Don't get chicken pox as a grownup!

[Vian]

I'm 27. I swear to God I had chicken pox when I was about 4 years old. I got a Titer for Varicella not 3 months ago and it showed immunity (had to get it for school). Last week I started feeling like I had a sinus infection, a little pain around my eyes and cheekbones, so I flushed with a netti pot twice a day for a couple days and that usually takes care of it. Well then my left armpit starts to hurt and is a little swollen, though I don't feel a swollen lymph gland, the soreness isn't in the muscle, it's more in the adipose tissue, so I know it's lymph in nature. Then my knees start to hurt a bit when I stand up or sit down, just a bit of an ache and at the same time I get general malaise and yucky feeling a moderate fever and some nausea. So I'm like "Great, I have the flu or a bad cold, oh well, I'll feel like crap for a few days and I'll be fine by next week. At least I don't have school other than my online finals."

 

Then I wake up with red spots all over my arms. They aren't itchy or painful, but they definately cause me some concern. I went to the urgent care and told them that I'd had chicken pox and a varicella titer 3 months ago. They draw blood and everything comes back pretty normal and they tell me it's not the flu, mono, or a bacterial infection and that I have a virus and sometimes viruses present with joint pain and skin rashes. Ok, fine.

 

Next day, the spots are brighter, more are coming in, and my right knee has swollen up to the size of one of those personal little watermellons. I can't even find my kneecap. I can barely walk, let alone drive. I suck it up for that day, then the next day it's just as bad, only now there's spots coming in on my legs, stomach, and a few on my back. They aren't ichy either, just a bit tender, and really alarming to look at!

 

I go back to the urgent care and they re-do my blood tests, my blood pressure is 165/70 (normal for me is 120/70 or even a bit lower) and my heart rate is 120 (normal is 80). None of the blood tests they can get done within 10-15 minutes show anything really abnormal, but my white count has jumped enough that the doctor feels it would be reasonable to prescribe an antibiotic. So I go get some Levofloxacin and go home.

 

A few hours later the urgent care doctor calls me and tells me that another one of my blood tests that came back really has her worried, it jumped from 4 to 16, showing alot of inflammation going on and with all my other symptoms she really has a gut feeling I should go to the ER.

 

So I pack up and my dad drives me to the ER, I got in quickly and they determine that I'm dehydrated so they give me IV fluids, draw a -lot- of blood, and let me sit there for about 4 hours. A couple people come in and look at my rash and then leave to consult with the doctor and the blood tests and he comes in and says "We're pretty sure it's chicken pox, or one of 4 or 5 other viruses that present with similar symptoms." They redid my varicellis titer and did blood cultures just to make sure of everything. I got a perscription for prednisone out of them to help with the swelling in my knees, thankfully, which has me feeling a LOT better now. They are still swollen, but the prednisone is making the inflammation in the spots themselves go down, and my knees are a bit less stiff and it's a little easier to walk.

 

I'm afraid to find out how much this will cost me : /  It also TOTALLY destroyed my challenge, not only for working out, but for diet as well because all that sounded good to eat was junk food, though I have managed to not eat any wheat or beans, I have eaten some rice, oats, and corn and way too much sugar (for a few mornings all I wanted to eat was indian-style rice pudding)

 

Oh well, there will be more challenges

[Raincloak]

ooooh dear.  Yeah, I would say your challenge has gone straight out the window.  If you're sick enough to be under hospital care (and you are), forget diets and forget training -- you just need to eat, drink, rest, and get well.

 

I can't figure out how you could have caught chickenpox twice, but if your immune system gets depressed it could cause a flare-up (eg shingles).  But this sounds worse than that.  Is it possible that you have recently been exposed to the disease?

 

That is a serious bummer, Vian.  All I can say is: now's your chance to play video games, watch your froggies, and relax for a week or two!  Hugs and best wishes for speedy recovery <3

 

oh, and have somebody pick you up some goo for those rashes and bumps.  They may not itch now, but they probably will in a few days.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

That stinks with amazing amounts of stinkitude.  Feel better soon.

[BadWolf]

Oof, hang in there.

[Vian]

and then to top it off lastnight I had a bad reaction to the levofloxacin, basically a panic attack. My heart started pounding really fast and hard out of nowhere and I had this sudden feeling of dread and doom. Only lasted a few minutes, but it was scarey!

[MonsterDigs]

Oh I am sorry to hear you are having such a rotten time of it.  

 

Well I hope that you get to collect lots of underpants while you are recovering.  Take it really easy and you will be able to get back in the swing of things once you are better.

 

Hugs (virtual ones just in case you are contagoius hee hee sorry)

MD

 

PS Remember the better you eat the sooner you feel better but a treat that gives comfort is just as good sometimes.

[Random Chic]

Hang in there. Another one like this is Fifth's Virus.. most people get it before they're 3 years old and never remember it.. a lacy rash type thing. I got it when I was 35 and it sucked bad.. all the skin on my face peeled off like a mask and somehow I wasn't disfigured.  It was like having the worst most mobile sunburn ever that would't go away for weeks.. finally borage oil was the only thing I found that soothed it.

 

Apparently the older you are when you get it the worse it is.. I guess better that I got it at 35 rather than at 75 which would have potentially killed me I was told.  

 

No idea what to do for late onset chicken pox though. Calamine lotion maybe?  Best wishes, get better soon!