18 November 2005

Chickie pox

When I was 12, my little sister came down with the chicken pox. My mother swore I had them when I was in kindergarten, so she had me help care for my sister.

I distinctly recall, as I was cleaning out the bathtub after yet another oatmeal bath, that I was doomed to catch the darn things. With all the skepticism of the best pre-teen filled with angst, I just was sure she was wrong.

I was right.

Two weeks later, I broke out in one of the all-time worst cases. I had them EVERYWHERE. I mean EVERYWHERE. If you've heard of it, I had them there.

To add to my pain, my then-two-year-old brother, who had one of the mildest cases ever, pranced around the house, lifting up his shirt and proclaiming: See my chickie pox! Come see my chickie pox!!

It is truly amazing that he's alive today.

Two weeks ago today, we had the younger two vaccinated for chicken pox. They've changed the shot formulation, and after this year, I wouldn't be able to get it as a stand-alone. I caved. I'd rather they got it naturally, like our eldest did. But the pharmaceutical companies thwarted me.

Tonight, after our son's bath, my husband called me in. Look at this, he says.

Chickie pox. UGH.

Thank goodness everyone we're supposed to visit over Thanksgiving has already had the darn things.

2 comments:

Gina said...

Ugh. My sympathies. As you and some other readers of this blog might know, I missed your wedding and a job interview because I got the pox. At age 21. Ugh. I had them everywhere, too. "Awful" doesn't begin to describe that experience.

Unknown said...

Might have jumped the gun. Caelan had something that looked like the pox on Friday night. By Saturday morning, when some should have been scabbing, they seem to be gone.

But they weren't hives, either. I'm calling the ped this morning to see if she has any ideas . . . I'm stumped. If it is a reaction, we have to report it to AVERS (the vaccination reaction clearinghouse), but I have no idea what it was, actually.