Hoping this doesn't add to your stress, sharing a few things that helped betnoir when she had shingles last year. Aveeno oatmeal baths seemed to make a difference. Also, neurontin is supposed to help with the pain sensation, but it takes a while to titrate in your system. If this is really going to last for 3-5 weeks, it might be work looking into. I don't know.

And, as someone else pointed out, reducing stress. Shingles is an utter bear for capitalizing on the stress in your system. It sounds like the girls are a source of solace, so that's good.