Chicken Pox in 30s

I have no idea how I got it. Caught me by surprise at the age of 30s. People say that one will suffer more as one gets older. I really hope not. So i'm blogging my experience. IF you know what's the difference between getting it before 30 or after 30 years old, please do share with me.

1. 5 Jan 2013, Saturday - LACK OF STAMINA
I experienced headache, but it was manageable. I went jogging in the evening other than staying home.
However, my heartbeat seems to be slower. Felt lack of stamina.  A bit unusual. Cancelled a meeting. Stayed home to relax.

2. 6 Jan 2013, Sunday - MY FACE HAS RED DOTS!
Still experiencing headache, some body pain, but it was manageable too. Went to the mall and Mydin (just next door) for some groceries shopping. Relaxed at home.

Before I went to bed, I washed my face. Odd...pimples?? Why do I have red dots on my face? That's where I found out...I have few red dots on my body too! No fever though.

3. 7 Jan 2013, Monday - 1ST DAY: IT IS CHICKEN POX!
Went to a 24-hour clinic nearby in the morning (where Double Good restaurant is). Doctor confirmed right away, IT IS chicken pox, just by looking at the dots on my back.. She put my hand to touch the surface. It is a dot containing water.

3 days MC were given. I'm supposed to see the doc again on Thurs. Come to think of it, isn't it contagious if I have to come out and expose myself to the public under such condition? Odd. I didn't ask. Tired. I just want to go home.

Went to Mydin to stock up some food. I don't think I want to make any public appearance with a face that has dots all over. Mum called to check on me. Told me what not to eat, what to eat. Mum's the best! Aunt called too. Would be passing me some food tomorrow. She is very kind and helpful as always.

Lunch and dinner for the day, gawd, only clear soup with vege. For taste, just salt, pepper, and vege.
Drink..I boiled barley.

At home, best is to go bra-less and shirt-less! I'm serious! Anything that touches and brushes the skin, it irritates the chicken pox, the body easily feel heaty and sweaty, and it itches!

At night...I wore winter gloves - prevent from self-scratching!

4. 8 Jan 2013, Tuesday - 2ND DAY: LOOK AT THESE CHICKY POX!
Collected food from my aunt in the morning - minced pork, bread, 3 pomphret fishes, mee sua noodles, choi sum vege, carrot, porridge with some pork slices. Ahh...food savior! Thank God! I have meat to eat.

Dear friend Noreen dropped by to pass me coconut drink too. I'm supposed to keep my body cool.

I told just about 5-6 friends other than my own family members and colleagues. Do not want too many people to be asking and worrying about me. I told some as I was in touch with them in the earlier 2 weeks, which was contagious stage too. They ought to know, in case. Body with lower immune can easily get it.

I am very thankful for many kind and very thoughtful friends around me who offered their help voluntarily. While some who have not gotten chicken pox, I prefer not to meet them . They are so kind to offer to buy meals or groceries for me.

More chicken pox on the 2nd day. It's spreading all over my body with new ones on my neck. Arghh.. itchy! Hate that it affected my eye. There's one on my eye lid and half of my eye is red. Throat is slightly painful. Mouth, I think there's at least one or two underneath the tongue.

Here's a really close-up photo - a small dot, from my abdomen.

MUST refrain from popping it!

There's more today:

More on the forehead...

Painful seeing all these red dots on my face.
More on my chin. Itchy!
There's some on my left and right cheeks too. Sigh...

Not to mention, there are some red dots on my hair scalp too. 

Arghh itchy!

Though I can't see them, I can feel it like reading braille!

YUCK! These are ugly.. and I'm only on my 2nd day. 

I hope I'll recover soon FAST!

5. 9 Jan 2013, Wednesday - 3RD DAY:IT STOPPED SPREADING?
It was so itchy! I woke up twice in the middle of the night. Applied Calamine cream, drank a glass of coconut juice. Couldn't get a good night sleep!

Despite the traditional advice, that one cannot shower, I defy it and took my bath. I couldn't stand having dried flaky lotion all over my body and I need to apply new layer to lessen the itchiness. Was very careful while showering - no rubbing, just dabbing, really soft brush of liquid soap on my skin and I washed my hair. Towel dry was just soft dabs to prevent any accident from popping any of the chicken pox. Ahh I feel fresh and cool after a shower..

Surprisingly, there are no new spots today! But there's still slight pain in the throat. And I woke up this morning with some light coughs.

The worst...YUCK!! a few red dots on my face has surfaced with some liquid. They look gross... :(

My left eye was affected. 

Couldn't do anything to the one on my eye lid.

IT IS SO ITCHY! Irritating!

On the first two days, my eyes were half red. 

It felt like there's something in my eye.

Today, the redness has reduced

No new spots! Relief and hope that it stops there!

I drank A LOT yesterday:

3 cups of coconut juice and about 5 cups of barley drink.

That must have helped!

Despite my daily routine of eating, sleeping, sitting, I lost 1kg in just 3 days! Geez!

6. 10 Jan 2013, Thursday - 4TH DAY: I STOPPED TAKING MEDICATION

Dragged myself to the clinic to follow-up with the clinic doctor. Applied tinted spf cream on those dots. Didn't quite help but well, something is better than nothing.

