June 20, 2011 (Monday)

The nurse mentioned that the rash on David’s arm is Shingles. I looked up some information about Shingles.

The following may cause the varicella zoster virus to become active and cause an outbreak of shingles:

• Anticancer and immunosuppression drugs that suppress the immune system (eg, chemotherapy)

Shingles is an infection caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same infection that causes chicken pox. The main difference, however, is that shingles generally erupts in a band on one side of the body, rather than all over your body.

After the chicken pox blisters have healed, the varicella zoster virus lies dormant (inactive) in neurons (nerve cells) next to your spinal cord, sometimes for decades. When the virus becomes active again, it travels down the nerve fibers that extend to your skin, and a rash develops.

David’s arm itches and hurts so badly that the nurse offered to take his blood pressure on his leg today instead of his arm.

Blood pressure taken on his leg