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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be stupidly excited that my kids might have chicken pox?

30 replies

Bouquetsofdynomite · 15/08/2007 21:59

My family and I are very lucky in that we seem to have fabbo immune systems, maybe 1 cold a year each max. So 3wks after exposure to chicken pox my dd is looking slightly spotty this evening and DS possibly a bit but might just be seaside scratches from the weekend so can't quite tell yet.
And I am so chuffed! Kinda like 'this is what parenting is all about isn't it?' I am so looking forward to buying 'stuff' and putting them on the sofa with the 'ill blanket' and being all nursey at them. Meanwhile, they will be suffering .

Do I have Munchausens-by-proxy? (Or maybe just fleas?)

OP posts:
sandyballs · 15/08/2007 22:01

Yes, i think you are being unreasonable. Chicken pox isn't always the mild illness that people expect, one of my DDs was very very poorly with it and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

fingerwoman · 15/08/2007 22:01

lol, 3 weeks is a lonbg time after exposure to get chicken pox

Beauregard · 15/08/2007 22:02

My dd's were very ill with chickenpox so much so that dd2 was nearly hospitalised.

fingerwoman · 15/08/2007 22:02

sandyballs- it's best to get it over with as a child with as it can be much nastier in adults

kindersurprise · 15/08/2007 22:11

Sorry, have to disagree here. Chicken pox is often seen as a mild childhood illness when it can in fact be very serious. I would not be happy about my child having chicken pox.

snowwonder · 15/08/2007 22:15

i would rather they had it when still small, dd1 has had it on her 1st xmas, but dd2 hasnt had it yet, and i do kind of wish she had had it, where do you live some people have chicken pox parties

Original poster
Bouquetsofdynomite · 15/08/2007 22:17

But wouldn't it prevent / reduce the chances considerably of my DD getting it one day whilst pg?
I'm aware it can be dangerous and will be keeping a keen eye on them obviously but surely it's better to get it over with and not spend your life worrying about catching it?

OP posts:
Sixer · 15/08/2007 22:18

So you are chuffed at the idea of :-
1 possibly having to sleep with your DC and watching them stratch and suffer all night.
2 Having to apply every lotion and potion going to help the poor LO get over the itchiness
3 having to take them to the doc or worse still the hospital for help
You're sick, very sick. I really do hope for your DC sake, forget YOU, that it is a very mild dose. Good luck

alucard · 15/08/2007 22:21

Most people who have complications are adults even though only a tiny proportion of people infected are adults. Its endempic so the chances of never getting it are extreemly low. Its an awful virus but better to get it as a child.

bookwormtailmum · 15/08/2007 22:21

My dd has had chickenpox twice and it's not much fun sponging a screaming child with calamine lotion - I almost had to force her to sit on the loo as she refused to go since she'd managed to get spots round her nether regions and it hurt her to sit down like that. She compromised by crossing her legs to go which somehow worked. . The second time I caught it from her - after 34 years being free from it - and it was so bad that I was nearly hospitalised from it. I wound up on antibiotics and two types of painkillers. Please don't wish it on anyone.

In America they vaccinate against chickenpox - I wish they had that here.

kindersurprise · 15/08/2007 22:22

Our DCs are vaccinated against it. Why put them through a potentially serious illness? Our paediatrician said that there is a higher risk that a child will be damaged by chicken pox than by measles because it is seen as a harmless disease.

Once you have had chicken pox, you can still get shingles as an adult. My mum had this a few years ago and it was a very difficult time for her.

As to chicken pox parties, I am just

Shoshable · 15/08/2007 22:26

After seeing Dh and a mindees father have it, I'm so gald all my family and all my mindees havea had it as children. Adults are so so ill.

alucard · 15/08/2007 22:27

Seem to have invented new word. Should say endemic.

btw mine have it at the moment. I'm exhausted. They are in pain and I can't cuddle them, but I'm still pleased they are getting it over with. I'd feel awful if they got it as adults. Thinking about vaccine for new baby. (immaginary baby the I haven't concieved yet)

Original poster
Bouquetsofdynomite · 15/08/2007 22:27

Wow, I thought chicken pox parties were still the done thing! Wasn't planning to have one though.
Bookwormum you do bring it home there, it does indeed sound awful when you put it like that.
Why are GPs so blase and disinterested in it then?

