Chicken Pox nothing to Cluck At...

It won’t be so bad if I scratch just once. No, I won’t even scratch; I’ll rub.
In fact, I’ll just rub around the spot because then it won’t even count.
The only thing is I’m itchiest on my back.

I was putting up Christmas decorations before this unrelenting urge to itch hit me, and I see a giant candy cane that looks appealing.
What a sweet looking back-scratcher!

I tentatively, gently soothe a hard to reach spot on my back. Ahhh….instant relief. And no harm done.
I might as well scratch…um, I mean rub…the rest of my back….gently of course.

With each itch I banish a new one surfaces. The feeling is glorious as I chase the itches from spot to spot.
I’m so caught up in my candy cane scratching that I don’t notice my husband come in. I certainly don’t notice him standing there, staring at me disapprovingly, until he says.
“Put the candy cane down.”

No…I won’t. He can’t make me! Just a few more scratches.
Then Summer, my five-year-old daughter, comes in.
“Mommy! You said no scratching!”

What does she know about being itchy? She lucked out. She doesn’t have as many spots as me. I’ve got literally hundreds of them covering parts of my body I didn’t even know I had.

It’s not fair…It’s…

“That’s not what a candy cane is for!” Summer says.

Fine. Whatever. I’m not even itchy any more.

The first two days of chicken pox were the worst. The day or so before Summer and I broke out with red spots were not very nice either. I was drained physically and barely had enough energy to walk up the stairs. But, being 35 weeks pregnant, that kind of goes with the territory; so I never thought I was coming down with a virus.

But, early last weekend, as I helped Summer get dressed, I discovered a crop of red blisters covering her belly and back. Summer looked at me with an expression that clearly indicated she had noticed the spots, but maybe if she pretended she didn’t see them, then she would still be on her way to Balls Falls with the rest of her Sparks unit. No such luck.

We were first exposed to the chicken pox virus; or to use the more scary, official name, varicella-zoster virus, a few weeks ago. My son, Jaevin, woke up on Halloween, which just happened to also be his 10th birthday, completely covered and completely heartbroken.

For two nights we tried to comfort and distract him. We put on movies and let him play video games; but nothing worked. We constantly told him to stop scratching, but he just looked at us like we didn’t understand.

I was at risk of contracting the virus from Jaevin because I have never had the chicken pox and did not have the immunity to it. With the added complication of being pregnant I prayed that I would dodge the virus, like I have for my entire life, but had to play the waiting game.

We weren’t concerned about Summer because she had previously been vaccinated, so the odds of her getting the chicken pox were slim. Apparently not slim enough.

After discovering Summer’s rash it occurs to me that I might have one. I go check myself in the mirror and there they are. Just lovely.

Within a few hours they’ve doubled and the intense itch has arrived. A few more hours later and I have them everywhere and the itch is like a burn. I’m tired, cranky and feeling miserable.

I had cut Summer’s finger nails right away and told her if she must soothe herself to use only the bottom of her fingers or her palm. No scratching. I didn’t bother to cut my nails because I’m an adult and I can handle this.

A few hours later my nails are gone as well. Less temptation that way.

We are up all night. Maybe a few moments of a dream-delirious rest every now and then, but basically we are just trying to make it through the night.

I try to conjure up a mental vision of me…chicken pox free….you know, the whole mind over matter thing. I tell myself that my ears don’t ache. I’m not dizzy. And I certainly am not itchy.

It works for about 30 seconds. Well, okay, I’m exaggerating slightly. It worked for about 20 seconds.

At least I have a little chicken pox partner. With every cry of “I hate the chicken pox, Mommy” I can honestly, and empathically, tell her I know exactly what she is going through.

Oatmeal baths were soothing-until I had to get out of the water. Calamine lotion offered some comfort-for a little bit.

Chicken pox would clearly be an effective torturing method. Just expose the enemy to the virus, tie their hands up and soon they’ll be giving up any top secrets just to be able to scratch that itch.

Within two or three days the itching does subside, however the virus is highly contagious until all the blisters scab over.

I am used to working from home; but I am also used to being able to leave whenever I want. Involuntary isolation is not something I enjoy.

One thing I have learned from being cooped up with the chicken pox is that this childhood illness is nothing to cluck at.

Column in Welland Tribune - December 2, 2010