Shingle Lady

[darkcrimsongoth]

Hey everyone!

So here I go.

Shingle Lady: SL
Me: Me!
Manager: Manager

Me: *opening spiel*
SL:*responds in some way, *
Me: *starts cutting the tag off the trolley thing*
SL: I DIDN'T STEAL ANYTHING!!!!1!!!11!
Me: o.0 I'm cutting the tag off for you.
SL: *starts muttering something bout how she used to work for a store etc etc*
Me: o.0 *starts packing bags* *puts the paper towel in the trolley thing* *starts to put in another bag*
SL: No! I want other stuff to go on top!
Me: Oh Ok.
SL: *Implying that I'm slow, you know the tone of voice* Are you with me yet?
Me: *didn't respond, as I'm not demeaning myself to answer that*
SL: Obliviously not.
Me: *continues putting stuff in bags*
SL: I have shingles, I should be in hospital, it's contagious. I shouldn't be out.
Me: *thinking: Why don't you go then?*
SL:*phone rings* Hello? HELLO? HELLO? YOU GOING TO ANSWER? *puts phone on counter* Fucking someone on the phone and they're not fucking talking.
SL: Now they fucking hung up.
Me: *Remaining silent, dreading speaking* *Manager has come over with my change*.
Me: Your total is $XX.XX
SL: Let me get it out. I have shingles. I shouldn't be out, I should be in hospital.
SL: *To manager* You! You've had shingles? *Manager is ignoring her at the moment, concentrating on my change* You've had shingles? They're contagious!
Manager: Nope.
SL: They're contagious!!!11!!!1!!
Me: *Takes money and puts it in the till.* I just need to check your bag.
SL: I have to go! I have shingles! *shows bag* It's contatigous. I SHOULD BE IN THE HOSPITAL!!!!
Me: Have a good day.
SL: *Mutters something and walks off.*

Once she's gone, I grab the hand sanatizer and cover my arms and hands in it.

That's the gist of the story, but jeeze, if you've got shingles fuck off to the doctor or hospital or your home and STAY THERE.

/End rage

[Seshat]

While the sanitizer is a good idea in general, shingles is a virus and (afaik) the sanitizer won't kill it.

If you get a rash, especially a rash with blisters, double-especially if it follows a nerve pathway, go to the doctor. Straight away. (Depending on laws where you are, a pharmacy may be alright.)

There is now a specific antiviral for shingles, but it must be injected within X days of the rash appearing. I don't know how many days.

Tell the doctor that you've been exposed to shingles, and you want the rash checked, and the antiviral administered if appropriate.


But yes - if you have a nasty contagious illness like shingles, please don't wander around like that.

(I THINK that if you're not exposed to the blisters, you're safe. But I wouldn't put it past someone like that to scratch the blistered skin then handle her goods/money/whatever without any attempt to clean her hands. )

[BeenThereDoneThat]

Wow...the shingles have spread to her brain...

I'm surprised she has the energy to be complaining and cursing at the top of her lungs, let alone be out grocery shopping and spreading her shingles/chicken pox virus to everyone in sight. My aunt had shingles and she said it was the most painful physical thing she ever went through. I've had chicken pox so I could get shingles someday...hopefully I can avoid them. In any event I find it pretty easy to avoid being a SC.

[Metody]

Shingles is from the same virus as chickenpox, so chances are, you've already been exposed.

Usually, herpes zoster (the virus in question) goes dormant after initial exposure. In a lucky few, it reactivates and forms nasty red patches of painful blisters, usually on the trunk of the body. This is more likely to happen if you're over 60, got exposed before age one, or have a weakened immune system.

People who have shingles can have more than one outbreak a year. They should avoid contact with uninfected people if the lesions are actually oozing, but they don't have to hide away at home. You don't go to the hospital for shingles unless it shows up in your eyes or you have a ton of other big, big problems.

If you've never had chickenpox, you shouldn't slap your hand down on the oozing lesions, but otherwise, you should be okay.

