I admire my mother-in-law. From sorehead and rashes that turn out to be Shingles with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome my mother-in-law still generally unwell but she is full of positivity.
It's more than a week now since she was brought to the hospital and diagnosed with Shingles and Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. It's the last day of her treatment today. I prepared her medicine every day and made sure she takes it on time.
Her treatment includes:
66 Prednisolone (Steroids)
8 Lansoprazole
31 Aciclovir
This treatment is for 8 days. For the rashes, I apply white vinegar, milk and olive oil to help them dries up. I got that from Dra Farrah Bunch. I also bought her Vitamin C to boost her immune system.
As of now.
The rashes are drying up, though the pain and sleepless night are still present. Mum is not well since she had these Shingles. And there are not many changes aside from the rashes drying up after taking medicines. So we are hoping in the coming days her health will improve.
This is serious so please if you have parents or grandparents let them get Shingles Vaccine. This is dreadful for the elderly to get through this kind of infection since it targets old people with a low immune system.
What happens to Mum since she got these Shingles with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome?
She hasn't watch tv ever since.
She just sits on her chair.
She doesn't converse as she used to unless you ask her.
She can't even comb her hair, it's sore. Good thing she only has short hair.
She can't put on her shoes by herself, she has to wait for me to do it.
She cannot go out or walk in the garden because she's not well.
She can't sleep at night because her head not letting her. So we let her doze off at her chair during the daytime.
Sometimes she cries, she's so upset because she never had anything wrong with her before this. She is healthy all her life. Even my late father-in-law used to tell her that she will be living in her hundreds. And her previous Doctor told her that she's the healthiest in Comber, not a murmur in her heart. That's why she doesn't understand why she has this. She keeps asking me. And the pain she's going through, it breaks our heart.
I miss her humour! She's full of fun!
She doesn't like taking 18 tablets a day. She can't even swallow the medicine if it's not capsules. She hates the taste of it but still, she's taking it because she wants to get back to normal. She wants to feel good again. She had enough of the pain but she will stick to it.
But.
Mum always says,
"I'll be better tomorrow. I will try to stick the pain. Don't worry I'll be back to normal."
And never she will lie down in bed if it's not her bedtime. She gets up early like she used to. I make sure she eats well. I keep pushing for more and make her drink plenty. I keep telling jokes to her and playing "Bricklayer's Song". That's our favourite song to have a good laugh at. Tia keeps asking her if she's feeling better now. And remind Lola that she has to take her medicine to make her feel better.
And she keeps singing a new song or showcase her new dance move to make Lola smile. Ahh, we try our best to support Mum and it's so much easier because despite the pain she is very optimistic that she will get better and that she will get back to her feet again.
Shingles and Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is no joke. Please look after the elderly in your family. Get the Shingle Vaccine. If they have the symptoms within 48 hours take them to the hospital for the doctor to give better treatment and for faster recovery. I wish we took her earlier so she got the treatment earlier. Please learn that lesson and don't waste time.
I think the worst part is when she can't kiss her grandchildren and the kids especially Tia are not allowed to kiss her. She doesn't even want them near her in case they catch something from her especially Tia since she never had chickenpox before. I missed these kisses but for now, they do flying kisses.
She will get better soon. Her health will be back again and she can get back on her feet and go to the beach with us.
Thank you for reading.
She's getting better and soon fully recovered na. Ang hirap pala nian no. lalo kasi matanda na siya. sana lang talaga mapabilis na recovery nya