The Triumphant Return To School

I have now been back at school a full week. Still, I just do not feel right. Chicken Pox really does take it out of your body and I do feel very drained. I can tell I have been ill. I know that sounds silly, but if you have Chicken Pox, you will know what I mean a week later. I cannot help but think maybe I went back to school a bit too early – maybe instead of going back on the Wednesday I should have left it until the beginning of the following week. I went back to school as soon as I was no longer contagious, as a responsible person would. However, I don’t think my body had time to recover and get over it all. It is quite a big shock to the system. Anyone who has had a computer virus will know that a computer will be fine, then all-of-a-sudden... BAM! Now the computer doesn’t know what to do, it is beginning to panic. It was so unexpected. Now, I’m not a doctor, but I assume there is a loose connection there somewhere.

I am not particularly sure what I was expecting on my first day back at school. Without trying to sound like I am trying write a speech for JD to say at the end of a Scrubs episode; after being ill for such a long time and being home, alone and away from the people you care about, you plan in your mind how glorious it will be to be reunited. I over thought everything I fear. I was not expecting balloons and banners saying ‘Welcome Back’ on them, because I would have hated that, but it did not live up to the expectations I had hoped for. The thought of being back with my friends did, in a way (and I am honestly trying to not sound cheesy), did help me through the times when I felt low while sitting at home, reading status updates from them implying they were having fun without me.

My return was okay. I got hugs and people told me they missed me. My classmates asked numerous questions, with the main one being ‘Are you contagious still?’ – not thinking about me, but themselves. I got asked by teachers if ‘I was allowed back yet’. I got given plenty of work to catch up on. I sat in a room full of obnoxious, loud-mouth sports academy students who sit and watch the same, unfunny American comedy every day, and still fall about in annoying laughter. I sat quietly at the same table, listening to the latest gossip. To be honest, my first day back at school was like any other normal day at school. My return was not important.

I have spent 5 days at school now. I have been to all my lessons and now realising the true extent to my 7 days off school. With exams looming pretty darn quick, taking a week and a half out of school was not a clever thing to do. I have a crazy amount of work to catch up on, but then on the other hand, thanks to me missing my photography exam, I only have a fraction on the work I should. The past two weeks I should have been rushing around making sure I had everything all set up and finished after my exam, and making sure the exhibition would be up to standards. Now, I have no need to worry about any of that – until next year.

That is assuming I can do Photography next year, because I was expecting as part of my ‘welcomed’ return to school, the teachers would be very helpful in getting everything set up. A week later and I am still waiting to find out what the final outcome will be for missing my photography exam, and seeing as teachers do not seem keen on helping me now, I still do now know anything. I want to know if I can stay on another year and retake my Photography. I want to know if I can postpone my ICT coursework, so I have another year to get it to the highest level. I want to know if I can retake English, and I also want to know if I am even allowed to stay on another year. It seems like I have annoyed my teachers by getting Chicken Pox and taking an unprecedented 7 days off school as a results.

I am still in ore at how much my life has changed, ‘thanks’ to Chicken Pox. University held back a year and instead having to spend another year at school. Yes, the place where I am beginning to hate being, I have to stay at another year. I was looking forward to the fact that in under 2 months, I would never have to return to school. Now, I have to wait another 13 months until I get that pleasure. The phrase ‘Life’s a bitch’ has never been more appropriate in my life.

I am glad to be back though. I am healing very well and my skin has never looked clearer. Somehow, getting Chicken Pox has in some way healed my back acne. How long that will last I do not know, but I am comforted by the fact that I have not got scabs and spots on my face. I think it will not be long until I post my final blog entry on here when I am fully healed. I am only left with a few scabs on my body, but will be left with numerous scabs I fear. Not to worry – we all need some war wounds...

Ciao For Now...

Day Six & Seven Of Chicken Pox

The weekend and I could happily say that the end was in sight. First day with no fresh new spots and they were all beginning the slow process of healing. Scabs are awful things, and they do not look nice. I no longer looked like I had been suffering with Chicken Pox and instead look like I had been attacked - with a very sharp pencil. I have a name for every stage of the Chicken Pox process.

The first stage is when the first spots start coming out, and this quite rightly I have named the ‘Puberty Stage’. The second stage is when the face is covered with these spots and has dramatically swollen, and I named this the ‘Elephant Man Stage’. Thirdly, and disgustingly, is when the spots burst and the puss dries and I think this is the ‘Elephant Man With A Fungal Infection Stage’. Then you have the stage I am on now when the face has gone back to its normal size, scabs have formed and the dried puss fallen off, which is the ‘Attacked With A Sharp Pencil Stage’.

I hit depression again the weekend though which was not good. Whenever I am ill for more than a few days, you can almost guarantee that at some point I will suffer from depression. Maybe I do have some server mental problem, but that is a problem for another year. A letter confirming my University cancellation was the final brick in the towering depression. Anyway, the weekend was not the most cheerful of time for me, but the fact that I was beginning to heal, a few days ahead of the Doctor’s prediction was good. There is hope for my immune system yet.

Me getting Chicken Pox is somewhat of a relief though. All my childhood my Mum tried desperately to make me have the virus, but of course my body was very stubborn and refused to get it. I finally have it, and I have had it young enough to avoid any major complications. Sure, my scars will be worse than normal, but that is something I can live with. The timing was not brilliant, but at least they are out the way and another major event in my life has passed quite uneventfully.

I still at this stage had the beard and left-parted hair which made me look worse and less like Stuart, but of course you still cannot shave when you have Scabs as that will hinder the healing process for a few days and the hair being swept to the side stopped it getting stuck in my healing forehead. To be honest, I hope no-one ever reads this blog while eating because I have a suspicion I would put them off. Chicken Pox is actually quite a disgusting virus to explain to someone. I do feel very sorry for the friends that have asked the fatal question of ‘How are the Chicken Pox today?’ as more than often I have returned with a visual description of the stage I currently was at.

Webcam is a brilliant invention also for those who didn’t believe that Chicken Pox could be so bad and couldn’t understand why I was making a big fuss over it. I am sure many people had nightmares after seeing my mug on their screen during the ‘Elephant Man With A Fungal Infection Stage’. It is a shame I got Chicken Pox in May instead of the end of October. Would have been much cheaper than a plastic Halloween mask, and certainly would have scared any small children coming around for a handful of sweets. May also have made people think twice before egging the house, for there was a strange monster that might devour them.

Other than all that, my Chicken Pox is fine. Another few days and I will be recovered enough to return to my normal routine of going to school every day. Just need the scabs to heal over better. Very proud of my Immune System though! Thank-you.

Ciao for now!