Leticia
A Shingles Story
Place of Residence: Eagle Pass, Texas
Leticia is a devoted Community Health Worker at heart. She loves to help others by providing health information and connecting them to trustworthy resources. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family.
Leticia shares the story of her painful shingles diagnosis and what she wishes she knew before her symptoms started.
How did you first become sick and how were you feeling?
In May 2025, I developed a mild pain in my abdomen near my belly button. About three days later, the pain traveled to my lower back. I thought it might be a mild case of constipation, so I took a laxative. However, the pain continued, and I was in constant discomfort.
At what point did you know your illness was serious?
Five days after experiencing pain in my lower back, the pain became excruciating. I went to urgent care and the doctor suspected I had extreme constipation. They sent me to the emergency room (ER) of my local hospital to be evaluated.
In the ER, the doctor ordered blood work, heart exams, and a CT scan. My blood work and heart exams looked good, but the CT scan showed I was constipated, so they sent me home with more laxatives.
The next day, my condition continued to worsen. The pain was unbearable, and I was unable to sleep. My stomach felt bloated, and I couldn’t tolerate being touched on my abdomen. My husband decided to take me to an ER out of town, where the doctor ordered more tests.
While we were waiting for the additional exams, he told me that based on the symptoms I was experiencing, he believed I had shingles.
How did your illness progress?
My test results confirmed what the doctor suspected: I had shingles. However, due to being misdiagnosed at the urgent care clinic and my local ER, I developed an intestinal infection from my constipation. I was prescribed a very strong antibiotic for the infection and was given a 7-day antiviral treatment for shingles. They also prescribed me a strong pain reliever for the discomfort I was experiencing from the shingles virus, but the medication never eased the pain.
After being discharged from the ER, my shingles symptoms continued for a month. It was the worst pain of my life.
Were you vaccinated?
Prior to my experience with shingles, I had never heard of the illness, so I didn’t know there was a vaccine for it. Now that I know what shingles is and how painful it can be, I think it’s important for everyone eligible to get vaccinated against the virus, especially older adults.
What advice would you give to others? What would you say to someone who’s unsure about getting vaccinated?
If someone has questions about getting vaccinated, I recommend that they seek information from their doctor, local clinic, or other medical professionals. Many pharmacies and medical clinics have resources about vaccines, and they can also direct you to reliable online resources on their website or through social media.
What do you want others to know about shingles?
Shingles is a viral illness that can be incredibly painful, but it’s preventable through vaccination for people over the age of 50 or who are immunocompromised. I wouldn’t wish this pain on anyone, and I urge everyone eligible, particularly older adults, to protect themselves by getting vaccinated.
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