You have not known what you are.
You have slumbered upon yourself all your life.
Your eyes have been as much as closed most of the time.
What you have done is already in mockeries.

The mockeries are not you.
Underneath them
And within them,
I see you lurk...


-Walt Whitman



31.3.09

varicella-ella-ella-ehh-eh-e


THERE IS AN ONGOING CHICKENPOX OUTBREAK in our home. Almost half of our family is sick. It was my little sister who suffered the viral infection first. She acquired it from a classmate inflicted by the disease. Since varicella or chickenpox is a highly contagious viral disease, it didn’t take long before other susceptible household members got infected. Two weeks after (average incubation period for chicken pox or the time from the acquisition of the virus to the onset of early symptoms), my younger brother Andrew and our house help manifested the symptoms.

Chickenpox usually starts with fever and eventually the appearance of vesicles throughout the body surface. (In my brother’s case, they’re so numerous that I got quite alarmed. It was unlike the other cases I have encountered before. It reminded me of the traditional smallpox.). Like other viral infections, varicella is self-limiting, which means it will automatically terminate, depending upon the carrier’s immune system. Nursing management is symptomatic which basically involves maintenance of body temperature to normal levels since fever is expected through out the course of the disease process. Some medications are taken to decrease the number of vesicles, minimize itching, and for faster healing.

Three days ago, John, my other younger brother, complained of fever, headache, and tenderness on the right side of his neck. At first I thought he got infected too but I eventually ruled it out since he’s already immune to the disease like me. It turned out; he’s just suffering from pharyngitis. The pain is caused by the enlarged lymph nodes of his neck—a normal immune response to prevent the spread of bacterial infection. Antibiotics would do the trick.

Having said that, my week has been all about shoving medications, sticking thermometers, and administering tepid sponge baths—a good thing in the sense that I am able to apply my nursing skills, which I feel is rusting away as time goes by.

Enough of chickenpox and pharyngitis and let me just talk about last week’s ‘Idol’. Hehe! Adam blew me away and caught me by surprise. I’m now eating the words I said a week ago. I deserve a big fat I-TOLD-YOU-SO from Kris Jasper. Hehe! But what I don’t understand is why Matt landed on the bottom three last week. He’s good but obviously America doesn’t see that. Perhaps he lacks charisma compared to the other front-runners. I think it’s the song choice. I hope he’d do well this week. I feel sorry for Michael. I think Megan deserves the boot. But I understand why people chose her to stay. She’s freakin’ beautiful!

[Who will be the next ‘Idol’? Feel free to vote on the side bar :)]

If you’re an avid fan of the Ellen Degeneres Show, you probably know her already. Let me introduce Cambria Detken. This is her entry to Ellen’s Bathroom Concert Series. And she won! :)




I would sing with this girl in a bathroom anytime. :P



33 comments:

Aris said...

get well soon sa mga kapatid mo. buti na lang magaling na nurse ang kuya nila. :)

alex said...

omg buti ikaw walang bulutong...

i hope everyone there gets well soon

-------------

i looooove adam lambert, i originally liked gokey but now i'm a lambert convert, he's making the songs his own! amazing

pusangkalye said...

from chickenpox to Pharyngitis to idol ha--hanep ng segway---peace.

Nways---at least you are already immune to it....hirap magkabulutong. I tried it when I was in HS---it was like hell. ---maganda rin talagang me nurse sa bahay no?

pusangkalye said...

"hello---ngapala----sama tayo sa bloggers summit sa May 9---Sat yun--nakaregister na kami---here link"

RedLan said...

hala talagang uso ngayon ang chickenpox. dito ko lang nalaman na varicella pala yan in medical term.

sa ellen unang nag guest si charice sa US. Sige kanta ka at ipost dito. am sure madiscover ka rin sa youtube

lucas said...

aris: salamat, aris :P

alex: buti na lang talaga immune na ako...

lambert is growing on me. ayoko sa kanya kasi napakashrieky ng boses niya. but last week he came with elements of surprise and originality. ang galing talaga ng batch this season. :P

antonio: ui, saan yung link? saan yung blogger summit. sana naman makasama ako...

ahehe! kelangan lang talagang isingit ang AI! paborito ko yun eh..:P peace out!

red: oo. summer eh. i mean mas maganda habang summer ma-acquire mo na kesa pag pasukan lalo na sa mga students.

nyak! narinig mo na ba akong kumanta? ahehe!

