and dozens of red bumps on my chest and back, so I immediately called my doctor and got an appointment for later that morning. When he finally came into the room, I took off my shirt to show him the bumps and he said, “You have shingles.”

The Perfect Storm: Stress, Lack of Sleep, Barely Eating

At the time, my life was in chaos. My wife had just told me that she wanted a divorce, so I was emotionally drained, not sleeping well, barely eating because I had no appetite, and keeping everything to myself – I hadn’t told any of my friends about it yet. I thought I was managing the stress okay, but my body had other ideas.

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same one that causes chickenpox. If you had chickenpox as a kid, that virus never really leaves you; it just lays dormant in your nervous system, waiting. And when your immune system is weakened, whether by illness, poor health, or major stress, it can wake up and wreak havoc on your life.

My divorce was that wake-up call.

What Shingles Really Feels Like

If you’ve never had shingles, here’s the best way I can describe it: Imagine a sunburn so bad that even a t-shirt feels like sandpaper, mixed with stabbing nerve pain that comes out of nowhere. And it’s not just physical, the fatigue hits you hard, like your energy has been stolen.

In my case, the pain lasted nearly 6 weeks, with my doctor saying it was one of the worst cases of shingles he’d seen in the past 10 years. Even after the rash started to heal, my nerves were still on fire. Some people develop postherpetic neuralgia, where the pain lingers for months or even years.

2025 UPDATE: I’ve still got lingering “shocks” of pain that come and go, but it’s manageable. And a bunch of scars on my back that I can’t see, but others will sometimes comment on.

What I Wish I Knew Before

Here’s the thing: shingles isn’t rare anymore for people under 50. Stress is a huge trigger, and if your body’s already run down, it doesn’t take much for the virus to strike.

If I could go back, I’d tell myself:

• Don’t ignore stress – Ffind a healthy way to deal with it, whether that’s working, talking with a therapist, or something else.
• Get checked early – Antiviral meds can make shingles shorter and less severe, but you need to start them quickly.
• Consider the shingles vaccine – Shingrix is now recommended for more than just seniors. Talk to your doctor.

Since going through this, I’ve become very vocal about shingles, and tell anyone that’s 50+ to make sure that they get the shingles vaccine, as you don’t want to get shingles. Those dramatic commercials you see talking about how painful it is, they’re not lying. This was by far the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced in my life!

My Takeaway

I’ll admit, divorce taught me a lot about emotional resilience. And shingles taught me about physical vulnerability. They’re both battles you don’t win by pushing harder, you win them by taking care of yourself.

If you’re going through a stressful time, please take it seriously. Sleep, eat well, say no when you need to, and give yourself a much-needed break. Because sometimes, your body will give you one whether you like it or not.