Chicken Pox rant

[Riverbeauty]

I have had the chicken pox more than once, and shingles more than once... I seem to catch it every time it goes around. I WAS vaccinated against it, and I would think I would have a natural immunity... but NO!

Anyway, I got home from Church, checked Facebook, and discovered that a friend from Church decided to stay home today because there has been an outbreak of Chicken Pox at a Church playdate and several families have it. Some of those families were AT church today!

If I get the chicken pox AGAIN I am going to be irate!

Once you have chicken pox and develop an immunity to it, you can't get it again, but the virus lies dormant in your body. Every once in awhile it can spring up as shingles. It is more common in the elderly, although with the advent of the CP shot little babies are getting it. Exposing yourself to chicken pox is actually thought to work like a booster shot. Now that CP isn't as common people aren't getting the re-exposure, so they are losing the immunity... and develop shingles.

So naturally I google about chicken pox and shingles during pregnancy, and came up with this http://www.babycenter.com/0_chicken-...gnancy_9329.bc

So I called the UW, the Maternal and Infant Care Clinic was closed so it transferred me to L&D and I spoke with a nurse who spoke with a doctor who told me to go see my local ObGyn tomorrow to be tested for titer levels. Then they will go from there...

PLEASE GOD, don't let me get shingles again, especially while pregnant!

[Cersha]

Hope everything turns out ok. I HATE it when people bring sick kids to church...my LO is currently fighting a cold, brought by a sick kid to church.

[ivymae]

We exposed our girls to the pox a few months ago, and were hermits for the entire three weeks of possible expose time (even though we didn't end up getting it). We just know too many young moms to risk us being contagious and one of them being pregnant. I'm sorry that the people at church were not as understanding.

FWIW, They always publish the worst case scenario. My sister contracted fifths disease when she was pregnant with her youngest son, and they had her convinced that he would be mentally retarded. She grieved and prepared to be the mom of a special needs baby, and lo, he was born perfect. Even if you do come down with shingles, try to hold out hope that it will just be a miserable itchy mess, not something more.

[rollergirl]

*HUGS* hope you don't get shingles or the pox mama!!

[susla]

Ugh....sorry you have to worry about that. I hate that feeling. But it really does sound like the chances are very, very small that anything could happen. Hopefully you can put it out of your mind and just hope for the best....

[Riverbeauty]

got a blood draw today to see what's up... get the results tomorrow....

my husband gave me a priesthood blessing this morning, so I am feeling a little calmer.

[triscuitsmom]

I've had chicken pox more than once... confirmed diagnosis... and I still have not built up an immunity so I am at risk again.

I agree that the worst case scenario while scary, is just that... the worst case scenario. It's not a definite. I had chicken pox in my first trimester with DS1 and he is totally fine. And FWIW I caught it from a kid at the mall. I wasn't exposed through anyone in my immediate friends/family circle. Technically any of us could be getting exposed any day...

Sending good thoughts for healthy babies

[Riverbeauty]

well I FINALLY got the results back and ALL THEY CHECKED was for immunity to CP... I KNOW I can't get CP again because I have had shingles! I asked them to check for shingles WITH the CP titer!

Either way, I don't have any symptoms of Shingles so I guess I am clear. I will definitely not be going back to THIS ObGyn during or after my pregnancy... I will just stick with the UW, at least with them I can call the same day the test was done and get the results from a live person! I haven't had to leave a message ever!