Mon said...

kakatakot magkaroon ng bulutong! ur siblings are lucky they have u. ;)
btw, this is a very informative post!

Ely said...

may chicken pox ata basta summer. I remember nagkachicken pox ako for the first time back in 2002. LOL. March din yun...

****
I think, nauso ang bathroom series sa Ellen because of Rin on the Rox? Their account has been deleted from YouTube. May nilabag daw sila na mga rules.

pusangkalye said...

ay---diko pala nalagay---pls register kagad---para magkita naman tayo don mate---

http://iblogph.org/

http://iblogph.org/?page_id=119

Chyng said...

Uso yan samen last year! Grabe, nagumpisa sa pamangkin ko, nahawa parents nya! hehe

scary!

eli said...

DIPA yta ako nagkaganyan.. naku dapat pala inga ingat dahil uso nanaman yan!

Denis said...

naku ingat tayong lahat, summer pa naman. time to flaunt skin.



----------------

Matt on the bottom three?


WHHHHHAT?

(kara tone)

richarddiongson.com said...

i'm experiencing that.. itching.. vesicles.. but dont have a fever. nagkachicken pox na rin ako when i was in elementary. i tried to medicate by myself.. ayoko magpacheck up.. hehe.. hindi rin umiffect. so i tried a traditional one at gumaling ako. will not explain.. kasi for what pa.. ehhee.

get well soon sa lahat..

no comment ako sa am.idol.. di ako fan.. di ako nanonood. .basta! :-)

Anonymous said...

Good thing 7 years old ako nagkaroon nito, ahaha! Kaya nung nasa ospital pa ako ako lagi pinapasabak sa may chicken pox na patient.. Mas matindi yung pag matanda ka na. Mas malalalim talaga yung sugat!

Kaya maswerte ang pamilyang may nurse sa bahay. hehe.
Yun nga lang talagang pag di mo napa- practice yung skills mo sa ospital o kung saan dapat, nakakalimutan na, ang hirap! Ugh!

lucas said...

Mon: ei! salamat pala sa award! cool! :)

nako uso nga ngayon ang chicken pox. ingat ka kasi mahirap mawala yung scarring kapag matanda na nagkaroon. ahehe!

salamat, mon :)

antonio: sorry, mate. hindi ako makakapunta. but thanks for the info :)

eli: yep ingat ka. highly contagious yun. ahehe :P

chyng: nagkaroon ka na ba? mas ok na magkaron kana ngayon kesa kapag mas tumanda ka pa. ahehe! kidding! :P

denis: OO! nasa bottom three siya. at ngayong week nanganganib pa siyang matanggal dahil hindi nila nagustuhan yung performance niya. i like yje song he sang-"you found me" by the fray.

ely: really? ano naman kaya violation nila. buti na lang nadownload ko lahat ng vidz nila dun! ahehe! ganun ako kaadik sa rin on the rox dati. thanks to your post...hehe!

richard: "i'm experiencing?" you mean may itching at vesicles ka pero nagka-chicken pox ka na? hmmm...interesting case.

ako rin ayoko magacheck-up. hehe! ano naman kaya yung gianawa mo para gumaling?

hindi ka fan? WHY, OH, WHY? hehe :P

Ishna Probinsyana said...

Sana gumaling na silang lahat. Buti na lang tapos na yung family namin sa chickenpox!

I love singing in the bathroom. lol Dun lang ata ako pwedeng kumanta~!

lucas said...

dylan: nako sinabi mo pa. parang nagfe-fade na nga yung four years na inaral ko nung college eh. buti nagkaroon na din ako nun. mga 10 yata ako or 9...can't remember..hehe!

lucas said...

mahilig din ako kumanta sa CR. ahaha! kaya para aging may concert! ahahaa! thanks for the drop:)ishna

jonathan said...

Do take care, to you and your family. I wish you good health throughout.
In one of your entries, you asked for suggestions on what to do during the summer. You are doing it now, and what better way to spend the summer is by spending it with your family.

Nice header, I am a sucker for earth tones. But it gave me a shiver seeing the entry's photo.

