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Original poster

Chickenpox - is this really a thing?!

29 replies

Embelline · 22/09/2023 07:57

DS came home from nursery with a fever, has had coldy sniffles all week. Then a few spots appeared, I think 5-6 but none on his tummy or back, all face and arms and legs.
chickenpox has been doing the rounds so assumes that would be it.

however temp broke over night and as far as I can see he has no new spots this morning.

just been speaking to a friend and she said this can happen and then two weeks later the “proper” chicken pox arrives. Is this a thing? I’ve never heard of it and we go abroad in exactly two weeks!!

OP posts:
shamelesss · 22/09/2023 08:04

Never heard of that but it sounds like your DS could have hand foot and mouth

Redavocadoes · 22/09/2023 08:05

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Whinge · 22/09/2023 08:07

In my experience days 1 - 2 can be pretty mild with just a few spots, and then the spots explode on days 3 - 5.

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Original poster
Embelline · 22/09/2023 08:09

the spots don’t look like hand, foot and mouth spots at all… although I guess they could change. Nothing in or around his mouth/oh hands and feet either.

inwould prefer that to weird delayed chicken pox thoufh!

I’ll keep an eye on him but I think the biggest spot appeared on Wednesday.

OP posts:
Original poster
Embelline · 22/09/2023 08:10

@Redavocadoes oh really? There’s so much contradictory info out there everything I’ve read says torso first. I guess everyone’s different and I’m just going to have to wait and watch… and double check the travel insurance.

OP posts:
Clymene · 22/09/2023 08:11

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Started on arms here

reyran236 · 22/09/2023 08:11

My ds was off colour for two weeks before chicken pox came out and then it was mild. We suspected it was chicken pox as he had been exposed.

Original poster
Embelline · 22/09/2023 08:12

@reyran236 did he have any spots two weeks prior to it properly coming out? This is what has thrown me!

OP posts:
FionnulaTheCooler · 22/09/2023 08:12

I've never heard of a second wave of chickenpox 2 weeks after the first spots come out. Fingers crossed everything will be fine for your holiday.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 22/09/2023 08:13

Never heard of a 2 week delay. Often the spots start out mild but proliferate after a few days - I thought my son was going to have a mild case but by five days he had loads. It started on his face and arms, then hit the torso afterwards. It was all over by 2 weeks, although the pocks were still fading.

reyran236 · 22/09/2023 08:13

Embelline · 22/09/2023 08:12

@reyran236 did he have any spots two weeks prior to it properly coming out? This is what has thrown me!

No just a day of fever and just off for exactly two weeks ( wingy, clingy not sleeping well). Nursery told us that this happened with some kids. Once the spots came out he was fine.

Dibblydoodahdah · 22/09/2023 08:14

When my DS was 2 he got a very mild case of chicken pox in December, he then got it again in the following July with many more spots. A doctor friend said that it was common to get it a second time if the first time was only mild ….but I’ve never heard of two weeks in between.

Dox9 · 22/09/2023 08:16

I have never heard of 2nd round of spots either. Dd had just a few spots on her face and temp for maybe 2 days. No second chickenpox infection since, despite plenty exposure over years in creche and primary school.

topnoddy · 22/09/2023 08:22

Second chicken pox is shingles innit

WotNoUserName · 22/09/2023 08:23

One of my boys caught chicken pox, he had it very mildly. Then one of his brothers had it two weeks later. Then two weeks later his other brother had and he got it again, but far far worse, poor boy was absolutely covered. I knew people could get it twice, but I didn't think twice in one month!

YouveGotAFastCar · 22/09/2023 08:41

The was an NHS alert earlier this year saying the current strain of chicken pox is an odd one, and was often "mild" enough in the initial days that children were getting it again, and not developing immunity. The second round can be quite close to the first, or months later.

There's also a two-week incubation period for chicken pox, usually.

I wonder if the person talking to you had confused those things?

I wouldn't necessarily expect him to get a second round in two weeks; but it's possible he will. If you've got travel insurance that predates this, you're in the best possible position.

YourNameGoesHere · 22/09/2023 08:46

Whinge · 22/09/2023 08:07

In my experience days 1 - 2 can be pretty mild with just a few spots, and then the spots explode on days 3 - 5.

This!

I wouldn't expect a few spots and then nothing for 2 weeks but I do know a lot of people who were lulled into thinking their child had it mildly and then on day 3 or 4 the spots just wouldn't stop coming. In these cases the child would still be unable to fly 2 weeks later as the spots were still not scabbed over.

Sunnydays41 · 22/09/2023 09:14

shamelesss · 22/09/2023 08:04

Never heard of that but it sounds like your DS could have hand foot and mouth

This.

When DC2 was 18 months old, he had a day of being really cranky and had a temperature; the next day he had spots around his mouth, on his arms, hands, legs and feet. Temperature was gone and was pretty much okay in himself.

Took him to GP (called beforehand so could be seen in isolation) and she diagnosed him with chickenpox and impetigo 🤨 I was a bit suspicious as was originally thinking it was hand, foot and mouth and he had maybe one spot on his back but believed the GP.

Funnily enough the spots didn't really bother him and DC1 didn't catch it from him...

Fast forward 2.5 years and chickenpox is going around DC1's class... DC1 inevitably catches it, completely different presentation to DC2, but overall not too bad, a bit itchy but not masses of spots.

A bit blase as DC2 had "already had them", kept sharing baths, saliva, towels, generally as close and gross as two siblings could be. Fast-forward again two weeks and DC2 is absolutely covered in spots, so miserable and misses his birthday party 😔

Looking back at photos and with hindsight thinking back to symptoms, it was totally obvious (except to the GP 🤨) that he had hand, foot and mouth previously. Obviously there's not much I could have done to prevent it, but the severity of chickenpox is all about viral load, so I probably would have been a bit more cautious with how they mixed, made them have separate baths, towels etc.

Original poster
Embelline · 22/09/2023 09:16

I thought the spots scabbed over quicker than that? Bloody hell, I thought we were out of the danger zone if he’s got it now.
we fly on the 9th so hopefully would be alright.

and my travel insurance has been in place for a while

OP posts:
Myneighboursarewankers · 22/09/2023 09:18

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No it doesn’t. Please ignore this it’s not true

ItstimeToMoveagain · 22/09/2023 09:20

All 4 of mine have started on the stomach . It took 4 days for one of them to become really spotty though

Travellingraspberry · 22/09/2023 09:22

DS started off with 3 spots on his chest on a Tuesday, that was it for 3 days and we were a bit confused as to what it was. Woke up on the Friday morning covered!

Waxdrip · 22/09/2023 09:27

I had such mild CP as a child that DM wasn't sure I'd even had it. Similar to what you describe. I've had shingles as an adult though, so it definitely was CP. Hopefully your DS just got away with a mild case.

YourNameGoesHere · 22/09/2023 09:31

Embelline · 22/09/2023 09:16

I thought the spots scabbed over quicker than that? Bloody hell, I thought we were out of the danger zone if he’s got it now.
we fly on the 9th so hopefully would be alright.

and my travel insurance has been in place for a while

It can unfortunately take that long. DS is not even 4 yet and has had it twice. First time he had about 9 spots total. The second time he was out of action for about 3 weeks as they simply wouldn't stop coming and they took bloody ages to all scab over. He had some on his feet and forehead especially that seemed to refuse to scab over.

Hopefully your DS isn't too badly affected but at least you have insurance should the worst happen.