My irrational fear

Chicken Pox, not so bad.
Shingles, not so good.

Every time Nugget or Thor say they have a bug bite or are itchy, I am sure its chicken pox. 100% positive. Which of course will send me into an insane panic. Despite my mother's best efforts, I didn't get CP as a kid and now as an adult I fear acquiring the pink dotted monster.

I looked it up on WebMd and for someone whose auto-immune system is in good shape like myself, I'd probably just be inconvenience, but what about the severe side effects that I may have to deal with.

Adults may have a more widespread rash, and longer fever; and are more likely to experience complications, such as varicella pneumonia.

Chickenpox is rarely fatal, although it is generally more severe in adult males than in adult females or children. (I'm an adult male)

Also, it would be weird to post on Facebook or Twitter that I have chicken pox, and then it would be weirder that my friends would ask me to watch their kids so they could get it like a normal person as a child.

Honestly I am itching just writing this post.

It is very likely that I have some immunity to the Varicella Zoster Virus, since I was very exposed to it as a child. My babysitter's kids one by one each got chicken pox. Did my mom find an alternate place for my brother and I to go after school? No, she wanted us to get it so we could get it out of the way. My brother got it, I went to school every day. Pink dot free. So four kids spreading their disgusting airborne germs with me, and nothing. But what if I am not immune. What if it was just not my time? Do I find a place to crash for a few days (more likely 10 days so its going to need a pool) or do I tough it out and risk getting shingles.

"Herpes zoster (or simply zoster), commonly known as shingles and also known as zona, is a viral disease characterized by a painfulskin rash with blisters in a limited area on one side of the body, often in a stripe. The initial infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes the acute (short-lived) illness chickenpox which generally occurs in children and young people. Once an episode of chickenpox has resolved, the virus is not eliminated from the body but can go on to cause shingles—an illness with very different symptoms—often many years after the initial infection."

Thankfully none of my kids has chicken pox yet, but with one in school. Another a very active gymboree member, someone is going to pick up something.