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Original poster

to not be too concerned about shingles/chicken pox infection

33 replies

MilkMonitor · 27/12/2007 22:53

To me, chicken pox is, most of the time, a mild disease affecting many in childhood.

My great aunt was treated like a pariah over Christmas because she has shingles. I felt so sorry for her missing out on lunches and gatherings and being alone in her sheltered housing.

MIL behaved as if the woman had the Ebola virus and that she was the only one looking out for the welfare of the children.

I thought that if the kids didn't go near her or hug her, it would be fine. And if they got chicken pox, it wouldn't be that big a deal anyway.

Or am I wrong?

OP posts:
lazawreath · 27/12/2007 23:02

My eldest has had chicken pox, he's all scabby, lovely. It's quite handy though if you go out, crowds of people parting like the red sea as though he's got the plague. I should have taken him to the sales with me.
I agree though, it's one of those things that everyone seems to get, except me, ive never had it.

lilolilbethlehem · 27/12/2007 23:05

My understanding is that you can't catch chicken pox (or anything else) from someone with shingles. I think that shingles comes from a chicken pox virus which lies dormant until triggered by stress or other factors. not a medical expert, but thing your Aunt may have been harshly treated through ignorance. Try gooling shingles or speak to your GP....

lilolilbethlehem · 27/12/2007 23:06

thinK even

mazzystar · 27/12/2007 23:09

I think your Mil may be misinformed regarding the transmission of shingles - pretty sure you can't get chickenpox from it, it is infectious but you have to have had chickenpox to catch it. Shingles is a nasty, painful disease though and keeping yourself quarantined, within reason, is probably the socially responsible thing to do.

DS has just had chickenpox, we now have to wait and see whether DD succumbs.

candypandy · 27/12/2007 23:10

I know that every "pox" you get when you have shingles is full of the varicella virus so if one bursts and someone else comes into contact with the contents I think you can catch chicken pox. But as, unlike chicken pox, they're usually all under your clothes and round your middle it's less likely. I agree.. your great aunt would have been in great discomfort and what a shame for her to miss out on everything and be treated like leper.

candypandy · 27/12/2007 23:11

That is, you can catch chicken pox from shingles but obviously can't catch shingles unless you've had chicken pox.

mazzystar · 27/12/2007 23:15

I am wrong, just checked on NHS direct - you can get chickenpox from someone with shingles, sorry, but you cannot get shingles rom someone with shingles.

DS's chickenpox was mild, but a couple of friends' kids were really quite poorly with it.

lilolilbethlehem · 27/12/2007 23:21

That makes me wrong too! MilkMontior, sorry about your aunt's suffering and her treatment, but although Chickenpox is fairly minor for most children, it's not as mild in adults and repercussions for pregnant women potentially serious, so if it is the case that she could pass on chicken pox (I didn't know that), please help her understand why people acted as they did and wish her a speedy recovery.

Original poster
MilkMonitor · 27/12/2007 23:29

There weren't any pg women though.

And I want my kids to get chicken pox precisely for the reason that it's horrid to get it as an adult.

Ah well, maybe next year she'll be allowed to see her great nephew and niece. Although she is 95.

OP posts:
candypandy · 27/12/2007 23:34

well yes much better to get it as a kid

I read about foetal rubella syndrome being on the rise.. the pg women weren't catching it from children but from their adult partners who hadn't had it as children

this was a while back..

mazzystar · 27/12/2007 23:43

Ah, your MIL excluded her from your family stuff because of potentially passing chickenpox to your kids?

Did she not ask you what you thought first?

ADDICTEDtosayingHAAAAAAAPYxmas · 28/12/2007 01:16

you can't catch shingles, but you can catch chicken pox from it. to get shingles you must have had chicken pox. the virus stays dormant in your body and if your immune system gets weakened the virus can be reactivated and caused shingles.

