Yikes! My mom has had shingles a couple of times and so has my father in law. In understand if you've had chicken pox at any time you can get shingles. It is supposedly more likely to attack elderly and people whose immune systems are low so it would seem important to pay attention to keeping one's immune system built up, and yes, elimination of stress also. It sounds terrible - I had chicken pox as a kid and I hope I never experience shingles - certainly sounds like another reason for an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure! Anyway here is some info I researched for my mom: Complimentary and Alternative Treatments for Shingles: Vitamin And Mineral Therapy for Shingles In addition to a daily multivitamin-mineral, individual supplements may be beneficial. Vitamin A for Shingles In the form of beta carotene, 25,000 IU twice a day for 2 weeks, then once daily to promote healing and potentiate the immune system. With medical approval, higher dosages of the emulsion form of vitamin A may be beneficial during the first 2 weeks. Avoid taking Vitamin A supplements during pregnancy. Vitamin B Complex for Shingles All B vitamins are essential for nerve function. Vitamin B12 is particularly important in preventing nerve damage. Take one comprehensive B-complex tablet each morning and evening. Take an additional 5 to 100 milligrams of B1, B6, and pantothenic acid with a teaspoon of brewer's yeast in half a cup of milk each 2 or 3 hours until the symptoms begin to subside, then once or twice a day. This speeds recovery and helps prevent a painful aftermath. Injections of B12 is shown to provide relief from excruciating pain in as little as 2 hours. Take this only under medical supervision. Vitamin B12, 100 mcg sublingual daily or B12 shots, 6,000 mcg weekly Vitamin B complex, 50 mg three times daily Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids for Shingles Vitamin C is excellent for supporting the immune system and acts as an antiviral agent. It aids in destroying the virus, help prevent postherpetic neuralgia, and boost the immune system. Bioflavonoids improve the absorption and use of vitamin C in the body. Take 1,000 to 4,000 milligrams of Vitamin C in divided doses throughout the day. Dosages should be continued for several days after the symptoms disappear, then gradually reduced. Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin D for Shingles 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams of calcium and 500 to 750 milligrams of magnesium in divided daily doses (some researchers advise 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams of magnesium and 500 to 1,000 milligrams of calcium), plus vitamin D (400 IU daily for I week, then reduced to 100 IU) to assist healing and protect sensitive nerve endings. Vitamin E for Shingles Vitamin E speeds healing, prevents scarring and reduces pain. Vitamin E assists the immune system, protects cell membranes from viral attack, and helps prevent the nerve damage responsible for residual pain. Oil from a vitamin E capsule can be massaged onto the skin several times daily. This may relieve discomfort and help avoid any scarring. If a lingering neuralgia persists once the infection has passed, higher dosages of vitamin E can reduce pain in certain cases. Take 400 to 800 IU daily. L-lysine for Shingles Lysine is very effective against the herpes virus. Studies show that when taken at the onset of shingles, this amino acid helps inhibit viral action to reduce the severity and duration of symptoms. Take 500 milligrams twice daily. Another amino acid, phenytalanine, relieves pain as it boosts production of the body's own pain-relieving chemicals. Other supplements that help include zinc with copper, and coenzyme Q10. Phenylalanine, 1,000 mg three to four times daily. Zinc, 90 mg with 10 mg copper. Coenzyme Q10, 200 mg. Aloe vera juice, 2-4 oz. three times daily. Hope this is helpful.

Thank you, everyone! My fall could've been much worse due to I had my umbrella with me and it had a metal point and I landed on my umbrella and it broke. Luckily, there was a bush right where I went over and helped break my fall, but I still had the wind knocked outta me and the aforementioned injuries, but I am alive and well :-). Oh, and to note, these were just outdoor plants, not Hoyas. Part of their deck is covered, and I was moving them to where they could get some rain out in the open. Teisa, I hope you're okay! I would've been rushing, too, if I saw a Nepenthes around here LOL. Brad AKA Moonwolf

