Vent! Shingles related

DFWIndian

I currently work in an audiology clinic. We don't have our office person here so I'm covering and me doctor just told me he invited a patient in with Shingle that her doctor "can't seem to control." To me this means that the patient is probably currently contagious. He apparently talked to his wife, sonogram tech, who stated Shingles is not contagious. I know my doctor warned me about it since she knew the demographic I deal with and there apparently have been more cases then normal of Shingles in the area.

Well, the reason I need to vent is my doctor went on Web MD and found an article that said it's not contagious too and is fighting with me saying that my doctor is wrong. I don't have a choice on dealing with this patient and I won't turn her away, but I will sure be wearing gloves when dealing with her. I think I'm more pissed off that my doctor is literally yelling at me saying that my doctor and I are wrong.

I don't have an HR department to go to, we are privately owned. It's taking a lot in me to not just walk out today. I think this makes my decision to leave final!

Sorry just needed to vent

Manx4

I would be soooo p!ssed off - from what I read and know - I believe it's only contagious if you have never had chickenpox.  If you have, you're "safe", shingles is something the chickenpox virus leaves in you once it's gone that has the potential to mutate into shingles later in life. 

So if he has shingles and you've had chicken pox, you're probably fine.  I'd still wear gloves though, don't want to touch those blisters!  

terri_doula2010

Steph+J:

If it's scabby, it's not contagious.  And you can't get shingles. You CAN get chickenpox (if you haven't already had it), just as an FYI.

 

This. I've had shingles (OMG the terrors) and still went to work and everything and didn't infect anyone else and worked at a university at the time). By the time I knew what it was, scabs had already formed.

BeachBabe22

SHINGLES IS CONTAGIOUS!!! 

 

I had shingles when I was a senior in high school and I got it from my poppop.  He  was diagnosed about three weeks before I saw him and we didn't hug or anything because he said he didn't want to spread it to me or anyone else in my family.  About a week later I went to the doctors thinking I had poison ivy and sure enough it was shingles.  I had chicken pox when I was in elementary school and still got shingles.  So please don't listen to people who say it's not contagious or you can't get it if you've already had chicken pox.  I would refuse to see that patient.   

DFWIndian

terri_doula2010:

Steph+J:

If it's scabby, it's not contagious.  And you can't get shingles. You CAN get chickenpox (if you haven't already had it), just as an FYI.

 

This. I've had shingles (OMG the terrors) and still went to work and everything and didn't infect anyone else and worked at a university at the time). By the time I knew what it was, scabs had already formed.

I wouldn't mind if it was controlled and if she had it covered, but that's not the case from what I'm hearing. I'm probably just being the paranoid FTM. It can take weeks for it to go away so I don't expect her to be a hermit. I think it was more the way my provider handled it then anything else.

tinyhumantoe

Call your doctor, ask his advice.  You'll either decide to leave for the day or your fears will be put to rest.

tyrannasaurusjess

I had a shingles situation not too long ago and here is what went down and what *I* was told by my drs---

A coworker had shingles and didn't tell anyone because she read they weren't contagious. I found out through the grapevine and decided to call my Dr just to be safe. They asked if I had had (is that right?) the chicken pox before, and I have, so they weren't too immediately concerned, but suggested I get blood work done just in case. So I did and was told I needed to see a neonatologist because my results came back iffy. Basically my bloodwork said that I was immune, but that there was an active virus going on in my system, which they believed to mean that the baby had the virus, which would've translated into chicken pox for him/her.

So I had an ultrasound to check the baby's growth-- I guess if you come into contact with the herpes zoster virus in early pregnancy, it can cause growth problems in the fetus. If you come in contact late (like days before you deliver), the baby has a higher risk of contracting the virus, and it's quite possible he or she will be born with the itchy little spots. Basically, though, what I gathered was in general if you've had the chicken pox in the past, the chances of infection to your baby are low.

And bummer about the bad experience at work. I can sympathize with that also. Hope everything works out for you!

terri_doula2010

BeachBabe22:

SHINGLES IS CONTAGIOUS!!! 

 

I had shingles when I was a senior in high school and I got it from my poppop.  He  was diagnosed about three weeks before I saw him and we didn't hug or anything because he said he didn't want to spread it to me or anyone else in my family.  About a week later I went to the doctors thinking I had poison ivy and sure enough it was shingles.  I had chicken pox when I was in elementary school and still got shingles.  So please don't listen to people who say it's not contagious or you can't get it if you've already had chicken pox.  I would refuse to see that patient.   

You ONLY get shingles IF you've had chicken pox. I don't think anyone has said that you can't get them if you've had chicken pox. The bigger concern pregnancy-wise is that if you haven't had chicken pox you can get it FROM someone with shingles.