Day Two & Three Of Chicken Pox

I hope no-one was actually reading the blog day-to-day, because after two days absence, one might have presumed I died. Well, luckily I did not. I am still alive; just very tired and even lacking the motivation to scratch the annoying spot on my back, let alone write another blog. I have am entirely blaming my parents for me getting Chicken Pox at this inappropriate time. Would I have cared if I got Chicken Pox at Four years old and missed a few weeks of school; baring in mind that at school aged four we done a few maths questions then played in the sand pit the rest of the day? Probably not. Do I care about getting Chicken Pox at 17 during A-Level exam time and missing an incredibly important Photography exam? I do. If only they had made me hug more children.

                                                        

Forgetting the depressing fact that getting Chicken Pox has hindered me going to University this year, day two of Chicken Pox was worse than day one of Chicken Pox. This was expected though. More spots developed and they got itchier and itchier. Sometimes you cannot control your scratching reflexes, particularly when you are sleeping, so it is almost certain that I will have numerous scars when this whole thing is over and done with. Thinking my face will look slightly different than before, and so will my chest. Those are where the most scratching has occurred. Chicken Pox in the genital area is most uncomfortable thing ever – whether you’re male or female according my friend – The Internet. I’m a man, so I can only give half the story. It’s the itchiest of all places. Absolutely nothing will stop the itching apart from scratching. It is so tempting to scratch. I did, and it was like eating chocolate. For about 10 seconds it was so satisfying, but then you realise the repercussions. I am writing this blog entry a few days later, and I can tell you know. I really wish I hadn’t. If you thought the itching was bad, the pain it all scaring down there is actually unbearable. I have begun smothering them in E45 cream to stop any infection and any movement causes distressing pain. That is why you should not scratch while suffering from Chicken Pox.

My face during days two and three was red, blotchy and quite swollen. The skin feels very tight, and sometimes it feels like it is crawling. You can feel your skin moving. My face felt very dead. When I touched my face, I couldn’t feel it. I just felt a slight increase in pressure. It is not a very attractive virus. By this stage in my Chicken Pox, I could easily say I had about 100 or so spots just on my face, chest and back. It just is not nice. Waking up every morning and seeing more and more spots on your face is actually very soul crushing, however vain you are. I’m not vain at all, but seeing your face in this state is actually very upsetting.

Also, I still suffering with the symptoms of flu, and infact it is actually quite bad flu. The only way I could breathe was to spray a nasal decongestant up my nose every hour or so, and I managed to get through an entire box of tissues over the past few days. Then of course, you have to be incredibly careful when wiping or blowing your nose. Normally, I would do it without thinking, but of course my face is covered in all these red bots, particularly around my nose. I also completely lost my voice for a day. Well, I still had a voice, but nothing you would recognise as Stuart. Maybe a 40 year old smoker, but not me.

There are many theories as to what you can use to ease the discomfort associated with Chicken Pox. Camomile Lotion is supposed to be great at cooling down your skin and therefore making you slightly less itchy. This did not work for in – infact it just made me itchier. Using bath salts is supposed to help as well, but instead this just made the bath uncomfortable and made me itch more. I have also used this French stuff, which essentially looks like (and works like) red food colouring. Putting it on your skin does dye your skin bright blood red and look like I could be playing a murdered body from Midsummer Murders. However, it relieved the itching slightly. Today, I have used nothing. Not anything. Nout, zilch, zot – nullity. You know what, I feel much better. I don’t itch at all. Still uncomfortable, but I in no watch itch. This is probably something that affects everyone differently, but if you get/have Chicken Pox and have tried everything but still nothing has worked, and then try nothing. What harm can it do?

Technically, from when I first had the cold, I have now been ill six days, and I do not deal with illness particularly well. So far, this current stint of illness has caused a decrease in motivation, concentration, self esteem and my confidence, as well as increasing my depression levels more every day. Only six or so weeks ago I suffered from a bad virus which made me ill for about a week, so two stints in quick succession is not going to end well for me, so hopefully this Chicken Pox will not last long.

Ciao for now!