What did you have when you were young?

I'm pretty fortunate, I only had chicken pox when I was little. (even though their was a vaccine, it hadn't been around very long when I was little and my mom didn't have me vaccinated for some reason, guess it hadn't been out very long at the time).

Other than that I just had issues with asthma, bronchitis, and pnemonia on occassion....my dad/stepmom's smoking when I had to visit their house didn't help.

Side note, my mom has that scar on her arm several of you guys have mentioned, i'm pretty sure it was from the small pox vaccine (she's 60)

I never had the chicken pox even though my Sis had it really bad and we were always together.

What I did have that was bad was I had spinal meningitis (bacterial) as an infant and was hospitalized forever. I was very lucky to have recovered from that. I had to undergo many tests after I recovered to see if I had any lasting damage, that was very common for survivors of the bacterial type. Thank God all was well.

I had chicken pox when I was 4.

Originally Posted by Pami

I never had the chicken pox even though my Sis had it really bad and we were always together.

What I did have that was bad was I had spinal meningitis (bacterial) as an infant and was hospitalized forever. I was very lucky to have recovered from that. I had to undergo many tests after I recovered to see if I had any lasting damage, that was very common for survivors of the bacterial type. Thank God all was well.

Click to expand...

Oh wow you were very lucky!! My grandmother's first child died from meningitis when he was 1 or 2 years old. That was in the 1950s, possibly late 40s. My grandfather had meningitis when he was around 60 and we all thought he was having a heart attack and rushed him to the hospital because he just collapsed..There he was unconscious for 2 days and had tons of antibiotic treatments, and then he recovered and the doctors were very surprised he recovered with no damage as well. We knew someone who had it and then lost his memory of anything before he got sick, but they are saying he's lucky he didn't have brain damage, that could have been so much worse. I'm always so paranoid of meningitis because it's so dangerous and can be fatal.

I was surprised to hear that smallpox has been eradicated, I didn't know that!! It sounds like my mom isn't the only one with that vaccine scar, although she says she had it when she was an infant and never remembers it. I would have thought it must have been incredibly painful, it looks like someone took a heated coin and branded her arm with it lol. Wasn't smallpox the one that actually killed people back in the 1800s? Was it fatal before it was eradicated or was it treatable?

I've had the German measles and had the mumps when I was really little. I got chicken pox when my dad had shingles as a kid. Oh yeah, I remember the polio cubes at school too. I have a round scar on my left arm for ... something

Originally Posted by ut0pia

I was surprised to hear that smallpox has been eradicated, I didn't know that!! It sounds like my mom isn't the only one with that vaccine scar, although she says she had it when she was an infant and never remembers it. I would have thought it must have been incredibly painful, it looks like someone took a heated coin and branded her arm with it lol. Wasn't smallpox the one that actually killed people back in the 1800s? Was it fatal before it was eradicated or was it treatable?

Click to expand...

According to this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox

The fatality rate for common smallpox was approximately 30%, but some variations had near 100% mortality rates. Pretty scary stuff!!!

The overall case-fatality rate for ordinary-type smallpox is about 30%, but varies by pock distribution: ordinary type-confluent is fatal about 50–75% of the time, ordinary-type semi-confluent about 25–50% of the time, in cases where the rash is discrete the case-fatality rate is less than 10%. The overall fatality rate for children younger than 1 year of age is 40%–50%. Hemorrhagic and flat types have the highest fatality rates. The fatality rate for flat-type is 90% or greater and nearly 100% is observed in cases of hemorrhagic smallpox.

chicken pox it wasn't a fun as hobbes icon makes it seem.

It amazes me how many of the illnesses we took for granted as children have become something of a rarity.
I had tonsilitis constantly as a chid, and had my tonsils out at age 4.
I had 3 day measles twice and German measles once.
I had the chicken pox at age 5.
I had whooping cough.
I had mumps at age 17.
I remember getting the oral polio vaccine in the form of a sugar cube.

How in the world did we manage to survive our childhood?

Originally Posted by Pami

What I did have that was bad was I had spinal meningitis (bacterial) as an infant and was hospitalized forever. I was very lucky to have recovered from that. I had to undergo many tests after I recovered to see if I had any lasting damage, that was very common for survivors of the bacterial type. Thank God all was well.

Click to expand...

My sister had meningitis as a kid - she had both kinds, had it twice - it's a horrible, scary thing. I'm glad you didn't have any lasting damage from it.

Originally Posted by valanhb

You mean besides having allergies so bad that my eyes would swell shut, being allergic to the sun and having to wear big floppy hats and long sleeves and jeans outside until I was about 10? And dry skin eczema so bad I had to wear gloves to bed so I didn't wake up to bloody sheets from scratching in my sleep. Oh yeah, it was fun! Still, I don't remember being miserable as a child. Funny how that works.

Had Scarlett Fever (Mike, you're one of the few who I've met who had it too!). I think I was like 4 or 5, and I know I had it over Christmas.

That stunk. I do remember being completely miserable with that.

Had Chicken Pox too, pretty bad. My sister got it over Spring Break and she was all better in time to go back to school. Oh she was so mad! I got an additional week off of school since I got it after her.

Click to expand...

Hey Heidi, I've had scarlet fever too! Once when I was pretty young. My temperature went right off the end of the thermometer! I also had it a few years ago. It's really annoying and you're weak for weeks afterward!

I had Chicken Pox, Measles, and Mumps. I remember the sugar cubes, but when I was tested for polio resistance before I went into nursing school I wasn't resistant so I had to have all the vaccines again for it. I guess polio is still around, they say that the virus lives in the soil and we can still get it....scary!!

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I was always sick as a kid, too. My mother smoked carrying me and I grew up in a home with two smokers and everyone that came over smoked.