Roland said...

i will never forget nang dapuan ako ng bulutong.
sobrang kati ng mukha ko
kinamot ko ng kinamot, kaya yun nag-iwan sya ng scars

pinaiinom kac ako ng nanay ko ng kulantro
eh ayaw ko ng lasa, hindi ko ininom
kaya siguro lumala =D

Leoj said...

whoah. buti na lang hindi nakakahawa yan kapag online. haha. naku kahit nagkaron ka na, pwede ka pa rin mahawa niyan kapag yung virus eh nag-mutate na o di kaya ibang strain ng virus. hala. haha.

NJ Abad said...

Oi, that's contagious. Ingat and hope everyone in your house gets well very soon!

Anonymous said...

nako uso talaga dito din eh pero diba dapat pagdaanan naman talaga yan ng lahat kaya swerte na rin sila dahil at least bakasyon yung kapatid ko 14 na hindi pa nagkakaroon hay nako. get well soon kids. hugs.

Anonymous said...

buti na lang nagka chicken pox na ko nung maliit pa ko.pwede bang maulit yun doc ron?

btw,for sure it's the battle of the guys again in AI. at first i thought adam would be the runaway winner but kris is becoming better and better.

Allen Yuarata said...

I got infected by that disease a year ago. And I say it was the worst ever. Urgh!

Ang ganda nung kanta at nung kumakanta. haha. namesmerize ako bigla.

lucas said...

jon: it's always nice to spend time with the family. it would've been more fun without them being sick though. ahehe! :) i will, jon. thanks!

i love earth colors too! especially brown and other related hues... :P

roland: nako mas lalala talaga kapag kinakamot. malalim mag-scar ang chicken pox...tapos kamutin mo pa. ahehe!

kaya dapat sumunod kay nanay, okay? ahaha! peace out!

leoj: yeah..possibly. pero sa pagkakaalam ko stable ang varicella. hindi xa prone for mutation unlike the flu virus (almost yearly ang pagpapalit ng strain) and corona (na kapag nagmutate e nagiging cause ng sars)...

desert aquaforce: thanks :D i hope they get well soon too...

prinsesang musang: tama ka dyan. swerte na rin sila kahit papano kesa kapag pasukan pa sila nagkaroon. mas maganda na rin kapag bata nagkaron na para hindi dyahe kapag matanda na. malalim kasi minsan yung mga scars...

flamindevil: pwede kapag nagmutate yung virus which rarely happens in varicella, or kapag faulty yung immune system nung infected person... doc ron? hahaha! nurse lang po.

i agree...kris is getting better and better every week esp last night. adam is obviously a very strong front-runner..kaya lang kapag bumibirit siya medyo naririndi ako. last week na performance niya yung nagustuhan ko..ahehe!

allen: ang ganda niya noh? i'm glad she won. by the way she covered 'collide' by howie day...

Unknown said...

ron, sino ulit sa mga kapatid mo yung sabi mo saking para kayong pinagbiyak na bunga? lol haha

RJ said...

Very informative! Ang galing! U

Bakit ang 'pox virus infection' sa tao tinatawag na Chicken Pox, samantalang ang pox virus infection sa manok ay tinatawag na Fowl Pox? [May 'wet and dry forms' pa ng fowl pox.] Hahaha!

May mga cases din ba, Ron na ang active immunity ng tao sa chicken pox ay hindi ganu'n kagaling, na kahit nagka-chicken pox na siya dati, mauulit na naman?

May effect ba ang chicken pox sa fetus? O general na kapag may viral infection ang pregnant woman magkakaroon ng congenital problem (defect) ang baby? Ang dami kong tanong. Whew! Mga naririnig ko lang kasi ito, hindi ko naman inalam ang facts.

Unknown said...

...ehhh..kadiri naman ung pic..

get well soon nlang sa buong angkan..

aheks

lucas said...

reyn: siya yun! si andrew. ahehe!

RJ: woah! ang daming tanong ah..balikan ko to pramis. hehe! hindi naman kasi ako doctor...hekhek!

van: thanks, van. pagaling sa sila lahat actually... :P

KRIS JASPER said...

im worried coz i havnt experienced it yet. i wont catch it online, ryt?

Aethen said...

had my chicken pox last two years. mabuti nlng December un pero I hate the marks na naiwan. huhu.

bena said...

kawawa naman siblings mo ron.. hope everyone is well na.. and this post is so nursing ha.. hehehe.. medyo nanosebleed ako.. nyahahaha.. yey! keep safe always! vi-a-v! ;)