[darkcrimsongoth]

Yeah, the sanitizer probably didn't do anything, but it was the only thing I had at the time. I didn't see any blisters/legions, but it might have been where her clothes where.

I'm already sick, I don't need this to get me too. D:

[HappyFun Ball]

I've seen the shingles rash.. Ugh! (Sorry clusters of blisters just downright disgusts me).. Just reading this makes me want to get the shingles vaccine.

That woman should not be out trying to infect the rest of the world.

[Beckpatton]

"I'm contagious!! I'm contagious!!"

Thank God stupidity isn't contagious!!

oh and also, when I'm run down, I get one shingle on my eyelid, just below my eyebrow.. just one! It's really weird and annoying but the doctor said it's a shingle.. I don't think I am contagious when I have it, it's not like full blown shingles.. Some people get cold sores when they are stressed and run down, I get eye herpes!!!

FYI- If you do ever get shingles, whether just one or a whole bunch, I suggest a nice cold ice pack on the affected area! Works a treat! If I can get to mine before it actually comes up, (I can feel it before it blisters, like an itchy tingle) Chuck the ice pack on it, and I get nothing more then a red mark... if I don't I end up with a big red scab, even when I don't pick at it..

It's so attractive!

[morgana]

I have shingles.

I average about two outbreaks a year. Yes, it can be painful, oozy, disgusting, fatiguing, feverish, yadda yadda. But it isn't the end of the world, and you don't need the hospital, and it isn't even all that contagious if you don't smear the ooze all over yourself. (Ewww . . .) And a dozen acyclovir from your doctor will kill an outbreak in two days, and a bottle of sambucal from the health food store has been known to kill an outbreak in four hours. I'll take shingles over arthritis any day.

Shingle Lady was just another entitlement whore. She wanted you to be all grossed out so she could take advantage of it. Glad you shut her down.

ETA: I'll have to try that ice-pack trick

[Gerrinson]

The sanitizer may work, it depends on what it uses as a sanitary agent. Alcohol will kill viruses and bacteria both. If you were using some sort of anti-bacterial agent, then not so much.

[Frantic Freddie]

I've had shingles too & wouldn't wish it on anybody.Since it's a nerve disease regular painkillers won't work,my Dr had me take Lyrica & what a relief! I was able to sleep & my appetite returned.

[AnaKhouri]

I've had it (not on my face thankfully) and it hurts like a motherfracker. Why WAS she out?

And it's really only dangerous (as I understand it) if you're elderly or if you've never had chicken pox before. If you've never had it, someone with shingles can give you chicken pox.

Most kids have the vaccine these days but when I had shingles I stayed home from work 2 days then asked not to be scheduled in kids' just in case until the rash was totally gone.

[Food Lady]

She shouldn't have been out without a handler, not because of the shingles, but because she obvously has some kind of mental illness.

[BrenDAnn]

I've had a minor outbreak of shingles, on my left abdomen. Not the most fun in the world, but certainly not OMGFREAKOUTINEEDAHOSPITAL worthy, at least in my case. A quick visit to the doctor and a prescription later, and I was fine within a week or so. I suppose it can get bad for some folks, though. As was said before, it's the same virus as chickenpox, and as far as I'm aware, only happens AFTER someone has had chickenpox at some point in their lives. Not everyone who gets chickenpox gets shingles though, just lucky ones like crazy lady there.

[Seshat]

I'm immune depressed.

My husband has shingles and gets outbreaks once a year or so.

I've never had shingles.

Yes, it can be contagious. A modicum of care, however, and an intelligent and caring family doctor, and it's no real problem.

[notlovinit]

Shingles are contagious?!

I had them a couple years ago and had no idea what it was. It was just a group of several scabs on my back. It looked like a weird spider bite. It didn't hurt or bug me anyway except that I couldn't figure out what it was.

I went to the doctor. He told me it was shingles and that it usually affects older people (I was only 18-19) and that if it wasn't bugging me not to worry about it and it would go away on its own. He never said I could potentially have infected everyone around me. I didn't take any time off work or anything.