polly929 wrote: Yes, orthopedic surgeons. Go see one. He/She will refer you to the appropriate PT or MRI if needed. MRIs use magnets not radiation, there should be no issue with exposing that area. Yes they cost a lot of money, if you're shoulder becomes useless it may be necessary, but that is up to a doctor to decide. I will never understand why if you have a health problem you would discuss it on a discussions side of a decorating forum and get other people's opinions or experiences rather than see a specialist. Wow. That's a pretty curt and judgemental response but that's just my opinion. Because what I glean from that response is that anyone that would ask about a medical issue on a forum is an idiot. Seems to be par for the course around here much too much, again...just my opinion and one of the reasons I lurk more than post. I will say that the overwhelming majority of posts here are polite and friendly - I enjoy reading those. People frequent forums because they like to ask questions, read about the experiences of others, share their experiences, get helpful information, and, sometimes, just have a simple conversation on the discussions or off topic section of a decorating, car, garden, or whatever forum. ~Back on topic~ To answer Oakley's OP, I do have experience with mild to severe pain in every joint in my body but no distinct problems with my shoulders. I just live with it. Sometimes, I have really bad days but can still function. It started happening around 10 years ago and got to the point a few years later where I had to take one stair at a time (still happens from time to time). I don't go to the Doctor for every little thing but decided to go to an Orthopedic Surgeon and get the whole work-up. Diagnosis: Age - exactly what I thought Treatment: Joint specific exercises and OTC pain relief. I just ordered this supplement from Dr. Mercola. He's a proponent of natural health as well as a Physician, Surgeon, and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. He's a frequent guest on Dr. Oz's show and always interesting. Anyway, read about it, might be worth a try. Dr. Mercola on Dr. Oz Astaxanthin on Mercola.com Hope your shoulder feels better, Oakley.

THANK YOU, LAVENDER, for alerting me to the danger of glycation. My best dinners were made in a slow-cooker (low heat with plenty of liquid), rather than fried !! Here's the link to my Pinterest slow-cooker recipes: THANK YOU, VAPORVAC, for setting a good example of hot whole-grained cereals for breakfast. I used to do the same, but neglected that, thanks to eating my kid's pickiness. https://www.pinterest.com/clonewar/slow-cooker/ My sister convinced me to buy a pressure-cooker, and it WAS HORRIBLE IN TASTE. The temp. was so high that it ALTERED FOODS and made everything stinky, be it cooked beans, meat, or soup. I used that a few times, and never again !! I boiled chick-peas in that pressure-cooker, and it stank so bad my kid complained loudly & I trashed the whole mushy pot. Compare that to aromatic chick-peas boiled with low-heat over the stove top, which retained its firmness & flavor. I use the microwave to quickly heat up food (with liquid) to zap out germs, rather than long cooking high temp. like pressure cooker which destroys food. Cooking food to death is not a good idea. The high-heat destroys proteins 1st, but microwaving vegetables with water for a short time to kill germs .. that still retains nutrients and beans & peas are still bright green. I checked on the nutrients retained with microwaving veggies vs. steaming veggies, and microwaving FOR A SHORT TIME IN WATER retained more nutrients, with less loss in water. My personal measure stick for AGE (advanced glycation end-products) is HOW MUCH JUICE I NEED TO DRINK to chase away the "stinkiness" or "rancidness" of high-temp. cooking or over-processed foods. More juice = more calories. http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2014/11-nov/foods-high-in-ages.html Which foods are high and which are low in AGEs. Protein-rich foods: Red meat and cheese tend to have the most. In descending order, chicken, fish, eggs, and legumes have less. Grains: Boiled grains, such as rice and oatmeal, and sandwich breads are low in AGEs. When grains are processed into crispy brown crackers or fatty cookies and sweetened with sugars, however, their AGE content can soar. Dairy: Milk and yogurt are low in AGEs, but when moisture is removed and fat is concentrated (as in cream, butter, and cheese), the AGE content rises dramatically. Fats: Vegetable fats tend to have fewer AGEs than animal fats. Animal fats are also more likely to be high in unhealthy saturated fats. To further reduce AGEs, cook foods at low temperatures and with lots of water-based moisture by steaming, stewing, poaching, and braising. Stay away from fried foods. deep-fried chicken has more than six times the amount of AGEs than steamed chicken. When you grill meats, marinating your food in an acid such as lemon juice or vinegar before cooking it will reduce AGEs by up to half. http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2014/11-nov/foods-high-in-ages.html