ADDICTEDtosayingHAAAAAAAPYxmas · 28/12/2007 01:20

oh and i actually know of a 13 months old who died of chicken pox

madamez · 28/12/2007 01:22

If your MIL is generally a nice sensible person then it's possible that someone in the family (maybe one of your SIL) is PG, very early on in PG and hasn't told anyone apart from your MIL. Which would make her banning Aunty and not engaging in discussion about it perfectly fair. Of course, if your MIL is an ignorant controlling bitch then you are probably justified in ranting about her.

Original poster
MilkMonitor · 28/12/2007 08:08

Nope. No possbility of any other pregnant women around.

And yes, children do very rarely die of chicken pox. Children die of all sorts.

I think that's also what's galling - MIL didn't think to talk to me about it, my children's mother. She likes to make decisions about my children herself.

OP posts:
JingleBelgoHoHoHo · 28/12/2007 08:17

That is unfair for your great aunt - as long as the shingles rash is covered up, there shouldn't be any risk. My mother had shingles recently when we were visiting my parents - no way would I have kept her away from my children! The rash was covered at all times.

ALomonderfulLife · 28/12/2007 08:49

Your Aunt received terrible treatment. There was a story on the news about a week ago about a 37 yr old who died from Chicken Pox. Maybe they had that in their mind?

So many people are ill informaed about chicken pox. My own mum thought you can get shingles from someone with chicken pox! They obviously thought they could catch it from her.

chicken pox death

I do think it is better for children to get it whilst they are young as there seems to be more of a risk when you get older.

itcameuponamidnightclayre · 28/12/2007 08:50

My 4 year old dd had shingles a few months ago, and despite the fact she was off her face on the drugs they gave her she wasnt a threat to anyone, the only way some one can catch chickenpox from them is if they touch the burst blisters and havent already had chicken pox, your poor aunty xx

Mungarra · 28/12/2007 10:22

You can't catch shingles from someone else, but you can catch chicken pox. My children caught chicken pox from their grandfather, who didn't realise his rash was shingles.

Hulababy · 28/12/2007 10:25

You can catch Chicken Pox from someone who has Shingles (if you haven't already had CP that is)

You can't catch Shingles from someone with Chicken Pox

You can't catch Shingles off someone with Shingles

You can only get shingles if you have already had Chicken Pox

glaskham · 28/12/2007 10:27

well i have always said that if one of my friends dc gets the pox or whatever it may be i want a pox party!! so my 2 can have it and be over and done with it then!! i dont see why so many people get so panicy about it....especially if once they've had it they'll never get it again!!

eandh · 28/12/2007 10:29

My dd1 has had chicken pox since last saturday and we had family cancelling xmas lunch with us (first year I was doing lunch at my house) because my cousin has just had a baby and the people who were coming to us xmas day were going to see cousin and baby boxing day and she said that if they saw us she didnt want them to see baby in case they passed it on.

I tried to explain that it was very unlikely to happen because he has immunity from cousin and she is breastfeeding but would they listen?????????????

poor dd1 was very upset as she loves seeing these particular members of family and felt it was her fault they didnt come

annoyingdevil · 28/12/2007 11:27

God, I just caught it from the dc's and we just carried on as normal over Xmas (we already cancelled last year due to gastro). We warned all the relatives in advance (they'd all had it)

In hindsight I may have cancelled if I'd known how crap I was going to feel - tis much worse in adults, but I survived!

Seems a bit unfair on your aunt as 95% of adults have had it as a child and it really isn't serious for children (unless immune compromised). Believe me, much better to have it as a child - dc's fared much better than me, and I'm scarily healthy!

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 28/12/2007 11:31

Chickenpox is generally a mild disease - yes, rarely, children die from it but proportionately more adults do so it's much better to have it as a child.

I had it as a pregnant adult and it was grim.

Dottydot · 28/12/2007 11:43

You can't catch shingles!! And you can't catch chicken pox from someone with Shingles either.

Shingles is what stays in your body after you've had chicken pox. It can come out at any time but it's not infectious and you have to have had chicken pox to get Shingles.

Your poor Aunt