OT: Chicken Pox?

[Maple Leafs]

So I had the guys over last night to play cards, and one wasn't feeling well. It turns out he has chicken pox, and is in the contagious phase.

I've already had them, as has everyone else who was there last night. However, my wife hasn't. She was in the room for maybe a minute last night (she doesn't like my friends), but does anyone know how likely it is to be spread if there's no contact?

I'll be washing dishes, tables, etc. tonight to be sure. Will that be enough, or do I need to burn my house down just to be safe?

[Eaglesfan27]

It's highly contagious, but only via contact. If you carefully disinfect everything before your wife has contact with it, she should be ok. Also, it has a limited life outside the body (I don't remember how long.) However, it is worth noting that adults tend to be hit worse with this particular disease than kids.

[21C]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

I've already had them, as has everyone else who was there last night.

That's what I thought too a couple of years ago. My kids both got them within a week of each other and I thought I was safe since I had them as a child. We were worried about the kids still being sick when we had a trip planned to the US and Canada. They were both fine but guess who got the chicken pox for the second time?

The worst part about it was the fact that I was in NYC when I broke out in the sores and I was about to pick up a rental car. My wife was reluctant to get the car since she wasn't confident about driving in the States ( other side of the road for us ) let alone in New York. I ended up going to get the car but I wore a hat while I walked there from our hotel - I would have been so suspicious-looking ( in other words, I blended in ). I removed the hat when I went to the counter but I had this ugly sore on the end of my nose. The guy at the desk did this quick wipe-of-the-nose action because he thought I had a booger there. I don't know who was more embarassed.

The second worst thing was that we were driving to meet my wife's half sister for the very first time ( same father - different continents ). When we arrived, my wife introduced herself, the children and her husband - the leper. I spent the whole of one day alone in a house ( without a TV or computer since they were moving shortly ) so that I didn't expose myself to anyone else . . . I mean, expose the germs to anyone else.

[Maple Leafs]

Bah, the odds of getting it twice are like on-in-a-million. Based on your experience, the only people at risk are Australian FOFCers with connections to the RWBL and... oh sweet god, I'm a dead man.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Bah, the odds of getting it twice are like on-in-a-million. Based on your experience, the only people at risk are Australian FOFCers with connections to the RWBL and... oh sweet god, I'm a dead man.

Man hopefully it steers clear of the current Rockies owner.

[Draft Dodger]

<---RWBLer who had them twice

[DeToxRox]

I had chicken pox twice. First time was mild, but the second time was awful. Thankfully that was when I was like 7.

[korme]

how in the hell does chicken pox come twice? i thought you were immune after 1 bout? calling dr. eaglesfan27.

[Ksyrup]

My dad had them twice - once as a kid, the other just a few years ago (called shingles). Really screwed him up the second time around.

I got them the first time during college.

[Crapshoot]

Never had it. Hoping it stays that way.

[Castlerock]

Is chicken pox a "bad" disease in kids? By that, I mean what harmful effects do you see if you contract it as a kid? Lost of kids get it but I have never heard of any bad effects other then the itchy pox.

Given that it is rare to get chicken pox a second time and that contracting chicken pox as an adult is nasty, why aren't kids intensionally exposed to it?

Maybe one of the doctors around here can answer that. I suspect it's because there are complications that I am unaware of.

[st.cronin]

It can lead to scarring. I have several scars on my face from the Chicken Pox.

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by Castlerock

Is chicken pox a "bad" disease in kids? By that, I mean what harmful effects do you see if you contract it as a kid? Lost of kids get it but I have never heard of any bad effects other then the itchy pox.

Given that it is rare to get chicken pox a second time and that contracting chicken pox as an adult is nasty, why aren't kids intensionally exposed to it?

Because it f-cking sucks to have it.

I suppose you could scratch yourself raw and that would be a drawback.

[gottimd]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

I suppose you could scratch yourself raw and that would be a drawback.

No it wouldn't.

[Castlerock]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

Because it f-cking sucks to have it.

I suppose you could scratch yourself raw and that would be a drawback.

I'm not saying that it would be pleasant but getting it as an adult is 100 times worse.

Ok, I guess scarring is a possible big negative. Does that still happen if you don't itch the pox?

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by Castlerock

I'm not saying that it would be pleasant but getting it as an adult is 100 times worse.

Ok, I guess scarring is a possible big negative. Does that still happen if you don't itch the pox?

It's possible in extreme cases I think but mostly it's from scratching.

[Telle]

Originally Posted by Castlerock

Is chicken pox a "bad" disease in kids? By that, I mean what harmful effects do you see if you contract it as a kid? Lost of kids get it but I have never heard of any bad effects other then the itchy pox.

Given that it is rare to get chicken pox a second time and that contracting chicken pox as an adult is nasty, why aren't kids intensionally exposed to it?

