Crushed by Chickenpox; My journey of immunity, struggle, and healing, by Aisha Musa Auyo

Crushed by Chickenpox; My journey of immunity, struggle, and healing, by Aisha Musa Auyo

I often dismiss it as a hearsay that everyone must be attacked by this virus once in their lifetime. It’s a superstition I would reply to them. My sisters were all attacked by the virus, one after the other at a roll, all four of them. I was the one applying calamine lotion on them. We were all waiting for my turn, but I wasn’t infected. Very unusual, even the doctors would say. I must be immune to the chickenPox, I would boast.

After about 15 years, the virus knocked and crushed me to the point of losing hope of living again. From high fever, sore throat, muscle pain, dizziness, and general discomfort. My son was the one who contracted the virus, and obviously, I’ll be the one to take care of him. I did it with full confidence and carelessness that I was immune to the virus. However, I separated him from his siblings and classmates. His illness didn’t last for more than 5 days, and in a week, he was okay and mixing with everyone.

We traveled for Easter and I was sick throughout the Easter break. It is Kano weather I would say. All I do is lie down. Cooking and Tarawih during the last days of Ramadan became impossible for me, yet I didn’t go to the hospital. I’ll get better when my body adjusts to the weather, I deceived myself. Until one Tuesday I felt so sick I couldn’t walk. Couldn’t talk. I hated the sound of everything.

Then one of my kids complained of heat rashes. I undressed him so I could bath and and viola! Chickenpox rashes all over his body. I checked my other son and found the same issue, then I took a closer look at myself, the rashes were all over my body. I was so sick that I wasn’t paying attention to my skin. It then dawned on me, that all three of us were infected by Haidar, two weeks after his illness.

I made some calls and was told to stay at home, that we can infect the entire community by going to the hospital. The virus is very contagious. We stayed indoors and medication was sent to us. We were told not to entertain visitors, and not to go out, till we are fully recovered and free from the virus.

Lockdown ii I thought to myself. We became prisoners in our house, and although the lockdown did give me a chance to rest and bond with the kids, it’s not anything I would hope for anyone.

My fever kept getting high, and I was told the virus punishes adults 50 times the way it treats kids. My kids were active and eating after 3 days, but I wasn’t.  The rashes were all over me, including my feet, palms, ears, scalp, lips, throat and tongue. Eating and drinking become difficult. These rashes are not only irritating to the eyes, but they hurt like an ant bite. I have to be recording my temperature every 3 hours just to see if everything is going well. I finished all the painkillers in the house. Sitting becomes difficult, and leaving my room becomes difficult too.

I kept thinking something else was definitely wrong with me, the chickenpox could not be this hard. A malaria drug was prescribed for me. Since I wasn’t eating, the ulcer came back in full force. Then I learned that the rashes and scars do not go away. My world was crumbling and I was crying like a baby. I can’t imagine living with these scars forever.

After 9 days, the pain became bearable, I felt better and had the hope of living again. Was told I could still spread the virus even at that time, so I spent my Eid al fitr at home, browsing and researching on chicken fox and how to get rid of the scars.

I learned that the only immunity to the virus is being infected by it. Once you are infected, you will hardly get infected again. It happens once in a lifetime. Although some countries were able to eradicate it, most countries are still battling the virus.

READ ALSO:What you should know about prosopagnosia, and how it affects the lives of those living with it, by Aisha M Auyo

Now and then, especially during the hot season, this virus will spread. It’s there to make sure everyone is immunized, meaning everyone is infected with it once in his lifetime. If it’s a choice, one would prefer to be infected at a younger age, as the virus is merciful to kids, and merciless to adults, lol. I’ve come up with a few things to do when the virus strikes.

• As a parent, once you notice that a family member of yours is infected by such a contagious virus, kindly seclude your ward from the public. It starts with one person, and in less than a week, the whole community can be infected. Kindly reject visitors by letting them know your condition. Do not travel, till you are fully recovered. These are teachings from our beloved Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. He emphasized the importance of quarantine, separating sick individuals from healthy ones, and avoiding contact with contagious diseases to prevent their spread, all of which are integral to Islamic rulings on managing infectious diseases.
• Chickenpox medications are over-the-counter meds, you don’t have to go see a doctor. Once you notice fever, headache, muscle aches, and rashes, know that it’s either chickenpox or measles. They’re contagious. By going to the hospital, one may infect the nurses, receptionist, and even the doctors. Send an immune person to get the drugs for you.
• Drink a lot of water and fluids. Those monster rashes drain one to the point of dehydration.
• You as a healthy individual, should not feel bad when a person tells you not to visit due to the nature of their illness, kindly understand that they have your best interest at heart. A colleague of mine is still angry with his Uncle because the uncle told him not to visit them as the whole family was infected with chickenpox.
• Chickenpox doesn’t sit well with heat, so make sure you stay in a well-ventilated space and do not wear clothes since you are indoors.
• Bath at least thrice a day with room temperature water, avoid hot or warm water.
• If possible, wash your hands with a hand wash every hour when you are not sleeping.
• Try your best not to forcefully scratch or remove the rashes when they’re drying. Allow your skin to shed it. This is easier said than done. Feeling a blister or bump on your skin and letting go isn’t an easy thing. Let me not deceive you.
• Calamine lotion helps to soothe and dry the rashes.
• If the fever is high, try using a damp cloth over the patient, and take painkillers according to the doctor’s instructions.
• After you are healthy and free of the infection, sanitize the house and the clothes you use with hot water and disinfectants. This includes towels, bedspreads, and sofas.
• I was told the rashes and scars never disappear, some said it takes years before they disappear. One of my sisters was born fair in complexion, but after a chickenpox infection, her complexion darkened. She never recovered her color. As discouraging and sad as this may sound, one should not relax and allow the virus to ruin his looks and confidence. Aloe Vera gel does wonders, with consistency and patience. Honey, neem oil or water infused with neem leaves helps a lot too. Retinol creams are also very effective. But please don’t bleach your skin or use harsh chemicals on your body.

Aisha Musa Auyo is a Doctorate researcher in Educational Psychology, a wife, a mother of three, a homemaker, a chef, and a parenting/ relationship coach. She can be reached via aishamuauyo@live.co.uk.

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