NationStates Jolt Archive

Have you ever had chicken pox, and how has it affected your political views?

Have you ever had chicken pox, and how has it affected your political views?

Yeah I had chicken pox.. I was 8. I don't think my political views were affected at all...

Yeah I had chicken pox.. I was 8. I don't think my political views were affected at all...

So you don't feel chicken pox has affected your political views at all? Not even a little?

It has me. I had it as a kid, and quite effectively was convinced that mandatory immunization was a good thing.

So you don't feel chicken pox has affected your political views at all? Not even a little?

Well... uhm... no, nope, not even a little bit.

It has me. I had it as a kid, and quite effectively was convinced that mandatory immunization was a good thing.
Good man!
Well... uhm... no, nope, not even a little bit.

Wow. You must be a liberal.

Good man!


Wow. You must be a liberal.

Nope... just can't see how a case of chicken pox at the age of 8 has changed my political views, of which I had none then.

Nope... just can't see how a case of chicken pox at the age of 8 has changed my political views, of which I had none then.

Well, to be fair, I more GAINED a poltical view than had one changed.

Nope... just can't see how a case of chicken pox at the age of 8 has changed my political views, of which I had none then.

You need to drink more coffee before posting this early. -_-

You need to drink more coffee before posting this early. -_-

I was just being deliberately obtuse to see if could push Ruffy over the edge... forgive me!


Yes, as I got older I started to realize that a mandatory vaccination might be a good thing. We already have them for some other childhood diseases.

I've had chicken pox before, the spots started coming up when I was in hospital having stitches. I was having stitches because I'd just fallen and cut my chin open on a huge slate outcrop on a beach. Not my best day ever.

As for mandatory vaccination I'm not so sure. I got jabbed for TB and got a lovely scar on my arm even though I didn't need to be. I had natural immunity that was as strong as the Japanese kid in our class who had to have the shot when he immigrated or something. But then isn't chicken pox supposed to be more severe if you catch it as an adult? This leads to believe, quite strongly, that: "I dunno".

Have you ever had chicken pox, and how has it affected your political views?
Yes I had it when I was fifteen. It turned me away from vegetarianism, as I started eating chicken with gusto. Damn that KFC-hating PETA. :D

haha mild case .. you either got it or you don't. Chicken pox, herpes or shingles.

I can't bitch .. it could be much worse. This won't kill ya or make your brain melt.

I really don't want to get shingles tho .. my uncle died form complications of it. .. I haven't really researched it yet. .. but as of now.. I am of the thinking that if you've had chicken pox or herpes .. you can get it.. maybe you can get it regardless? I dunno. Would suck.

I had chicken pox and it gave me a girl crush on Zooey Deschanel.

oh .. people should stop putting their children in baths with pox infected fuckers .. to make them get it, when they are little, so they get less scars. I still don't know if shingles is direct connected.. but since we know it's at least in the same pool.. uhh .

Maybe Fass will hopefully come along and correct meh.

I had chicken pox. It didn't convince me of anything, other then chicken pox is itchy.:D

I really don't want to get shingles tho .. my uncle died form complications of it. .. I haven't really researched it yet. .. but as of now.. I am of the thinking that if you've had chicken pox or herpes .. you can get it.. maybe you can get it regardless? I dunno. Would suck.
Seriously now...

The first infection and eruption of the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) is your usual chickenpox. VZV can remain in your body, hiding in ganglia. When your immune system becomes sufficiently weakened, the VZV can travel down the distribution of the ganglia. This is shingles (or herpes zoster, not to be confused with herpes simplex), in which the eruptions go along the dermatomal distribution.

If the distribution of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve is affected, the cornea and sight may be affected. If the distribution of the facial nerve is affected, it can spread to the adjacent vestibulocochlear nerve and cause deafness. So parents, please vaccinate your children...

Who the hell is Zooey Deschanel?

This won't kill ya or make your brain melt.

Unless you get an encephalitis.

I am of the thinking that if you've had chicken pox or herpes .. you can get it.. maybe you can get it regardless?

Herpes zoster ("shingles") is caused by the Varicella zoster virus. You can't get it unless you've been infected by VZV. Herpes zoster is not caused by the Herpes simplex viruses.

Unless you get an encephalitis.
VZV encephalitis? That can be nasty...

Is anyone else starting to get itchy reading this thread?

Is anyone else starting to get itchy reading this thread?

*Scratches face.* Just a little.

Is anyone else starting to get itchy reading this thread?

Yeah :/

Oh no! It's the common cause of chicken pox!

I'm cool as far as encephalitis goes.

"Brain damage occurs as the inflamed brain pushes against the skull, and can lead to death."

Ouch :(

Seriously now...

The first infection and eruption of the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) is your usual chickenpox. VZV can remain in your body, hiding in ganglia. When your immune system becomes sufficiently weakened, the VZV can travel down the distribution of the ganglia. This is shingles (or herpes zoster, not to be confused with herpes simplex), in which the eruptions go along the dermatomal distribution.

If the distribution of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve is affected, the cornea and sight may be affected. If the distribution of the facial nerve is affected, it can spread to the adjacent vestibulocochlear nerve and cause deafness. So parents, please vaccinate your children...

O fuck ..

ok ... I was told that if you happen to recognize the first on set of shingles, first outbreak, something can be done. Also I was told it will only hit one side of your body. Maybe old wives/wise? tales. I was told this by my family.

No. Had I had it, I surely would have become an arch-conservative.

Have you ever had chicken pox, and how has it affected your political views?

