Chickenpox as an adult

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I have had headache, fever, chills, body aches for 3 days and then woke up with spots, so most likely have chickenpox. Caught this from shingles from DH, which the nurse said could not happen unless I touched the spots. Well, I did not touch him anywhere and we all had our own towels, but anyway, they say it is worse for adults. I have DD who is 22 and DS 16. I called a nurse and she said even the 16-year-old is considered an adult and will have it worse. I do not have many spots and nothing itching. Worried of pneumonia and DD has had bronchitis for a month. She went to the doctor over a month ago and got antibiotics for a sinus infection. I told the doctor she was coughing, but she never coughed in the office, but not is worse, so nurse said come get antibiotics for that. Her friend's husband is in the emergency room tonight with breathing problems, most likely pneumonia. Anybody have chickenpox as an adult and what happened to you?

 

[digitS']

Anybody have chickenpox as an adult and what happened to you?

I did not but will put your question here again.

I'm so sorry your family is going through this! I had a thought about one thing, immediately discovered that that there are different ideas about it amongst professionals. Better not even state it - useless layman that I am.

There is my advice. Listen carefully to the health care professionals. If you are coming up short on answers, find someone else to talk to. While you are fairly comfortable, think about who your pro team might be. Start asking questions around the kitchen table but also quiz those who you might turn to. Several "what if we need ..." sort of conversations.

I worked with a college age guy. A competitive athlete and reliably hard worker, he was out of commission for 2 weeks. His mom said he retreated into the house and just stayed there.

My own experience with chickenpox, I was probably 11 or 12 years old. During those days, measles also knocked people off their feet. I had both one summer. Really wrecked my 3 months off school.

I hope you all catch lots of lucky breaks. Yeah, that is what I hope for your family. Have a great health care group just standing by but be really comfortable about calling on them.

Steve

 

[catjac1975]

I have had headache, fever, chills, body aches for 3 days and then woke up with spots, so most likely have chickenpox. Caught this from shingles from DH, which the nurse said could not happen unless I touched the spots. Well, I did not touch him anywhere and we all had our own towels, but anyway, they say it is worse for adults. I have DD who is 22 and DS 16. I called a nurse and she said even the 16-year-old is considered an adult and will have it worse. I do not have many spots and nothing itching. Worried of pneumonia and DD has had bronchitis for a month. She went to the doctor over a month ago and got antibiotics for a sinus infection. I told the doctor she was coughing, but she never coughed in the office, but not is worse, so nurse said come get antibiotics for that. Her friend's husband is in the emergency room tonight with breathing problems, most likely pneumonia. Anybody have chickenpox as an adult and what happened to you?

The 16 and 22 year olds are likely to have had the vaccine as children. Get well soon.

 

[thistlebloom]

I had it as a kid, so no help to your question.
I hope you recover quickly and everyone in your family starts mending and feeling much better soon.

 

[so lucky]

I have no advice, but I sure hope your luck changes soon. Sending healing thoughts and prayers your way.

 

[Smart Red]

Son had chicken pox at age 16. I don't know that it was worse for him than it was for a friend when she was much younger, but it certainly laid him low for a while. Funny now to remember him crying for his "mommy" to make him better at that age.

I don't know because I have nothing to compare his chicken pox with. He certainly did have it worse than I'd had and he was much sicker than I remember personally, but I was about 6 and don't remember all that much.

My chicken pox experience was being in bed with my friend (mom babysat for her) -- both of us with the pox -- and having to wear socks on my hands because she was scratching her bumps. My light case was barely an inconvenience next to her severe one.

 

[Carol Dee]

I did not but will put your question here again.

I'm so sorry your family is going through this! I had a thought about one thing, immediately discovered that that there are different ideas about it amongst professionals. Better not even state it - useless layman that I am.

There is my advice. Listen carefully to the health care professionals. If you are coming up short on answers, find someone else to talk to. While you are fairly comfortable, think about who your pro team might be. Start asking questions around the kitchen table but also quiz those who you might turn to. Several "what if we need ..." sort of conversations.

I worked with a college age guy. A competitive athlete and reliably hard worker, he was out of commission for 2 weeks. His mom said he retreated into the house and just stayed there.

My own experience with chickenpox, I was probably 11 or 12 years old. During those days, measles also knocked people off their feet. I had both one summer. Really wrecked my 3 months off school.

I hope you all catch lots of lucky breaks. Yeah, that is what I hope for your family. Have a great health care group just standing by but be really comfortable about calling on them.

Steve

I can top that Steve, I had Measles, chickenpox AND Mumps all in about a 3 month period. Which of course got passed to younger siblings in succession. Poor Mom! I must have been in Kindergarten or 1st grade at the time.

 

[Carol Dee]

@Gardening with Rabbits sorry to hear you are feeling poorly. Chickenpox at any age is not fun. My BIL picked them up somewhere. (He was an auto body mechanic, so maybe from the car interior! ) He boys where maybe 8 and 10 and had not had them, they got them from Dad, then the cousins got them. My oldest was about 16 and miserable. Rash everywhere even the roof of his mouth, palms and soles of his feet. He spent a lot of time soaking in bathtub with baking and or oatmeal.
Here is a wish and a prayer that it passes quickly and the kids do not pick it up. (Hope the vaccine did it's job)

 

[digitS']

See, it's like being lucky to fall up the stairs instead of down ... .

I know a tiny bit about shingles. Apparently, I had them about 10 years ago. The incident can be very extreme or mild. I also got lucky on that one. The rash was so mild, I didn't know where the pain was coming from. Mostly because it was directly over my heart, I consulted the MD. I ended up better in a matter of days with one tiny scar to mark the occasion. The literature says that shingles doesn't always cause rashes, that is kind of sneaky but lots better than what DW experienced.

By the way, she had no memory of having chickenpox. Her sister didn't think she had them either but there was the evidence with the later-in-life outbreak. So ... chickenpox can be mild, too -- let's hope for that, with GWR.

Steve

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Well, from all the stories I have read about chickenpox, so far DS and I are having a mild case. DD might be getting sick. She is staying home from work and getting over her cough fast, barely coughs at all. I knew she needed to rest. There really is hardly any itching. Nothing like what I read. Glands hurting is what seems to bother me the most. Just a stupid illness where you are not out like with the flu and not care about anything, but you want to do stuff, but no energy and so boring and goes on and on. Day 7 now for me.