I have a friend who had leukemia a few years ago, and underwent chemo and a bone marrow transplant. She had had the chicken pox when she was youger - about 6 or 7. However, to my understanding, her immune system is now totally new, having built itself up from the marrow donated by her brother. Clearly, whatever immunities he had didn’t transfer over, since she had to receive all of her childhood vaccinations and booster shots, etc. Her new immune system is now about 4 years old.
So, my friend is likely to get the chicken pox all over again, even though most people only have it once in their lives. The question is, since she is an adult (just turned 20), would the chicken pox affect her as it would the average child (spots and itchyness and not too severe), or would it affect her as an adult, which everyone says is much worse?
Well, I would assume that she would suffer it as an adult. However, she can avoid all that by getting the chicken pox vaccine. I got it when I was about 16 (2 years ago) and it’s good for life. Same plusses as actually getting the pox (i.e., not getting them again) but without having to actually have them in the first place.
Chicken Pox (varicella) is reportedly more severe with statistically greater chance of complications in adults than in children. Also Chicken Pox is a grave complication to leukemia no matter the persons age.
Chicken Pox is a far more serious disease than some people realize. I’m sure her doctor will advise her whether or not the vaccine is appropriate in her situation. It’s not a matter she should decide based on discussions with friends and family no matter how informed they may be.
I wish your friend all the best.
Lest you think I am being alarmist, my younger sons death certificate reads, “presented chicken pox, myelodysplastic syndrome (sort of a sub acute leukemia), acute myelogenous leukemia, aspergillas infection of the sinus’, cardiorespiratory arrest”.
Leukemia and Chicken Pox do not mix without grave consequences, even if you don’t know about the leukemia until the chicken pox comes along.
AbbySthrnAccent, I am sorry to learn of your loss.
Chicken pox is caused by the virus herpes zoester (not to be confused with herpes simplex you pervs), and the body responds to it by causeing a high fever in children, who, if otherwise healthy, are able to tolerate high fever much better than adults, who can have permanent damage to organs from high fever.
After children get over chicken pox, herpes zoester virus remains in your body throughout your life. It is not uncommon for people to get shingles from herpes zoester later in life. (I did when I was 30 (I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now) my aunt did when she was in her mid-80s.) Shingles is red spots on half your body (left/right) that pulsate with pain like bugs munching your flesh. At least what I imagined to be bugs munching my flesh. I was very relieved to find out it was shingles. I was treated with Zovirix (acyclover), which kept my suffering to about a week, with another week lingering. My aunt got it about 6 mos after I did, and it lingered for at least two months, which was common before acyclover. I don’t know if she got medication.
This isn’t a question regarding any actual course of treatment for my friend or anything - I believe she might actually have had the vaccine, though I haven’t asked. She is currently in remission, and by all accounts healthy, so although there are still health risks and whatnot, she’s otehrwise fine. I’m not even asking this question for her sake - I just thought of it on the way home from work (don’t really know why) and thought I should ask. Thanks for the responses, though, and I, too, and sorry for your loss, Abby.
I don’t really think the question is answered, though. I mean in a general sense,assuming a brand new, healthy immune system (barring any residues/effects of leukemia and treatment) would an adult react as an adult to such a virus, or as a child? Id assume that the reaction is more dependent on her immune system than her actual age, but maybe I’m wrong there.Basically, if she gets it now, would chicken pox affect her as it would a 4-year-old, or as a 20-year old? Why can kids tolerate fever better than adults? I guess this is what I want to know - why the difference? And would a new immune system have any effect on it?