Yeh, I have. Didn't affect my political views. Given my life and worldview, I'd probably have to become mentally ill and severely self-hating before becoming a conservative :p

My mother claims I had it when I was 6 weeks old, my medical record says otherwise, so they tested me for anti-bodies and I didn't have any.. however, I also don't have antibodies for the measles even though I have had my MMR shot at least 6 times.

My husband hasn't had it ever, we vaccinated him as an adult. If he gets it he'll get very very very sick.

My children haven't had it, I hope they don't get it.

Seriously now...

The first infection and eruption of the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) is your usual chickenpox. VZV can remain in your body, hiding in ganglia. When your immune system becomes sufficiently weakened, the VZV can travel down the distribution of the ganglia. This is shingles (or herpes zoster, not to be confused with herpes simplex), in which the eruptions go along the dermatomal distribution.

If the distribution of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve is affected, the cornea and sight may be affected. If the distribution of the facial nerve is affected, it can spread to the adjacent vestibulocochlear nerve and cause deafness. So parents, please vaccinate your children...

So shingles is necessarily a re-emergence of the virus you already had in your system? You can't get it through initial infection as an adult? Interesting.

Also, my doctor told me that the nasty case of chicken pox I had as a kid would give me stronger immunity than I would have if I'd been vaccinated. That was some years ago, though. Maybe the vaccine's better now.

I never had.:(

So shingles is necessarily a re-emergence of the virus you already had in your system? You can't get it through initial infection as an adult? Interesting.
I can't say an absolute yes on this, but AFAIK that's how I remember it. Herpes zoster can be infectious too... a person with herpes zoster can infect another nonimmune individual, causing that individual to develop chickenpox.

I've not had it, and I'm quite sure I was vaccinated when I was four or five years old.

Have you ever had chicken pox, and how has it affected your political views?
Yes, when I was about 2, but it affected my political views much less than the last bout of flu I got, when I was 17.

I had chicken pox in the 3rd grade and it definately changed my political views. I went from being pro-Cold War to a feminist. A really bad strep infection 10 years ago changed my political views once again. I'm no longer a feminist, now I believe everyone has the right to be literate.

I had chicken pox... in my eyes.

And no, I don't mean I had pox on the skin of my eyelids or something. The disease had actually infected my optic nerve and was making its way toward my brain.

My mom, the nurse, always thought I was exaggerating my symptoms: nothing was ever serious enough to see a doctor. Yeah, we went in when I first got the pox... but they had mostly died down on my skin when I started to complain of pain in my eyes. For days she told me it was nothing, until I finally pleaded with her to please, please take me somewhere.

I think she thought the doctor would say it was nothing and I would learn a lesson. Instead, she learned a lesson: doc told us I was literally days from death if I didn't get treatment immediately.

Political views? Never trust your parents. They want to kill you. :)

I've not had it, and I'm quite sure I was vaccinated when I was four or five years old.

This illustrates the problem with chicken pox vaccination: it lasts for only five years, but people are often unaware of this or simply neglect to get vaccinated again. For this reason, mandatory childhood vaccination would be a bad idea for this disease; it would tend to increase the number of adult cases, and hence the number of unpleasant or fatal complications. I'm not against mandatory vaccination for some diseases, but in the case of chicken pox you're probably better off just suffering for a few weeks in childhood.

Okay, this will probably be corrected by somebody, but you are only supposed to get chicken pox twice, right? I seem to remember going to the doctor three times with it though, all the same year, when I was 6 or so. But that doesn't sound right.

I'm a freak. :(

Okay, this will probably be corrected by somebody, but you are only supposed to get chicken pox twice, right?
Nope.

I seem to remember going to the doctor three times with it though, all the same year, when I was 6 or so. But that doesn't sound right.

I'm a freak. :(
*pats Zilam's back* No you're not a freak. You're just... special.

Psst, it seemed like the varicella virus liked you.

I had chicken pox when i was 5. it made me realize the world was an evil place that would make me itch. So I donated my life to controlling the world, hence i became a conservative.

I've never gotten the chicken pox. However, the microchip that came in the chicken pox vaccine (which I did receive) has affected my reward system so that I now enjoy shopping and voting Republican. I don't know if that counts.

I had chicken pox and it gave me a girl crush on Zooey Deschanel.
I'll watch. Does she scratch your itch?
http://www.theranter.com/forum/vBulletin/images/smilies/hitit.gif
Speaking of watching and girlcrushes ... i noticed that an elder Deschanel was involved with Twin Peaks.
:eek:

Okay, this will probably be corrected by somebody, but you are only supposed to get chicken pox twice, right? I seem to remember going to the doctor three times with it though, all the same year, when I was 6 or so. But that doesn't sound right.

I'm a freak. :(
Could be that it knew you'd stave off your sexuality to such a degree it might not have another chance, and hopefully it would be able to evolve in you to a point of peaceful coexistence.

I've not had it, and I'm quite sure I was vaccinated when I was four or five years old.

First scar on my chest, like a bullethole.
A few on my shoulders, some on my scalp.
The ones in my bunghole settled much much later for some reason. :confused:

My children haven't had it, I hope they don't get it.

Will you vaccinate them?

My twin sister and I never caught herpes even though there were several outbreaks in our pre-school and elementary schools. Perhaps we had some genetic resistance to it or were just lucky. In college we got vaccinated.

I had chicken pox as a little kid, and it made me an anarcho-primitivist. Then I got all better.

You need to drink more coffee before posting this early. -_-

And you need to drink less liquor.:p

I had varicella back when I was in primary school, and I just had a titre drawn and it proved that I'm still immune to it. It was when I was home with varicella that I first watched The Price Is Right, so really, varicella completed my life.