OP posts:
kindersurprise · 15/08/2007 22:29
sandyballs · 15/08/2007 22:30

It really is a misconception that chicken pox is a mild disease that you can just sail through without any problems, although there are bound to be some lucky people that do get it mildly.

One of my DDs had it so badly that there wasn't one single patch of skin that wasn't affected - the spots all joined up so her whole body looked scabby. They were up her bottom, in her mouth, ears, armpits, nostrils. Horrible, I felt so sorry for her.

Bookworm - your post brought back memories. My DD begged me to run a bath for her and as soon as she was in it she did a pooh - she was only 3 and obviously thought this was the least painful way of having a pooh with chicken pox spots all round her bum.

bookwormtailmum · 15/08/2007 22:35

I probably had it worse as I missed it when I was a baby - my siblings had it before I was born! My dd had cp when she was 2 and then there was a mini-epidemic locally to me last year when my dd was 5. She had it worse the second time but I suspect the old virus got reactivated with the new one as she had it everywhere and I got it from basically nursing her. At first I thought I'd gotten shingles. I didn't even know that there was a vaccine until today tbh. I guess I assumed as she'd had cp as a toddler, she was safe in future.

Btw scars do fade eventually but for a while I was never going to leave the house again . I had spots on my scalp as well which made washing my hair a painful exercise when I finally felt up to doing it.

fingerwoman · 15/08/2007 22:36

yes, it is horrible. but it is still generally better to get it as a child than as an adult.

bookwormtailmum · 15/08/2007 22:36

Sandyballs - sound like your dd was quite sensible! I didn't think of asking my dd to wee in a bath.

melpomene · 15/08/2007 23:09

I can understand people wanting to get it over with while the children are little. Very few people manage to avoid catching it altogether, and at least once they've had it you know they won't get it later eg just before going on holiday/doing exams / while pg etc.

On the other hand, it is certainly no picnic when they have it badly. Several nights of no sleep, fever and tears... My dds had it 4 months ago and both still have scars; dd2 has several scars on her face

bookwormtailmum · 15/08/2007 23:14

Melpomene - the scars do fade in time - even mine are small white dots now and not really noticable on my face even. Try vitamin E cream to speed things along and get lots of vit C into them. Children's skin is pretty resilient - it's going to be replaced thousands of times before they're adults.

dreamaway · 16/08/2007 00:41

I would just like to add, both ds1,ds2 and myself had cp 7 years ago. Both Ds were quite poorly with it, wouldn't wish it upon any child.
You have to be careful spots don't get infected, this is what causes bad scarring, DS2-now 8 still bears scars on his face and i have 2 very noticeable scars(Big Dent) on my head,cheek and on the tip of my nose which i hate, wouldn't mind if it wasn't my face!!

dreamaway · 16/08/2007 00:43
  • 3 even!
claireabo · 16/08/2007 00:53

My youngest dd (i have 2 dd 1 ds) had cp when she was 8 months old , i had recently been in hospital to have my gall bladder removed , she was so sad and sore and i couldnt even hug her , to this day when she gets very upset she bears the scars ,cp is horrid and i wouldn`t wish it on any one

becklespeckle · 16/08/2007 00:59

Chicken Pox can be serious and is never a pleasant disease to have but most children will get it at some point and it is far better to have it as a child than as an adult. Personally I let my children be exposed to it several times and they eventually caught it earlier this year. Both came through it okay but it was not a nice experience for them or for me, however, I am relieved that they have had it now - hopefully one less worry when they are older!