Nai,
First, as your mother has lupus, you are more prone to having an autoimmune disorder, not necessarily lupus.
Where is the recurrent rash location and is it one-sided?
Is your doctor a family practice physician or internist? She sounds incredibly lazy and ignorant. If your gynecologist was able to identify that you have a "macrocytic anemia," with a B12 deficiency, your primary care physician should have immediately started to investigate the cause.
Do you eat meat, cheese, eggs, and/or yogurt? These foods contain high levels of B12.
Are you taking a Proton Pump Inhibitors such as Nexium or Protonix?
Do you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Certain medications can interfere with the absorption of dietary B12. Certain conditions such as gastritis and chronic diseases of the bowel can prevent absorption and also affect the metabolism of B12.
Have you had General anesthesia lately, or in the past few years, specifically Nitrous oxide?
You may not have noticed any symptoms of B12 deficiency, or you may have a sore smooth tongue, numbness and tingling, weakness in your hands, a tight feeling in your toes. The symptoms come on gradually.
Please Google Herpes and follow high Lysine low Arginine diet. The nuts and legumes are high in arginine, which is a trigger for Herpes Zoster Shingles. I love cashews and finally realized it was a huge trigger for my episodes. Now they are less painful and every three to five weeks instead of every two weeks...
Regarding your rash, does it appear at the original site of the shingles rash? Again, please describe the rash and location.
BTW, recurrent Herpes Zoster Shingles episodes can be triggered by your menstrual cycle, exposure to UV rays, foods high in arginine, stress, and too little sleep.
Regarding recurrent Herpes Zoster Shingles and Herpes simplex, the hormonal changes through the menstrual cycle signal the Herpes virus to replicate.
What medications are you taking?
As far as boosting your immune system, and trying to prevent Herpes Zoster Shingles, I would eat a healthy diet (high Lysine low Arginine diet.) Please note that it is the ratio of Lysine to Arginine that counts. If you love a specific food high in Arginine, weigh the risk/benefit ratio and try to moderate yourself. Chocolate is most people's favorite,(high in arginine.)
Try to get plenty of sleep and rest. I know personally how difficult it is to care for family members as my twin and I cared for my father, then mother. Is there anyway to get respite care or share the care with anyone else? My twin and I were so exhausted we did not even think of possible options.
It is important to try to have a healthy perspective on life. I developed high blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmias when I was 21 years old, and not until I transferred from the ICU to the PACU (Recovery Room) where I had much more control of situations, was my blood pressure stabilized on three medications.
I also left my toxic husband and started my life over.
I do take a multivitamin daily, even though I eat very healthy foods. I don't believe in megadosing of supplements as they can be toxic to kidneys, liver, heart, etc. It also wastes your money as it is excreted out.
The hematologist should do a Vitamin D3 level, BTW. I know the hematologist will do a folic acid and ferritin (iron) levels and storage capacity in your body, as it is all interrelated.
I hope I have helped you!, Please let me know about the medications, rashes, and other conditions. If you would rather share privately, click on the envelope in the upper right hand corner
Best Wishes
Merry Juliana