Chickenpox - is it ALWAYS terrible?

[Pinkjenny]

Chickenpox is going around the dc's nursery at the moment, and my ds has a cough and is a little unsettled, so I am fairly certain he's brewing something, although he is eating and playing.

Dd had chickenpox just after her 2nd birthday, and was really quite poorly for a good ten days. She had a constant temp for about four days, and had spots everywhere.

I am a little nervous now in knowing that I am probably about to go through this with ds. Is it always as severe as dd had?

[Pinkjenny]

I'm going to take that as a yes.

[BehindLockNumberNine]

Nope!

I had it age 6 and remember it quite well. I was a bit under the weather, a bit itchy and spend a week off school happily playing.

Ds had it aged 9 and had cold like symptoms, was itchy and spent a week off school happily playing.

Dd had it twice. First age 3, very mildly. No symptoms other than a few spots. Then again age 6. More spots this time, very itchy, had a temp for two days but nothing major. Spent 2 days on the sofa watching telly and the rest of the week happily playing.

Friends little ds (age 3) currently has it. We say them yesterday. He was grouchy two days ago but yesterday was happily running around, playing.

So in my experience it is nothing too bad. But I do know it varies for everyone.

hth

[LynetteScavo]

No, my DSs were very spotty but were only a bit under the weather for a day.

[LuckyWeKeptTheCot]

IT wasn't awful when I had it as a child. A couple of spots, felt a bit miserable but no more than a cold and then got a week off school to play at home. Brilliant. But I has such a mild case I got it again as an adult and it was terrible. Felt really ill, zillions of spots and lasted 3 weeks until I was back to normal.

[suzikettles]

No. Ds's only real symptoms were the spots. He was a bit off colour but not what you would call ill. If it hadn't been for quarantine then we could have just carried on as normal.

I had it very badly aged 10 and was properly ill for a fortnight. My brother caught it from me (he was 7) and was very mildly affected. Neither of us has caught it again (both 30s now).