Can you believe I had chicken pox at my age?
By UmiNoor
@UmiNoor (4483)
Malaysia
March 29, 2018 9:42pm CST
I am 52 years old and I thought I would be immuned from getting chicken pox. It is a childhood disease but there I was feeling lethargic and sickly from this disease that I was sure I had been vaccinated for.
Apparently, at my age, it’s called shingles. Whatever it’s name is, it was dreadful having to stay in bed for almost a week. Unfortunately, I passed on the disease to two of my children who are also not kids anymore. One is 21 and the other is 25.
Now I have to live with the scars that the blisters left. Fortunately, there are not many on my face. And they seem to be fading. Has anyone gotten chicken pox at a late age?
19 people like this
23 responses
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
30 Mar 18
Chicken pox is not a childhood disease and I'm not surprise at all that you got that at this age. There's no immunity from that at all.
I'm 40 and I haven't gotten the chicken pox yet and I hope not at all.
2 people like this
@UmiNoor (4483)
• Malaysia
30 Mar 18
@toniganzon My eldest daughter and my youngest weren’t infected even though I was around them more often than I was with the two who got infected. Funny how your immune system works.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
30 Mar 18
@UmiNoor Yes. When I was young, I would intentionally get myself infected by being around people with chicken pox but I just didn't get them at all. I really wanted to have chicken pox then, but it just never happened at all.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (36451)
• Toccoa, Georgia
30 Mar 18
I got chicken pox at age 17 and had a bad case. I had a mark on my forehead that still is sort of visible all these years later.
2 people like this
@UmiNoor (4483)
• Malaysia
30 Mar 18
Really? Permanent scar is what I am afraid of but my daughter said tea tree oil can help to reduce the scarring. My doctor also recommended a cream that can fade the scars. The main thing is not to scratch the scabs. That is what will cause permanent scars.
2 people like this
@LeaPea2417 (36451)
• Toccoa, Georgia
30 Mar 18
@UmiNoor That is what I did. The one I scratched was the first to appear on my forehead. I was already very sick, but I honestly didn't think I had the chicken pox when that one scab appeared. Then when others appeared and I realized I had the pox, I stopped scratching.
1 person likes this
@UmiNoor (4483)
• Malaysia
31 Mar 18
@LeaPea2417 It took a lot of discipline not to scratch. I don’t scratch the ones on my face but I did scratch some that were on my body. The calamine lotion the doctor gave helped somewhat to alleviate the itch.
1 person likes this
@much2say (53958)
• Los Angeles, California
30 Mar 18
Interestingly, I thought I never had it (even my mom said so). My sister had it when she was about 19 and I thought for sure I would catch it because we were in the same household, but I didn't. It wasn't until I had tests done when I was pregnant . . . the tests said I did already have chicken pox! At that time, my mother in law had the shingles (she was in her early 70s), so I decided to stay away completely just in case. I hear having it as adults is much harder than when kids have it.
2 people like this
@UmiNoor (4483)
• Malaysia
30 Mar 18
It’s different for different people. I didn’t get that many blisters on my face but my two daughters. Their faces were covered with ugly blisters. I had body ache and my stomach hurt. My body aches were so bad that I couldn’t sleep but my daughters didn’t suffer from body aches. Perhaps, it’s the age difference. I’m in my fifties and they’re in their twenties.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
30 Mar 18
my siblings and i had chicken pox when we were in high school and college. the most prominent scar is on my cheek.
our mother had shingles. they were mostly on her back and painful, instead of itchy.
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
30 Mar 18
@UmiNoor it's sounds more like chicken pox than shingles.
2 people like this
@akalinus (40440)
• United States
30 Mar 18
I was 15 when I got chicken pox. It was not fun. They did not have a vaccine against it when I was a kid. Everybody got chicken pox. I thought I escaped until I got zapped with it.
You must have had chicken pox when you were little and forgot about it. I don't think you can have shingles unless you had chicken pox first. I could be wrong.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
8 Nov 18
@akalinus there's a vaccine our for it now, Jo Ann. I head no bad effects other than a sore arm for a day.
@Starmaiden (9311)
• Canada
30 Mar 18
I had it in childhood thank goodness. I did know a few seniors with shingles though. :-)
2 people like this
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
30 Mar 18
From what i have heard it happens more to people who did have it before? I have known people with it but never experiencec it myself.
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
30 Mar 18
it happens.but it can cause blindness in older people.you have to be careful..
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215492)
• Chile
30 Mar 18
I thought that no scars were left if you did not scratch.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
6 Nov 18
My sister had shingles some years ago in her fifties too. We now can get a shingles vaccine which is supposed to be very good which I've had-the vaccine that is.
1 person likes this
@UmiNoor (4483)
• Malaysia
31 Mar 18
@Hannihar Yeah. I shouldn’t be but my face looked so horrible that I didn’t want to go out even after I had recovered. My daughter tried to reassure me. Now, the scabs are all gone and the scars are not that visible. They just look like moles.
1 person likes this
@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
30 Mar 18
My husband had it in his mid-20s. Though that is not that late but we were shocked he had shingles, while my side of my family had it when I was younger. And The chicken pox started with me. Hehehe hope all is fine on your side. Take care, UmiNoor. 
1 person likes this
@UmiNoor (4483)
• Malaysia
30 Mar 18
@mlgen1037 That is what I was told too. Once you got it, you will not have it. I did have it as a child and now I’m getting it again as shingles. My doctor said it could be my immune system was weak when the virus attacked.
2 people like this
@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
30 Mar 18
@UmiNoor yes, that is true as it is an airborne disease. But the good thing is once you have it, you will never get it again. I am glad you are all fine, my friend.
1 person likes this
@Jessabuma (31700)
• Baguio, Philippines
30 Mar 18
I never tried to have chicken pox since I was born, but my brother had it when he was 9.
Is it contagious ?
1 person likes this
@UmiNoor (4483)
• Malaysia
30 Mar 18
@Jessabuma Chicken pox usually lasts at most for ten days. They’re both fine now. Thanks for asking.
1 person likes this
@Jessabuma (31700)
• Baguio, Philippines
30 Mar 18
@UmiNoor ohh that's really sad. And how are your daughters now?
I thought it was not contagious. But I am thankful because it didn't passed on me.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (170019)
• United States
30 Mar 18
I guess it can happen, but I think shingles are more likely when you get older.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30453)
• Corsham, England
30 Mar 18
Shingles is something you can get from having chickenpox as a child. The virus lies dormant and sometimes comes out in the forum of shingles which is extremely painful. Unfortunately it can cause chickenpox in people who have never had it. Luckily I had it as a child.
@cmoneyspinner (9221)
• Austin, Texas
31 Mar 18
Yes, I believe it. Shingles are very common. Have heard of some cases where people were 50+.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (34375)
•
30 Mar 18
Yes, shingles is a terrible affliction. I contracted it and experienced the worst pain of my life or so it seemed that way to me. I suffered for 2 months and my vision was affected. And I had chicken pox as a child. That virus remains in your system and can return as shingles at a later age.
@thedevilinme (3904)
• Northampton, England
30 Mar 18
i had it when I was 26. It was really bad and I passed out. I felt weak for 6 months after
