Childhood Diseases

You know, as parents of today, we have it fairly easy in this department. Smallpox is such a small threat, children are no longer vaccinated. There’s an MMR shot to prevent measles, mumps and rubella. There’s oral vaccine for polio; there’s a series of shots for diphtheria, typhoid and pertussis. Terrible illnesses that our own parents had to endure are just about nonexistent for our children.

But, then, there’s chickenpox. I have a friend who has four children. When chickenpox struck one of her daughters, her oldest son cried, “Quick, Mom, take me to the doctor for a shot!” His mother patiently explained, “But, son, there is no shot for the prevention of chickenpox.” He then proceeded to wail, “You mean I just have to get them?” She nodded sympathetically.

Even though you hear via the grapevine that chickenpox are “going around” you subconsciously hope you’ll escape them one more time, especially if your kids have been exposed many times before, and never succumbed. Maybe they have a “natural immunity.” But then, even though you dread the thought, you actually hope they will get them so you’ll have it over with for sure.

The first spots erupt, and you think they may be just bug bites. However, headaches and fever soon follow, and you realize that chickenpox have finally invaded your home. Well meaning friends give all sorts of advice. But, the first day is really not so bad. Just when you think you must be getting off easy, day two arrives.

You can barely recognize your own child. Covered by blistery bumps, irritable and cranky, nothing seems to help much to relieve the discomfort. Miracles of modern science, Benadryl and Tylenol administered regularly do help, but the greatest relief comes from Aveeno baths. Or course, there’s also calamine lotion that can be applied as need, but days 2 and 3 are very grim.

Gradually, the blisters begin to scab over and your child begins to feel better. (So do you!) Life gets back to a fairly normal routine. Within two weeks the spots are barely visible. Just when you’re ready to relax, reality sets in. Two more kids are inevitably going to erupt any day now. If you’re lucky, they’ll be stricken simultaneously. Otherwise, you’re faced with the possibility of a whole month more nursing sick kids.

Fatigued after a sleepless night of jumping in and out of bed to administer aid to two ailing “chickenpockers”, since “Siege II” was simultaneous, I prepared to crawl back into bed for a nap, as my husband took the daytime shift. “Just think we will never have to go through this again!” Although my ability to feel gratitude was limited at that time, I can now say to you, yes, be thankful if this is the only long term illness your family has to endure, and yes, thank goodness we never have to go through chickenpox again.