The Chickenpox Journals - Day 3

I have this bubble just below my earlobe that reminds me of a resin pendant I got in Australia a few years ago when I was there. There were dried flowers in them and the clear resin formed a sort of looking-glass, bulging gently so that it really did resemble jewelry.

This bubble below my ear, says Benc, has something less appealing in it. I--nevermind.

So day three, 15 more tablets to go, two more tubes of cream left, and more or less 500 sores dot my body. Except for a few bubbles here and there, I have to agree, it's not as bad as my siblings' bout with the disease a few years back.

I thought chickenpox was just about getting the sores and living through it. I guess it's because it's the first thing you see and it's easy to latch on to the image of these lesions peppering your body. But equally disturbing and painful is the general ache and feeling of diorientedness. It was awful! I thought it was the medicine doing it to me, but I was wrong. The feeling of total unwellness and pain was exhausting, the palpitations were so bothersome and the parched feeling in my mouth was awful. I felt listless and restless yet tired and old at the same time. I felt like I was floating. I couldn't keep my eyes on the tv for very long, and I kept looking around the room. Everything seemed to be blurry. Like I was looking through a blurry bubble.

After dinner, at around 9.30 pm, something seemed to clear. It felt like I had just gulped down a glass of sparklingly clear water and my brain just switched on. It was amazing! Suddenly, I knew what was happening, I felt instantly better. I could breathe better, and I seemed to "see" better too. I don't know if you get what I mean. And that good feeling continued on til today.

I thought it was the medicine--I was partly right. It was the medicine battling the virus and I guess my body won out. Phew! Thank goodness! Now all I have to deal with are the sores. The cream seems to be doing its job--- and it had better be! At P560 for a 2-gram tube, it would be highway robbery if they sold this thing and it turned out to be a fluke! Just look how small this critter is! GlaxoSmithkline, the pharmaceutical company who owns the "patent" on this cream, seem to be playing a cruel joke on chickenpox patients---they know full well that the whole body could be covered in boils, and yet they only produce this tiny tube of cream! Talk about capitalizing on the masses' pain! Geez! Look at the size of it in relation to my palm. Granted I'm taller than the average Pinay and have tentacles instead of arms, but, are they serious?


Anyway, today I learned too that in the provinces, some people believe that one who has chickenpox shouldn't bathe. AAAAGGHHHHH! How unbelievably cruel! Benc experienced this himself when he had it, he says. I should tell these people that in fact, bathing with water with half a cup of baking soda does wonders! And that lots of TLC from your mom works miracles, ANd well wishes from friends online and offline speed up the healing process, hehe. I also learned that two of my officemates who are also our groomsmen, haven't had chickenpox...and I was in the office with them on Monday. Well, let's see how that goes. :)

I spent the day just reading and eating and taking my medicines like a good girl. It felt good to just sit and read again. It'slike my mind slowed down and wedding preps were nowhere in sight. I wasn't feeling at all pressured. In fact I was just reminded of them when Benc stopped by for a visit tonight. Just a few more details left. Maybe I'll deal with them tomorrow. Maybe.

I should rest now. But it feels good to be feeling better. Hehe, whatever that means. Thanks everyone for leaving your get-well messages!