TODAY IS THE DAY


Happy Saturday bloggie friends

So, last week I posted that I wanted to pay it forward......

send out to the universe..a gift

from a special place in my heart.

But it bothered me a bit that only one name would be chosen.

That is always the problem I have with gift aways.

I want everyone to be the receiver.

So..................

during the week I had enough postcards made for

everyone who took the time

to leave me a note.

That just made me happy.

They are high quality cards that you can use as a postcard, of course,

or just save.

The accompanying prose is on the back.


It's a small thing.........a glitter of happiness and hope

so each of you that left me a comment on my last post-gift away below

send me your snail mail at faerieluna at cox.net
(I write it that way to avoid all that awful spam.......but I'm sure you knew that!!)

p.s. Sharon, Peggy, Cat, Carol, Sarah, and Andrea I am all set with your addy







And you are asking who is receiving the original piece????????????????
that would be

Sherri..........who finds herself all tied up in ribbons!!

I am pleased to be sending this to you and will need your snail mail

and I know I don't have to ask you to 'pay it forward'
as you do that all the time it seems.


Oh, and a shingles update

Thank you for all your notes and good thoughts
I have had a much better week
But I wanted to tell you something important

YOU CAN GET A VACCINE FOR SHINGLES!!!!
Yes.....I learned that from my doctor this week

She wants me to have it as it to prevent it returning

AND, her advice is to call your insurance company to see
if your plan will cover it

Can I just say..............

DO IT!!!!!

I wish I knew about it before this
because the PHN is awful!!

the rash is somewhat managable
PHN........I can't even describe
so I pasted info below to try

What Is PHN?

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a condition that affects the nerve fibers in the skin. It is the most common complication of shingles and results from damage to nerve fibers during shingles. The rash and pain from shingles usually lasts about a month. But in people with PHN, the pain from shingles may last for months, and sometimes years, after the shingles rash has healed.

For many people age 50 or older, prescription oral FAMVIR (famciclovir) may significantly shorten the duration of PHN, reducing the number of days you have pain. In one clinical study, people age 50 or older who took FAMVIR experienced PHN for about 63 days compared with 163 days for people who did not take FAMVIR. The people who took FAMVIR started taking the medication within 72 hours (3 days) after the shingles rash appeared. FAMVIR is available in easy-to-swallow tablets.

The pain from PHN occurs because of damage to the nerve fibers caused by a reactivation of the varicella zoster virus. Nerve fibers send messages from the skin to the brain. When nerve fibers are damaged during an outbreak of shingles, they are not able to send messages as they normally do. The body may perceive these "mixed messages" as pain.

Age is a primary risk factor for the development of PHN. Older people are more susceptible to PHN than those who are younger. PHN usually does not develop in people under age 50. However, over 40% of patients with shingles age 60 or older develop PHN. After the shingles rash has healed, 75% of people over age 70 have pain at 1 month, and 50% still have pain at 1 year.

During an outbreak of shingles, other risk factors for the development of PHN include:

  • Greater pain severity
  • Greater rash severity
  • Sensory impairment (problems with feeling touch) in the affected skin
  • Painful period before the shingles rash appears
  • The trigeminal nerve (a nerve in the face) is affected

Prompt treatment with an oral antiviral medication like FAMVIR (within 3 days after the shingles rash appears) may reduce the duration of PHN in many people


6 comments:

Sherri said...

OMG, OMG...I cannot believe you drew my name for the original! I am beyond estatic......I'll email you right away....oh wow....

I am sorry for your PHN too, I know it can be awful!

Maija said...

I'm glad you are feeling better from the shingles!

~*~Patty S said...

Congratulations to Sherri!!! AND thank you so much for thinking of everyone!
Hoping each day finds you doing much better than the last! The vaccine info is also very valuable thank you!

Sherri said...

I received this lovely painting today. It is so lovely. Thank you again! I am so honored.

~Red Tin Heart~ said...

That is really sweet of you to do that for everyone. I am glad you are feeling better.
xoxo Nita

catworx said...

Rella, you are such a sweet girl!!! Thank you for the wonderfully meaning-full postcard, I will look at it often and think about it!
And lucky Sherri, I am so happy that you won, ENJOY!!!