Chix Pox?

Mother has been having this nagging headache and has been feeling increasingly unwell generally, for the past 4-5 days.

On Sunday evening, she asked me for some panadol, which I gave her. We told her that if headache still persisted, she should go to the doctor the following morning. We were concerned also because she has had several mosquito bites on her legs and arms - neighbours in block have also been swarmed by scores of mosquitoes the past 2-3 weeks and one has even been bitten repeatedly on her face.

When we returned from work on Monday, Mother told us that she has been to see the block 51 quack. He told her that her blood pressure has gone up to 107/140. Very bad, especially since Mother has never had problems with blood pressure being high. The headache subsided a little after that visit, but didn't go away.

On Tuesday evening, she told us at dinner that she had gone for another visit to the same quack. This time, she showed him the tiny red spots on her arms and legs and some slightly bigger spots on her stomach. She even asked him if it was chix pox because 2 of her grandsons had just gone through it before CNY. Some spots have now also become itchy although there had been no itch previously. He said no, because she had told him that she had had it before when she was a child, so not likely to have another attack.

This was what he gave her : 2 jabs (she didn't know what they were) and a pack of tetracycline and a pack of vitamin C. He told Mother that the red spots appeared because there has been some toxins in her liver!! How he could tell, I have no idea.

Mother's headache subsided by the evening but still didn't go away completely. Then after our dinner, she showed us that tens of red spots have developed around her lower back and waist, and the multiple bulging volcano-like ones on her scalp. When I looked carefully, I saw some spots on her arms had some tiny shiny vesicles quite typical of chix pox. Mother also said there was one big one on the inside of her left ear. This and those on the scalp are painful.

I remember that Cecilia had recently explained that shingles (aka 2nd time attack of chix pox) usually involves vesicles along the nerval path, so it can go round like a ring, hence the nickname "snake". Typically, it will be around the neck and/or waist.

CP and R also agreed that the spots look like they are the chix poxies. Mother quickly added that she felt better already, when I suggested that she gives her Malaysia trip this Saturday a miss. We told her she should drink some 凉茶 and coconut juice like WY did earlier on. She said ok.

I didn't feel good not knowing what jabs Mother had been given, so this morning, I called the quack. To my shock, his staff told me that Mother had just gone to visit him again just minutes before my call! So after verifying this with Mother, I asked to speak to the quack personally.

On my asking, the quack explained that the 2 jabs which he had given Mother were for relieving itch and for relieving body aches respectively. He reiterated that since Mother had had chix pox before, it is not likely to be chix pox this time. He further said that he had today given her 2 creams, one antibacterial to prevent secondary infection and the other antiviral to prevent scarring!! When I asked specifically whether he thought Mother had chix pox, he insisted that it is only highly suspicious. He added that even if it is indeed chix pox, it isn't a full-blown one and she is already recovering.

I requested to be given oral antiviral medicine to speed up the healing process because Mother intends to go on a trip this Saturday. He said it was not really needed because it had been 5 days since the red spots came on (actually, the tiny red spots started earlier even but the vesicle ones only 2-3 days ago). When I reiterated the request, he offered to give a prescription free of charge because he only has an antiviral cream but not oral medication. I asked whether it is medically safe to take the tablets nevertheless, and he said yes, it is safe even though it is usually given on the 1-2 days when chix pox 1st comes on.

So R went to pick up the prescription, went to buy medicine at pharmacy in Marine Parade, let Mother take it now.

I called Mother to let her know to expect R, and not to cook dinner. She said soup is already cooked, so I will add in some noodles and vegetables when we get back and we can have that for dinner. She said she will still cook some porridge for Father and Old Lady, because these 2 persons will not want to eat soup-noodles for dinner. I offered to buy packed dinner for them, but Mother said porridge will be preferred. I just held my tongue.

Mother said her tongue bled this morning when she scrapped it, so she thinks there is also blister there. She has no fever but still feels generally unwell and tired. And quite many red spots have now developed on her face. Her voice sounds like she has blocked nose.

I plan to take her to my regular GP to confirm whether it is chix pox, tomorrow morning. If it is, Quack can be sure he will hear from me again.

My other and more worrying concern is that I want to rule out dengue.