Maybe one of the doctors around here can answer that. I suspect it's because there are complications that I am unaware of.

There's a chicken pox vaccine now. Many states have added it to their list of required vaccines for kids to enter public school.

And as to how you can get it a second time.. sometimes you get too light of case of it to get immunised.

[stevew]

Isnt there a big problem if you get Chicken Pox and you are pregnant? I believe it can scar/kill the fetus. If your wife ever plans on getting pregnant, and hasnt had it yet , you may want to look into getting her the vaccination beforehand just in case.

[DanGarion]

I got them on my 23rd B-day while I was down in San Diego. The first 3 days were horrbile, I was sick as a dog, after that I was fine just a little itchy and bored.

[rkmsuf]

sex while having chicken pox. now that's badass.

[korme]

sex with chicken? normal suicane activity

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by stevew

Isnt there a big problem if you get Chicken Pox and you are pregnant? I believe it can scar/kill the fetus. If your wife ever plans on getting pregnant, and hasnt had it yet , you may want to look into getting her the vaccination beforehand just in case.

might also want to look into getting a real man to help seal the deal...

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Shorty3281

how in the hell does chicken pox come twice? i thought you were immune after 1 bout? calling dr. eaglesfan27.

What Telle said, some people don't have a severe enough case to form an immune response. Other people may have a defective immune system. In either case, it is reportedly quite rare to have Chicken Pox twice, but I did at age 7 and 8.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dola -

Yes, Varicella can cause birth defects so it can be dangerous to pregnant women. Also, it is rare but Varicella (the virus that causes Chicken Pox) can cause a wide variety of serious effects including even death. Fortunately, most kids don't have those severe effects, but a high enough percentage do that I certainly plan on getting the vaccine for my future kids.

Oh yeah, Varicella is a nasty virus that can come back later in life as Shingles which can be quite painful.

[sterlingice]

Reminds me of the South Park episode about this.

SI

[Loren]

Originally Posted by Castlerock

Is chicken pox a "bad" disease in kids? By that, I mean what harmful effects do you see if you contract it as a kid? Lost of kids get it but I have never heard of any bad effects other then the itchy pox.

Given that it is rare to get chicken pox a second time and that contracting chicken pox as an adult is nasty, why aren't kids intensionally exposed to it?

Maybe one of the doctors around here can answer that. I suspect it's because there are complications that I am unaware of.

not too many kids get it now due to the vaccine, which is unfortunate in our case as we dont vaccinate our child, especially for chicken pox..so for me to find someone with it in order to expose her to it is pretty damn hard, though they are contagious for a while after receiving the vaccine itself. IMO, kids should still get it as it provides a better immunity level for them throughout life. As for the symptoms they include : moderate fever, headache, fatigue, achiness, sore throat followed by the pox themselves and the itchiness. The main reason the vaccine was put on the market and approved for use was due to the money insurance companies were having to put out due to kids being hospitalized for chicken pox related treatment, and how parents were having to skip work for it..this sounds bad, but a huge amount of the time they were hospitalized was because the parents couldnt stay home and take care of them due to working, or parents who take kids in to the hospital for every tiny thing. This way insurance companies dont lose as much money, mom and dad dont have to lose money, and the dr and vaccine makers get money.
A big problem with the vaccine I and others see is that the longterm effects arent known yet..and it IS predicted that the vaccine itself does/will not provide sufficient immunity throughout adulthood, and thats when people suffer more complications from the virus/infection because they have a high risk of developing chicken pox pneumonia, shingles is more commonly seen in the senior community from what i know.
If you're an adult though and you're concerned, like in the case of MAple Leafs wife, she can have a titer test done for it and check out her immunity level, I would highly suggest this for women of childbearing age. Even if you're pregnant and exposed, chances your baby will develop a problem is rare, depending on how far along you are, its not known to cause as severe problems as Rubella(women should have their immunity tested for this as well if they plan to get pregnant). People with chicken pox can be contagious 1 to 2 days before symptoms even arise/show and up until the scabs dry up. IF you get it twice naturally, its usually because you werent fully exposed to the child who originally had it, so you had a mild case and didnt become completely immune. Also, WITH the vaccine children still have a 10-20 percent chance to get it anyways while they're still kids and within the vaccination schedule.
p.s. school or not, you can get exemptions from this and all other vaccines..

[Pumpy Tudors]

Heyyyy, a Loren sighting!

[Mr. Wednesday]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

My dad had them twice - once as a kid, the other just a few years ago (called shingles). Really screwed him up the second time around.

As I understand it, shingles is actually a recurrence of the original infection -- your immune system is not able to completely kill off the virus.

[Young Drachma]

Had them as a kid. My brother is one of the rare cases of children that died from it. That was in 1987, he was 3 1/2.

[MrBug708]

<--RWBL who got them on his birthday a few years back