Update on my Condition and Lessons Being Learned

#35 2024 The Rowen Report

Dear Subscriber,

Today is my fifth week anniversary. Five weeks of what I politely term the disease from hell – shingles. First, yes, I am improved. I credit the thoughts, prayers, and simply amazing outpouring of goodness and kindness from so many of you. I received not only well wishes but also medicine, devices, nutrients, treatments and more simply from “out of the blue”. No, not out of the blue. All sent to me with love and honor, and prayers. I am deeply grateful.

Five weeks ago, I felt like a demon came out of hell, full of fire, brimstone, molten magma and a red-hot pitchfork. It entered my body and captured a portion of my physical form, but not my mind, soul, spirit, etc. I put up a great mental resistance. The first three weeks was agonizing. I was so disappointed that an outstanding therapy – frequency specific microcurrent – did not provide the improvement I was sure it would, as it has done for so many others. Nor did my beloved ozone, though the jury is still out on that one. We have not had one case of post herpetic neuralgia (PHN) using ozone, so I remain hopeful that the improvement I’ve seen means I will not be the first. During these weeks we had a patient come to the office with bad shingles on her face. She got 10 pass and had very significant and rapid improvement. We are so happy for her. Mine has been painfully slow. But, I’ve always considered that it is more important for our patients to get the results than us. After all, they are the ones keeping our doors open.

I have done nutrients, homeopathics, IV therapy, electrical therapy, magnetic therapy, light therapy, topicals, creams, essential oils, topical bentonite poultices, and more, including drugs. Yes, I broke down and took a pharmaceutical antiviral. I’ve taken methylene blue (oral and topical) and even gabapentin. When you are in that kind of pain, you are motivated to try just about anything, even the things you abhor – like drugs. And, of course while at my computer I play soft, spiritual uplifting music, soothing to the soul, like the artist Enya, harp, flute and piano music.

Five weeks into it, the rash persists. Usually, it is gone in 3-5 weeks. Mine is at the longer end now, which does raise concern about PHN. The presence of the rash makes the affected skin hypersensitive to anything touching it, including soft organic cotton undershirts. It simply burns as movement or material tread over the outbreak, or areas of affected skin rubs against each other.  But the burn is regressing …. some.

The affected areas have greatly disturbed my usual temperature stability. I have sought more room and clothing warmth as the affected areas continue to “hemorrhage” and waste my core “chi” and heat. It has sapped my usual robust energy. However, I am gaining slightly each day and now feel like going for a hike and resuming gardening.  

Strangely, each night when I communicate with the Creator, I do give thanks for the experience. As I mentioned before, I am especially grateful that if anyone in my house was to get this, it should be me and not Terri, who has been a champion of support for me, getting on my case for anything she perceives I missed.

I read where one ozone columnist blamed my use of vitamin A for ozone not doing what was expected. I do not. My use is intermittent, and vitamin A is very useful for infection, viruses, and my eyes. Ozone will work for the vast majority of conditions like this (infection). But not all the time, nor in everyone with the same challenge. In my case, I got this disease in the midst of regular intense ozone therapy I do for my eye care macular degeneration) and anti-aging regimen.  There is no single therapy that is going to work for everyone, every time. This should be a lesson for us all. We have to try, and try I have, with the devoted help of my wife. And, I would not wish that anything would have worked for me instead of someone else. God bless that individual in whatever assistance might help. All in life is a learning experience.

I again thank ALL OF YOU for your thoughts, comments, kindness and outreach. It touched my soul.

Regarding the shingles vaccine, I have not ruled it in or out for the future. I highly respect my eye surgeon sister, who will beat me over the head if I don’t get it. Terri, having seen what I’ve been through, is neutral on it. I would not discourage anyone from getting the shingles vaccine, having endured a savage case. But the vaccine, too, is not 100% effective in protection and has some risk. From the CDC:

“In eight clinical trials of more than 10,000 immunocompetent participants 50 years or older, grade 3 reactions (vaccination-related reactions severe enough to prevent normal activities) were common after patients received Shingrix. About 1 out of 10 adults who received Shingrix reported grade 3 injection-site symptoms such as pain, redness, and swelling. Also, about 1 out of 10 reported grade 3 systemic reactions such as myalgia, fatigue, headache, shivering, fever, and gastrointestinal illness. Most people (78%) who got Shingrix reported at least some pain at the injection site.

Local and systemic grade 3 reactions among immunocompromised adults were evaluated in six studies in five immunocompromised groups. Local grade 3 reactions occurred in 10.7% to 14.2% of RZV recipients, and systemic grade 3 reactions occurred in 9.9% to 22.3% of RZV recipients, compared with 0% to 0.3% and 6.0% to 15.5%, respectively, among placebo recipients. The most commonly reported systemic symptoms were fatigue and myalgia.

Healthcare providers should counsel patients about expected reactogenicity before administering Shingrix.

What to tell patients about the side effects of Shingrix:

Most people have a sore arm after they get Shingrix. Many people have redness and swelling on their arm spanning several inches where they got the shot. Many people also feel tired or have muscle pain, a headache, shivering, fever, stomach pain, or nausea.

About 1 out of 6 people had symptoms severe enough to prevent them from doing regular activities. Vaccine recipients should plan to avoid strenuous activities, such as yardwork or swimming, for a few days after vaccination.”

If I decide to get the vaccine, I will certainly get an ozone treatment the day of or day before the shot, and another ozone treatment the next day. Cuban research shows that preparing the body with ozone before a stressor can significantly modulate bad effects.

Every day, Terri asks me to score my level of pain. As I watched in abject horror as the rash emerged on my skin right before my eyes on the second day (like the demon from hell showing itself (on/within me), I scored it 15 on a scale of 10 on that day.  In the third week I treated myself with one thing our bodies really like to support the immune system – heat.  I remembered the days of my childhood with chicken pox, measles, and more, and how my body rose into battle with high fever. Our immune cells function much more robustly with heat, and a temperature well over normal. I got mine up to 103.1 in our new thermotherapy dome sauna, which we are actively using at the office. (Cancer fighting natural killer cells (NK) are far more active at these achievable higher temperatures). Thermotherapy dropped my pain by at least half in the first session. I also saw it as a gateway for my body to recapture heat energy through the rash that it was otherwise losing every second of the day. Now I am mostly relying on wonderful salves kindly sent/given to me which I feel are lessening the burning and stinging. And I am operating with a pain level of around 2, sometimes 3. I have been exceptionally blessed that my sleep has not been disturbed.

I am also breathing in Brown’s gas (hydrogen/oxygen mixture from electrolyzed water, and using a device we just received that makes an active form of oxygen for inhalation, which might reduce the need for ozone if used frequently. It provides the wavelength of another active form of oxygen called “singlet oxygen”, which actually might make oxygen in the body more active, as does ozone. Extremely easy to use.

Anyone interested in any of these devices can contact me and I will provide information on where to get more information. I’m not here to sell anything, but information.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding in my temporary slowdown in my journalism.

To Your Excellent Health, and to NEVER getting Shingles.

Robert Jay Rowen, MD

PS. Despite my temporary slow down, the Substack has a continued to slowly grow, even during this time. Thank you for sharing!