ITS BEEN A WHILE

[ZR1dogan]

Well Guys,
I have been away for a while. 2013 was a really rough Health Year, 2014 was recovery.

Back surgery in early Jan - L4/L5.

In April, I was just about to be released by the back surgeon and I came down with a bad eye infection. It was red and with a deep pain (not scratchy) and the pain and redness just got worse over the week. Neither my Dr (Gen practitioner) or Optometrist (I didn’t have an Ophthalmologist at the time) knew what it was – they both said it was a virus – So no medicine to take – You just have to let it run its course – Bad Answer. On Saturday morning, my wife turned over and looked at my face and went: Oh My God – You’ve Got SHINGLES!! The lesions had popped out on the left side of my face and my eye was swollen shut.

Real Rough month, that got better, and then went downhill badly. In addition to the Pain, my eye was Hyper Sensitive to light. All I could do was lay in a dark room. My wife found me an Ophthalmologist that was also a Neurologist (Superman in my book). I was hospitalized and a spinal tap showed the virus had migrated from the eye back into my brain. Full blown encephalitis, requiring 2 weeks in the hospital. I was blessed. I made it to the hospital just before real bad things happened – like Death.

So the rest of 2013 was spent recovering. 2014 was recovering and trying to get caught up on lots of stuff – both Work and non-Work. Much of the non-Work was from way before 2013 as I was already behind due to WAY, WAY too much work for too many years.

My left eye vision is somewhat compromised, but I can see OK– (drops required, still quite sensitive). I fatigue easily. I used to go on 5 hours of sleep or less – Not an option anymore. I need 8 to 10 hours of sleep or I run completely out of gas.

But I am blessed to still be here and looking at the green side of the grass. Blessed to have a wife that took care of me and blessed to have a job with great medical insurance and sick leave and a great boss and colleagues that covered for me. I’m blessed to be able to bang on a keyboard and send a note to ZR-1 brethren. So No Complaints, I am blessed to get to manage my issues.

Now the reason for the Details above - Help drive the importance of following:
· Folks – Get the Shingles Shot. Most cases aren’t as bad as mine, but none are fun. Especially if you are under significant stress – and surgery/ anti-inflammatory steroids make you more susceptible. And you don’t have to be in your 50’s or 60’s. On the super stressful project I was on from 2006-2012, several folks in their 30’s and 40’s got the Shingles. I didn’t pay enough attention.
· If you, a loved one, a friend - get the Shingles don’t let it get in your eye – I didn’t have a choice – Mine started in my eye.
· If the Shingles do get into your eye – Get to a Neurologist-Preferably one in a big Medical Center. Especially if you get better and then go downhill very badly. You need intravenous meds. Even, very experienced Ophthalmologists will not know what is wrong with you, or how to treat you.

Again – I am blessed to be looking at the green side of the grass and I plan to begin taking advantage of that more and more. I just have to do it slowly. Part of that is to enjoy the Z and the NET more – Like I had planned 2 and a half years ago. I just had a detour for a while.


Robin
'94 Drk Red - Almost Stock
'94 Adm Blu - Not Stock

[Demps]

Robin,
Good hearing from you. Hope you have a full recovery.
Ted

[We Gone]

Robin, I don't think we have met but hope you life is now on an upswing. Summer getting close get out and drive your cars and feel better.

[JimZRyd]

Welcome back Robin! As a new member in the last couple years, also with a 94 AB, I look forward to meeting you someday! Good to hear you are on the recovery side of your illness. Varicella can be an SOB when it gets out of hand. Get one of your beasts out when it warms up and you will def feel much better!

[gbrtng]

Heed Robin's advise - get that shingle shot ASAP. Friends of mine who got shingles suffered but not as badly as Robin. It ain't fun anyway. Heck, I thought having strep throat and pink eye at the same time was a pi**er ...

G