Rozalia Russian has revealed how she had her Melbourne Cup Carnival experience ruined after contracting a painful viral infection shortly before the big race.
The glamorous influencer, 36, who is married to Melbourne businessman Nick Russian, 45, shared a lengthy Instagram post detailing her health woes.
She revealed the trouble started after a big night out partying at the Don Julio Derby Day afterparty at her husband’s venue Bar Bambi.
‘It’s amazing what a couple of hours can do. So a couple of hours ago I was at the races in the most beautiful dress, full glam, great hair and now look at me,’ she said.
Rozalia then showed a nasty rash around her eye and told how she was dealing with a painful headache, but at first ignored the symptoms and ‘powered on’ at the races.
‘I have just come home from the doctor because this has been happening to me all week,’ she explained.
‘It started off on Monday I woke up with the tiniest rash on my face and just a really bad earache and headache.
‘I just thought big night Derby night am i still hungover? Is my skin just breaking out from drinking too much?’
Rozalia Russian had her Melbourne Cup Carnival experience ruined after contracting a painful viral infection before the big race. Rozalia is pictured at the 2024 Melbourne Cup
The influencer, 36, who is married to businessman Nick Russian, 45, shared a lengthy Instagram post detailing her health woes and showing off her nasty eye rash (pictured)
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Despite her pain, she still headed back to Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday to soak up the atmosphere at the Melbourne Cup – one of the top events in the Aussie social calendar.
‘I had some Panadol and Zyrtec to ignore the fact that the side of my face felt like there was a knife stabbing into it,’ she shared.
With her symptoms worsening, Rozalia then went for a facial and, when that didn’t work, conceded and sought out medical attention.
Rozalia said she was ‘floored’ when the doctor told her she had shingles.
‘I was floored. I was like are you serious? Here I am thinking maybe it’s a flea bite. No wonder Ive been feeling so crap,’ she said.
Shingles is a skin rash characterised by pain and blistering that usually appears on one side of the face or body.
After suffering with painful symptoms all week at the races, Rozalia (pictured with Nick) said she was ‘floored’ when the doctor told her she had shingles
The virus responsible for shingles can be spread to a person who has not had chickenpox disease or vaccinations when they come into contact – directly or indirectly – with the fluid contained in the rash blisters.
Rozalia explained: ‘[The doctor] said if you didn’t have chickenpox when you were younger, it can stay dormant in your system and then just come out if you’re stressed, if you’re tired, maybe if your out dancing at Bambi until three, who knows? We’re not here to judge.’
Rozalia said she is at least relieved that the virus isn’t contagious as she feared making her husband Nick and children Willow, 10, and Kingston, eight, unwell.