Hello, we are the family of Jerry Neff, husband to Missie Neff and father to April, Tiffany, and Taylor.
A story actually begins on Mother’s Day when Jerry was first taken to the hospital due to blisters around the right side of his neck, head, jaw, and shoulder, along with immense pain in the right shoulder. He was diagnosed with poison ivy and a sprained shoulder. Jerry was discharged with prescriptions for the pain, steroids and topical cream for the poison ivy. By Tuesday, May 12, 2026 he was in horrific pain in his head and shoulder area as well as a stiff neck to the point that he was unable to move his head up and down. The blisters had become twice as bad. He was taking back to the hospital and was then diagnosed with shingles. Jerry left the hospital with new prescribed medication’s. Things just went downhill from there on Friday, May 15, 2026. He was rushed to Lakeland Regional Hospital with stroke symptoms. The right side of his face was drooping. His right eye would not close he had no strengthen the right side of his body and slurred speech. On top of that he was feeling dizzy and nauseous, and was an absolute horrific pain and was covered with pus blisters on the right side of his body. After a couple days and a few test, they were able to rule out a stroke. As they ruled out a stroke, the shingles began to cross over to the left side of his body. Once that happened it went from being viral shingles to being airborne shingles. He was then moved to a pressurized room and anyone that entered the room was required to wear a gown, a mask and gloves when someone entered the room the door had to be immediately closed. Now as if that wasn’t enough on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 they did a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) once the results came back from that test. The family was informed that he had been diagnosed with zoster (shingles) meningitis. The family was informed that once Jerry was discharged, he would have to go to a nursing home for physical therapy to essentially learn how to walk again and strengthen the right side of his body as well as speech therapy to learn how to talk and write again. Although he tries very hard to talk, he tends to slur all his words, stutters, and repeats phrases of a sentence multiple times or doesn’t know the words he’s trying to say. His short-term memory has been affected as well. He is extremely sensitive to light and sound, and still has immense sometimes debilitating pain, then comes the horrible inching sensation from the inside of his body outward. Areas of the shingles had finally started healing and disappearing then they found a staph infection in the wounds on the back of his head. Once they found the infection, the process of getting the approvals needed to have him moved to the Lake Wales wellness and rehabilitation center came to a screeching halt until they could get the infection under control. In the meantime, his speech has got progressively worse along with mood swings. He has at times be very unbearable. A little light into that dark tunnel with shed this morning when they got the news that the infection has started to clear. So the process of getting those approvals for the rehab center has started again. The doctors are hoping that they can get him moved soon. His wife Missie has been right there with him despite her own health issues doing whatever she can to help him recover. It is unknown just how long he will have to be in the rehab, but the family has been told that he does have a hard road to be traveling on for a while. Missie and their daughters believe that she should be close to where the center is due to not having a way from the Lakeland area to Lake Wales, due to the fact that both the vehicles are currently broke down. The family is asking for any kind of help or donations towards her achieving this goal, giving her the ability to help him along to a speedy recovery the family will be forever thankful as well as grateful and appreciative for any help. Below is a description of exactly what Zoster (shingles) meningitis is.
Zoster meningitis is an uncommon neurological complication of the varicella-zoster virus (the virus causing shingles and chickenpox). It causes inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms include severe headache, fever, neck stiffness, and light sensitivity. It often, but not always, occurs alongside the classic shingles rash.
Symptoms to Watch For
The symptoms of zoster meningitis typically develop rapidly:
* Debilitating headache: Often described as severe and unusual.
* Stiff neck: Pain or inability to touch your chin to your chest.
* Systemic distress: Fever, nausea, and vomiting.
* Sensory issues: Dislike of bright lights (photophobia) or sensitivity to sound (phonophobia).
* Dermatomal rash: A blistering rash that wraps around the torso or face, which may appear before, during, or after neurological symptoms.
Causes
It is caused by the reactivation of the Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV), which remains dormant in the nervous system after a previous chickenpox infection. While more common in older adults or immunocompromised individuals, it can also affect healthy, immunocompetent people.
Diagnosis & Treatment
* Diagnosis: If meningitis is suspected, doctors will perform a lumbar puncture (spinal tap). The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is tested using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to specifically detect VZV DNA.
* Treatment: It is typically treated with antiviral medications, such as intravenous or oral acyclovir.
Again, thank you from Missie, April, Tiffany, and Taylor.