At 60 years old, Cassandra had a busy, active life, enjoying time with friends and family, especially her three grown children. The last thing she expected was for it to be disrupted by shingles.
Thinking back, Cassandra remembers happily browsing a garage sale one weekend when she felt something on her back. "It was a painful bump that felt like a spider bite," she recalled,” adding, “I was in a lot of pain." After two days, when the pain became unbearable, she contacted her doctor.
The diagnosis? Cassandra had shingles.
What is shingles?
Shingles (herpes zoster) is a painful, blistering rash, typically occurring on one side of the body, which is caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (VZV) – the same virus that causes chickenpox.1,2
After having chickenpox, the virus stays dormant in the body and can reactivate years later, causing shingles, which can last for weeks.2
"Because of the intense discomfort that can come with the rash, shingles can keep you from doing everyday activities like working and socializing. Having shingles can be an isolating and painful experience," explained Dr. Len Friedland, Vice President, Scientific Affairs & Public Health, Vaccines at GSK.
Who may be impacted by shingles?
Adults 50 years and older are at an increased risk for shingles, because the immune system naturally declines with age.3 In fact, 99% of adults 50 years and older already have the virus that causes shingles inside their body, and it can reactivate at any time, even though not everyone at risk will develop shingles.2,3 About one million people develop shingles in the US each year.2,3
While age is the most important risk factor, certain health conditions, like diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and heart disease have been associated with an increased risk of shingles.3,4
Cassandra, despite feeling like a well-versed health advocate, was still unaware of how her age increased her risk for shingles. “Awareness is the key factor here. So many people that I talked to responded to my experience and said that they really weren't aware of the impact that shingles can have,” she added.
Are there other potential complications shingles can have?
While a shingles episode can be a painful and disruptive experience, in some cases, people can develop serious or long-lasting complications.1,2
“People may experience long-lasting pain called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) – the most common complication of shingles. Two years later, Cassandra still felt the pain due to PHN,” Dr. Friedland noted.1 The pain from PHN can be excruciating, persistent, and may impact daily life. PHN occurs in about 10-18% of people who have shingles.1
What can you do to be proactive?
Cassandra, who started documenting and sharing her shingles experience since it began, advocates for people 50 and over to talk to their doctor or pharmacist about their risk for shingles and prevention. “I want people to be aware of shingles and feel empowered to speak with their healthcare providers about their risk.”
“On a daily basis, I wake up and give ‘thanks’ sincerely for the opportunity to face, challenge, or create something despite my experience with shingles. I’m enjoying life at this age, and I know that there’s so much more out there for me,” Cassandra added.
"It’s important to understand your risk for shingles,” said Dr. Friedland. “Talk to your doctor or pharmacist today about your shingles risk and prevention."
To learn more about your risk for shingles, visit WhatIsShingles.com.
Cassandra was compensated by GSK for her participation. This is one person's experience; other people's experiences with shingles may be different.
References
CDC. Shingles Symptoms and Complications. Accessed February 19, 2026. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/signs-symptoms/
CDC About Shingles (Herpes Zoster). Accessed February 19, 2026. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/
CDC. Clinical Overview of Shingles (Herpes Zoster). Accessed February 19, 2026. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/hcp/clinical-overview/
Marra F, Parhar K, Huang B, Vadlamudi N. Risk Factors for Herpes Zoster Infection: A Meta-Analysis. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. 2020;7(1):ofaa005. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaa005
