<\/p>\n
Kristin Davis isn\u2019t keeping quiet about her experience with shingles, and she\u2019s in good company. At GSK\u2019s \u201cShingles, actually\u201d campaign event in New York City on October 7, she was joined by Viola Davis, India Hicks and other advocates and public figures to share their experiences with the condition, which affects about 1 million people in the US each year. What\u2019s more, about one in three people in the United States will get it in their lifetime, a statistic that has stuck with the Sex and the City<\/em> alum. It\u2019s part of the reason she\u2019s speaking out\u2014and taking a more proactive approach to her health.<\/p>\n Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, which stays dormant in the body and can reactivate years later. The condition is known for its painful rash, which most often appears on the torso or face. For Davis, it started on one side of her forehead, where her skin felt so sensitive she could barely touch it. When spots appeared, her doctor confirmed it was shingles\u2014and an ophthalmologist made it very<\/em> clear that filming would have to wait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Ahead, Davis shares the first signs of shingles she noticed, the advice she\u2019d give her past self and what the past decade has taught her about aging and beauty.<\/p>\n \u201cSo many people reached out. My friends all knew I\u2019d had it, because it was quite the drama, probably a whole month of it. But casual acquaintances and people I\u2019d run into at school told me they went and talked to their doctor about it, and I thought, \u2018Yay.\u2019 If I can help anyone prevent shingles, I\u2019ll be very happy. <\/p>\n That\u2019s why I love GSK and this new shingles-awareness campaign. I had so little information when I got it. I didn\u2019t recognize what I had, I didn\u2019t know there was a way to prevent it and I didn\u2019t know I was at greater risk because I was over 50. Talking about this honestly helps everyone, and everyone can talk to their doctor and pharmacist about their own risk and prevention. I wish I had.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was such a drama. I was flying back from L.A. after seeing my kids for the weekend. We were still filming the final season, about a week from wrapping, so I was tired, but I\u2019m used to that. When I got in the car after landing, I told my driver my forehead really hurt. He asked if I needed aspirin, and I said no, it\u2019s my skin. It felt like fiberglass in my skin. I could barely touch it.<\/p>\n I told my makeup artist the next day. There was nothing visible yet, and because it was only one half of my forehead, it didn\u2019t seem like a reaction to a product. Then I got shooting pain from the top of my head down, which I\u2019d never had. I worried it was a stroke or a migraine, so I started Googling.<\/p>\n Then a little pink spot appeared in the center of that side of my forehead. My makeup artist, Matin, said, \u2018Oh no, I hope that\u2019s not shingles.\u2019 I thought, shingles? That\u2019s crazy. It had never crossed my mind that I was at risk.<\/p>\n Once the spots showed up, I flew home and saw my doctor, who confirmed it and told me to start an antiviral right away and see an ophthalmologist, because the nerve was heading toward my eye. The ophthalmologist told me to lie down and not go to work. I said, \u2018You don\u2019t understand, I have to film.\u2019 He said, \u2018No, you<\/em> don\u2019t understand. You don\u2019t want to lose vision in that eye.\u2019 And I said, \u2018No, I don\u2019t.\u2019 <\/p>\n So I called our executive producer, a dear friend we\u2019ve had for 30 years, and told him I couldn\u2019t work. He said not to worry, they\u2019d change the schedule, and that I needed to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. That\u2019s why we need to spread awareness. If you don\u2019t happen to have someone in your circle who\u2019s had it, you\u2019re just kind of clueless.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLearning about prevention and the realities of getting older. In my mind I want to think, \u2018I\u2019m healthy, I\u2019m doing great,\u2019 and that\u2019s true. But that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t be aware of your risk factors as you age. There\u2019s so much we can do to prevent illness and get ahead of things. I wish I could go back and talk to my doctor about shingles, but I missed that one, and I don\u2019t want to miss others that could be even more dangerous.<\/p>\n I used to be someone who said, \u2018I\u2019m super healthy, I don\u2019t need to go.\u2019 But the truth is, as you get older there are a lot of things you\u2019re at risk for and a lot of ways to be healthier. So why not get the testing? I\u2019ve gotten more proactive about screening my own health and my genetic predispositions. Knowledge is power. I feel more confident about what I know about my own body than I did before the shingles. When we\u2019re young we take it all for granted, like youth itself, but as you get older you can\u2019t. So it\u2019s important to talk really honestly about getting older.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much joy to be had in this era of our lives. In this last decade, I\u2019ve accepted it all more. I realized I don\u2019t have to compare myself to my 30-year-old self, because that doesn\u2019t benefit anybody. I feel more calm and at peace. I\u2019m happy to be alive, happy to be healthy and happy to be there for my kids and my friends. Life is fun, so let\u2019s focus on joy and learning. Viola was talking earlier about letting things go and being at peace with herself, and it\u2019s inspiring to hear other women talk about that. Let\u2019s have more of it.\u201d<\/p>\n This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nYou first shared your shingles story last year. What reactions did you get, and why are you continuing the conversation now?<\/h2>\n
How did it show up, and how did it affect your life and work?<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s interesting how often the warning comes from someone you don\u2019t expect.<\/h2>\n
What lessons from the experience stuck with you?<\/h2>\n
How has your relationship with aging and beauty changed over the past decade?<\/h2>\n