After being hospitalized for shingles, my slow recovery resumes at home

I’m home, at last, after a 17-day hospital stay where I was treated for shingles.

Oddly enough, after it was determined by my care team that I was a viable candidate for a lung transplant following my diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, I was vaccinated for shingles. The post-transplant immunosuppression protocol is rigorous, so vaccines are part of the transplant workup, and I completed the Shingrix (zoster vaccine recombinant, adjuvanted) protocol.

Still, complications can occur despite vaccination, which I discovered last month.

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Hospitalized and isolated

It started with back pain, which was diagnosed by my primary care physician (PCP) as a urinary tract infection. They prescribed a 10-day course of Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim), but eight or nine days in, my foot turned bright red, and the next morning it began to blister.

Sam Kirton uses a walker to get around after experiencing foot drop following a 17-day stay at Inova Fairfax Hospital for a shingles infection. (Courtesy of Sam Kirton)

My PCP sent me to the emergency room (ER) at Inova Fairfax Hospital, where I was met by my transplant care team, who admitted me for what was to become a 17-day stay. My blood pressure was extremely low in the ER, which was a cause for concern.

Testing confirmed a diagnosis of shingles, and my transplant team was augmented by a neurology team, an interventional radiology team, an electrophysiologist, physical and occupational therapy, my kidney team, and an infectious disease team, who decided that I should be isolated until the blistering stopped.

My room was closed, and the door was marked. Anyone going in, including my wife, Susan, had to wear an exterior gown, mask, and gloves, which then had to be dropped in a bin on the way out.

The neurology team took care of the shooting nerve pain in my left leg and foot, which often reached the high end of the pain scale. A ketamine drip helped, but I asked to have it removed after several days.

The ketamine was replaced with a combination of tramadol and Tylenol (acetaminophen). I’m still taking them to deal with increased pain from physical therapy, which I continue at home.

The neurology team wanted a lumbar puncture to look for inflammation or infection in my spinal fluid, and an interventional radiologist was brought in. I anticipated pain, but I only felt the pinch when the lidocaine was administered and didn’t feel the puncture or fluid draw. I did have some issues with swelling and fluid retention, but the kidney team prescribed a diuretic, which I’m still taking.

I write all this to show how seamlessly the entire Inova transplant team worked with all of the other specialties to get me ready to go home. I’m still being monitored and am receiving skilled nursing care and physical therapy from Mary Washington Home Health, along with in-home assistance from Right at Home.

My lower left leg and foot are experiencing foot drop, so I’m using a walker to get around. I also have an appointment coming up next month after an atrial flutter was detected in the hospital.

My recovery may take months. For now, I will perfect the use of a walker and make every breath count.

Note: Pulmonary Fibrosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Pulmonary Fibrosis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to pulmonary fibrosis.