Mother thought I might die....chickenpox, measles, mumps

 We started to get polio under control, in the 1950's/60s  That was wonderful! 

We had vaccines for other diseases too.  The Small pox vaccine left a scar. You got that vaccine as a baby. Some got the shot on the arm, I got mine on upper thigh or behind.  We also got vaccines for  diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. 

We still had contagious diseases of measles, german measles, rubella and chicken pox.

Most of those started with a rash. Mumps started with swollen glands in the  neck.  My brother charlie got the mumps, I never got that. It was supposed to be dangerous for boys to get because it could make them infertile.  Charlie never had children(thankgoodness!) so maybe that happened to him. 

Between us 5 kids, and my cousins downstairs- 5 kids, someone was always sick. If you did get the measles, you tried to give it to other kids to get it over with!  

The late 1950s I got the measles, probably in 1st or 2nd grade. You would get a fever and an itchy rash and miss a week or so of school. 

 About a year later I was all dressed ready for school when my mother stared at me and asked if I felt ok. I said yes, but she lifted my uniform and looked at my stomach and there were red dots all over it. Yep, I had German measles, so into my pjs and on the couch I went.  These diseases would travel around the house upstairs..downstairs. 

My cousin Brian was the first to get chicken pox. He had a mild case of it,  a few scabs and fever for just a day or two. He was back outside after a few days.  Then I caught it, I was in the 7th grade 13. 

Chicken pox gave you red, very itchy bumps. You could not scratch them because they would break, leak, leave a scar and spread the bumps. It was torture! I did not have a light case of it. It was very bad, I was covered in bumps and had a high fever. 

It was Sunday and my sisters came over for dinner. I felt awful and was in my room all day. Barbara came in to see me. She asked me if I was staying in my room because I looked awful (lol) I said I am sick. She felt my forehead, then stared at me and left. 

She came back with my mother who felt my head and took my temperature.  She came back with aspirin. Later my mother took my temp again and gave me pills and left. She came back one more time and asked me if I want to sleep with her.  She never asked me that before, I said no.

I realized soon after she thought I might die. When sick, I run high fevers 103 and even 104 are not rare with me, so I wonder how high it was to worry my mother. I lived. I did scratch. I have some scars on my face I can still see. I was out of school a few weeks and missed the school play, I hated plays so that didn't break my heart. 

Now they have vaccines for them and my grandchildren will never have to suffer with that.