Taylor
Your experiance with the doctor was just the opposite of mine. I went in thinking I had a pinched nerve, the pain started at the top of my ear and radiated down my left arm, at 42, I was also concerned it might involve the heart. When my doctor correctly diag. it as shingles I almost didn't beleive her. I went ahead and took the antibiotics she Rx'ed me, and I never broke out in blisters, never had the fever that comes in the later stages. It took a while for the pain to completely go away. But it will go away. You are correct the longer it takes to get the correct diagonisis the worst the case will be. I am so sorry you had to suffer to the extent you did. I hope all is well now! Good luck! ST