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So I thought, I was safe, that it would never ever get to me and that I too would somehow miraculously escape the horrors of an itchy skin, the marks of skin blisters left behind like a stamp of victory and the endless body cramps and fever engulfing me like fog on a cold winter day. But I was wrong. It did strike, like a venomous serpent, making me feel so vulnerable, like a little child caught stealing candy. As much as I hate to, I have to admit that I have finally been bitten by the Chicken Pox bug and like many others have become another feather in the hat of this contagious disease. While most of us get them at a tender age, mine erupted when I’m almost over the hill and “Tender” has been replaced by “Raw”.
It all started with an itch, just like the ones you get if you’ve been bitten by a mosquito or suffering a rash due to spring/summer allergies. They (the small pox) seemed like harmless mosquito bites, something we get used to from the very beginning of our being and so I did not bother initially; although it did cross my mind that maybe I too could have become a target of it. But how was that possible, I had been given shots to prevent it or so I thought rather believed.
My worst fears were confirmed when, my doc at one glance, casually said, “Yeah, you’ve got the pox. I’ll write the prescription and the note for work since you have to be home for at least 2 weeks.” Since then I’ve been in the 3rd stage of the “CYCLE OF ACCEPTANCE”, DENIAL, as they call it and I still have to cross, umm let’s see: ANGER, DEPRESSION and BARGAINING before I attain Nirvana or in this case, ACCEPTANCE of what has happened.
I’ve been told to stay within the parameters of my room and that food would be served there itself. With no TV, what would I do all by myself; the answer is short and precise; Read a book and do what you like to do; Write. They appear as red polka dots on a clean white sheet, the only difference is that these tiny spots have the capability to turn you into a monkey in no time. They appear in strangest of places and take turns in giving you the itch. It’s a conspiracy you fall for even when you’re on your guard.
To avoid scratching myself, I’ve gently been told to apply Calamine Lotion on the spots that without any effort turns me into a clown ready to perform his next act. The combination of the itch, the headache, the fever and the lethargy, which slowly starts to seep in without getting noticed, can turn a perfectly loveable, happy person into a snarling, ready to bite pit bull. Which is what I was told when I broke the news to family and friends.
It’s been a week now with the blisters residing happily on my body and I must say they have been behaving themselves since I’ve not had a lot of itch, just a little pain once a while to make their presence felt. Soon it’ll be time to say goodbye to them with the hope that they may never come back again, till then it’s my polka dots and I living together in harmony.
sonalbawa 