Chicken Pox?

chick·en·pox

ˈCHikənˌpäks/

noun

noun: chicken pox

1. an infectious disease causing a mild fever and a rash of itchy inflamed blisters. It is caused by the zoster virus and mainly affects children, who are afterward usually immune.

This week's adventure is rather surprising, at least it was for me. You see for the last 10 days or so I have been, for lack of a better word, suffering the effects of having the Chicken Pox...again!

I had the Chicken Pox when I was under the age of 2, I believe I was about 18 months or so and while I don't remember the event, I do have the scars and photos to prove it. Apparently, you CAN get the Pox again, it's rare, but it happens. I do like being unique, although this time I could have done without that designation.

It all started on Thursday at 5 am, almost 2 weeks ago now, with a headache and a fever. I took some Tylenol and went back to bed, waiting to see what I'd feel like when it was time to get up to get ready for work. I woke 2 hours later, soaking wet, fever and headache gone. Huh, well, I went on to work, the headache coming and going throughout the day. Friday was more of the same, headache on and off. I came home Friday after work, my head pounding and the fever was back, with a vengeance.

I went to bed early, didn't even stay up for my new favorite t.v. show, Dark Matter....there's this Android....super cute....anyway.....

I woke up Saturday, fever, headache, more Tylenol and back to bed. I was supposed to see my Pumpkin on Saturday, I had to pull the plug on that visit. Debi sent me off to bed while she doused the house in Lysol and cancelled our plans. Sunday and Monday, more of the same. I called out of work on Monday....waaaay too sick.

Debi came home Monday night, looked at me and said, "What's wrong with your face?!" "My face?" was my dazed response.

She dragged me to the bathroom, shining a flashlight on my neck, face and chest. I looked in the mirror....I was covered in small, red blotches. I had no idea they were there, they didn't itch and I had barely moved from the couch all day, let alone gazed upon my reflection in a mirror.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that's Chicken Pox." was what she declared. "It can't be that, I've had them, when I was little, little."

Turns out, she was right and I was wrong.

I went to the Dr. the next morning. Initially, she said, looking at my intake sheet, she figured it would be shingles....nope, didn't fit what I was presenting. I had the rash on my face, neck, chest and as I sat there, they were popping up on my arms.

She asked, "do you have any on your back?"
"I don't think so." was my reply.

"Do you mind if I take a look?"
"No, go right ahead."
"Hmmm, well, your back is covered."

 Her diagnosis....Chicken Pox

My response to that statement was an incredulous, "What do we do now?!"

She gave me a prescription for an anti-viral, a ginormous blue pill I had to take 3 times a day for 7 days. That was horrible.

And a note, I was contagious until my red rash had scabbed over and I was fever free for 24 hours, I wasn't going back to work until the following Monday. I was out of work for the next 5 days, unless I had the option of working from home, although she suggested I should only do so for 4 hours.

Turns out, I could barely manage those 4 hours without taking a nap and working from home sucks! I always thought I could be one of those people who never left their house...nope, not me. I can however watch A LOT of T.V.

Netflix does this thing where, based on your viewing history, they make suggestions on what to watch. There were a couple of intriguing shows that showed up as top picks for me:

Wentworth (because I watched Orange is the New Black)
Xena: Warrior Princess (because I watched Lost Girl)
Spartacus (because I watched....not sure where that one came from)

I watched a couple of episodes of Wentworth, as I was watching I realized it was a re-imagining of an old show I watched when I was a kid: Prisoner Cell Block H. Fascinating! I'll have to go back to that one, I was in an odd frame of mind and it didn't really hold my interest, but well worth giving it a second chance later.

I missed the Xena boat when it was on originally in the '90s, we didn't have cable at the time, but I was well aware of Lucy Lawless and her....Xena-ness, I mean what gay chick isn't? I watched a few episodes, but since they're from the '90s the quality isn't all that great and why did they make her mask her tantalizing New Zealand accent? I watched a couple episodes and moved on.

Which brings me to Spartacus, my newest obsession. Who knew a bunch of practically naked men, who are slaves and training to be gladiators, spilling blood and guts and sweat everywhere would grab my interest and keep it? I've watched a season and a half so far and my fever fueled dreams have been filled with gladiators....

Who knows what adventure I'll have once I am fully recovered from the Pox, it has, to say the least, kicked my ass.

Until next time......enjoy the day!