10/13/2025
A Personal Health Update ❤️
Many of you know I’ve been out of the office this past week, and I wanted to share what’s been going on.
On Saturday, October 4th — my 45th birthday! 🎉 — I noticed one of my teeth was suddenly sensitive to cold. By the next day, I felt a strange prickly sensation in my left lip. By Monday, while seeing patients, I started getting occasional sharp, shooting pain through my left cheek and up near my eye.
That’s when I knew something more was going on — so we began cancelling patients that afternoon. My brother, Dr. Rob Reineck, took X-rays to rule out a possible abscessed tooth. During that visit, he pointed out that the small red marks showing up on my face could be early signs of shingles.
After getting confirmation from my Uncle Steve (a retired ER doc) and a prescription from my brother-in-law, I started antiviral medication right away. Later that evening, as the pain worsened and swelling increased near my eye, I went to UC Medical ER to make sure it hadn’t affected my vision. Thankfully — and praise God — there were no signs of shingles in my eye. 🙏
The next few days were rough, but I kept reminding myself this was a virus my body could fight. By Thursday, the pain had mostly subsided, and by the weekend the rash began to heal. Each day since has brought continued improvement — the swelling in my cheek and under my eye is steadily going down.
I can’t thank you all enough for your kind messages, prayers, and patience. I’m feeling so much better and excited to be back in the office tomorrow (Monday, October 14th), ready to help others get back to feeling their best too.
Sometimes life reminds us — even those of us in healthcare — to slow down and heal. I’m grateful for recovery, family, faith, and all of you. 💪❤️
— Dr. Luke