Lots of bronchitis, ear infections as a baby, brushes with pneumonia, etc.
The vaccination that you're confused about sounds like small pox. Lots of older people will have a small dime sized scar on one of their shoulders. It's no longer even part of regular vaccinations given - at least not in the US.


I had chicken pox. An extremely mild case of it that the pox didn't even itch (only had four of them).

Click to expand...

Smallpox was eradicated in 1979, so I think maybe that's why the vax is no longer given. However, many labs in the world, inc. the CDC, own portions of the virus still, so perhaps we should still get the vax, in case the samples fall into the wrong hands?

Originally Posted by Going Nova

I'm 26, and I think Ive had only chicken pox.

Click to expand...

Me too...and shingles from the chicken pox virus.

I had the chicken pox. I remeber getting vaccinated by the school nurse and a few times getting the old polio sugarcube given to me.Of course I have the 60`s smallpox vaccination scar too. Like others have stated,I also remember children with leg braces from having polio.My worst Dr. memories are of getting gamaglobuliln injections into my inner thighs as a little boy.I also used to get some injection or other in my rear and MAN did they hurt! Things sure have changed since our childhood. Ouch!

Originally Posted by MargeCat

Smallpox was eradicated in 1979, so I think maybe that's why the vax is no longer given. However, many labs in the world, inc. the CDC, own portions of the virus still, so perhaps we should still get the vax, in case the samples fall into the wrong hands?

Click to expand...

I know. And actually there has been some debate whether it should be added back into routine vaccinations again - due, of course, to the threat of it being used as a biological weapon.

When I was growing up just about everyone had a vaccination scar on their arm. I have one but never knew what I was vaccinated for.

My cousin had one on her thigh. The story on that was she had it done at a doctor's office. This doctor gave girls the vaccination there because he thought scars didn't look nice on girls.

The rest of us had it done at the public heath clinic. The lines were long and the doctors there were not concerned about being pretty.

When I was young I had two kinds of measles, mumps, whooping cough and who knows how many colds and associated sore throat.

But I do not remember having chicken pocks. My mother says that I did but does not remember when. She says that she had too many kids to keep track of all the details.

Actually I've been pretty lucky. From the age of ten to about five years ago I was healthy.

I know when I was like 2 I had the chicken pox, so I dont remember it lol. Ummm the third grade I got really bad bronchitis, which is hard for a little kid, cause I couldnt play soccer or tag and all . I had the flu once, when I was little. I hardly ever get sick :::knock on wood!!::: anymore, only really bad allergies. I guess i am really lucky or something. All I remember is having friends always getting to stay home because they were sick I hardlhy ever missed school as a kid, not even for an hour to go to a dr. apointment!!! SOOO not fair!!! lol

Originally Posted by valanhb

And dry skin eczema so bad I had to wear gloves to bed so I didn't wake up to bloody sheets from scratching in my sleep. Oh yeah, it was fun! Still, I don't remember being miserable as a child. Funny how that works.

Click to expand...

This was me from the age of 16-19 Heidi. I finally was diagnosed that I was allergic to cats, dogs, dustmites and tomatoes. I now survive on a cream and antihistamines.

I had a very mild case of chicken pox when I was younger but have had chronic eczema, asthma and cold sores all my life.

I was born in 77....

I've had chicken pox, and german measles...Thats bout all I remember my ma telling me. Oh and while not a disease, still a pain in the butt.... I had head lice once as a child (and my ma couldn't afford the shampoo so she treated me with flea shampoo...it actually seemed to work)

oh, and I had ringworm (beginning of this yr)

My daughter born in 96...

german measles and chicken pox (in that order) and head lice too many times...uggggg. Although knock on wood, nothing this school year thankfully... we started some preventatives after a really bad bad case of it at the end of the previous school year.

My daughter born in 00

chicken pox and head lice (only 2x I think...they seem to like my other daughters head better)

I was born in 86. Caught chicken pox the year before the vaccine was approved. I was accidentally exposed to an adult with shingles, and my parents weren't aware varicella/herpes zoster virus causes shingles AND chicken pox. Yes, the chicken pox virus really is related to the herpes virii family.

I had strep throat alot as a kid and developed rheumatic fever a few years ago due to an undiagnosed strep infection. It didn't show up as strep on the quick test so was sent home with mild antibiotics, the bacteria got resistant to those antibiotics and I had to be treated with some strong antibiotics, and now I'm supposed to get an ECG after every strep infection. I got lucky and the initial occurrence didn't cause any damage to my heart, but each subsequent infection raises the risk of heart involvement. So now I have to demand antibiotics and explain I cannot take any chances with strep. As prone as I am to strep, I'm amazed I've never had scarlet fever. The same strain of the strep bacteria that causes strep throat also causes scarlet fever. Any Strep A infection, regardless of location, left untreated can cause rheumatic fever.

I had laryngitis alot too. Ear infections - still get those at least once every couple years. Sinus infections - 2-3 times a year. My doctor says I have horrible drainage, LOL. I get congested so easily. I still get bronchitis every time I catch a cold.

They wanted to take my tonsils out and put tubes in my ears but my parents wouldn't let them. Folks felt like tonsils are there for a reason and I'd outgrow tonsillitis. For the most part, I did. I think it's good that they didn't let the dr.'s put tubes in my ears. My mother's daughter from a previous marriage had complications of some nature from the tubes, which is why they wouldn't let them do either procedure to me.

I've never had lice. I was vaccinated against MMR, whooping cough, and most of those other childhood diseases.

I had ringworm when I was like 12. Dr. thought I caught it from the cats. Big, ugly strawberry colored itchy raised patch on my thigh.