I didn't see new spots, but I had slight cough. The chest felt a little tight. So the doctor prescribed a bottle of cough syrup, with one additional calamine bottle. In 3 days, I finished 3/4 of a bottle!

Why the doctor is so stingy in giving MCs? Ishk! It is no doubt I can't go to office as this usually takes up to 2 weeks. I have to return again next week Monday for another follow-up.

Medication for the past 3 days

(Click on the photo to enlarge):

Anyhow, I decided to stop taking the medication after realizing from friends that taking those medicine is suppressing the virus or so called 'toxin', preventing it coming out from my body. It could mean that I may get it again in future if I do not let all the 'toxin' sprout on my skin as chicken pox. Alright, I decided to take the bold plunge. See how it goes!

Another friend (thanks Brother Jeff!) helped to buy coconut juice. 

5 Pandan coconut juice with meat, RM25

Wow, not cheap but it taste really good!

Everyday food - Vege + minced pork soup

In this photo: Onion, radish, tomatoes, corn, 'tong chai', garlic and minced pork balls

7. 11 Jan 2013, Friday - 5TH DAY: RECOVERING PERIOD

This is like Sleepless in Seattle.. I woke up few times in the middle of the night. I almost jumped up from my sleeping position when I realized that my fingers was really close to scratching the biggest liquid spot on my face! One of the winter gloves came OFF from my left hand! 

Morning routine check - no new chicken pox appearing! Relief! Waiting for the liquid to dry off. 

I'm getting really bored with what to eat ...have a lot of food restrictions due to this.

Tonight's dinner:

wrap filled with baked beans, fried egg, 

minced pork and cucumber cubes

Drink: Boiled Chrysanthemum today

(thanks to Sherleen for buying me these 3 packs!)

This is how the chicken pox looks like on my body now

(click on the photo to enlarge):

I know... YUCKKKK! :)

8. 12 Jan 2013, Saturday - 6TH DAY: WAITING FOR THE CHICKEN POX TO DRY UP

Woke up just once in the middle of the night. Realized that my hand was scratching one on my butt. Darn!
This morning, I noticed that putting Aloe Vera a night before helps to smoothen the affected areas of my skin.

Dinner: Steamed Fish (Pomphret) with 

onions, tomatoes, "tong chai", ginger slices, salt and pepper

This is the last of the 3 pomphrets I have been eating...

Here's ~1 week progress
(click on photo to enlarge):

Weight: 1kg loss

Activities (besides eating, sleeping and clearing office work):

Movies/Drama completed: 5 movies, 1 drama (I skipped 7 episodes to the final ;p)

House cleaning: 4 bags of stuff + 2 laptop bags were donated (I put it downstairs for collection)

Blogging this article

Reading online articles and few pages of my books

9. 13 Jan 2013, Sunday - 7TH DAY: HOW NOT TO SCRATCH MYSELF?

Yesterday night was a scratch on the butt, this round, on my side abdomen. Wearing the gloves seems not working anymore. I'd still brushed the chicken pox so hard that it popped! Sigh...

Not only that, during house cleaning, the sharp edge of a cardboard (happened to be jutting out from a table) scratched one of the biggest chicken pox on my pelvic! Ouchhhh!

Dinner: To last me for few meals!

Soup - white radish, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, 

garlic and minced pork served with 'bihun' noodles

Salt and pepper to taste, 'choy sam' vege on the side

Whalla, that's one of the best I'm allowed to eat:

10. 14-17 Jan 2013, Mon - Thurs - 8TH-11TH DAY: CRAVINGS, BAD CRAVINGS!!

Craving for cakes, dim sum, laksa, cendol, and more, are getting from worse to worst! My gawd! Almost every second I'm thinking of it. I started to work, but from home. 

On this 9th day...

Lunch: I was still trying to be patient...

Made steamed pumpkin cubes, topped with minced pork 

seasoned with salt, pepper, fried garlic and onion, and 'tong chai'

Sprinkled with mini cubes of Japanese cucumber

By evening... I blew it! I bought myself some snacks and cakes!! Rice Crackers, Cheese Corn, AND, and... green tea cake, mini blueberry and chocolate cupcakes, and other varieties of small cupcakes. For dinner, I try not to go overboard. So I still eat healthily - mixed grained bread with fig butter.

Ahhhhh...this satisfies a little 10% of my insane cravings!

Let's see the GROSS stuff ...>_<

This is the same chicken pox that I've been posting. 

Look different isn't it?

It looks like a translucent dog tick, or a dried raisin!

And a well taken care of one!

It's coated with Aloe Vera gel in case you are wondering

what's that glistening coat around it :)

No bad itches anymore. Just once a while 

I might feel a short itchy tingling feel, slightly a little pokey.

Let's see how the ones that got scratched are doing...

Well recovering, except for few more dots:

10th day...food taste better....

That's Fish, Japanese cucumber and tomato slices..roll the wrap!

11th day:

Visited the clinic doctor again to confirm when I can go back to office.

Hurray! NEXT WEEK!

I drove straight to a bakery house right after to pamper myself with more cakes :)