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Chicken Pox during exams

My younger brother had chicken pox last week and I've never had them before, I've had flu like symptoms over the past 2 days and have got a small blister on my wrist and 2 on my head. I have my A2 exams this week and am struggling to concentrate on revision due to illness and am so panicky about completing my exam on Friday if they're really itchy or at the worst stage. :-(

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Reply 1

elbury1

I didn't know whether to put this under health or A levels so sorry if it's wrong!!

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Reply 2

swagyolo420

Go to the doctors some time before friday?? See if they can prescribe you anything, also let your college know. If they are really bad on friday, they are already aware of your circumstances

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Reply 3

Gax

Original post by elbury1

Okay, wow. I got mine at about 11 years of age I think. For me I think I can remember getting a fever on a Thursday and the next day at school, Friday, I started getting spots (pox?) on my forehead. I had to miss the next 2 weeks of school because it was so bad.

Anyway, it might take longer for it to get to its worst stage for you because you're older. The blisters on your hand might not even be chicken pox, but the flu like symptoms definitely sound familiar. I don't really know how to conclude because I'm not too sure what the question is :redface:

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 4

Klix88

Your college probably won't want an infectious person anywhere near them during the exam period. Call them immediately and ask what you should do.

You'll be infectious for 10 days after the first spots appear, and you'll start feeling very poorly in a few days time. Even if you're allowed to take the exam, you'll have to be in isolation and will be feeling rough. In that situation you should ask about Mitigating Circumstances so that your grades aren't affected.

However my gut feel is that you'll be taking your exams during the resits, if you get the chickenpox diagnosis confirmed.

Reply 5

elbury1

Original post by Gax

I think I was just mainly wondering if anyone had any advice for revision whilst feeling very ill, as I'm struggling to concentrate for very long, or even if I'd get any extra time in my exam or something? Really hope it isn't chicken pox :-(

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Reply 6

elbury1

Original post by Klix88

I'll have to see if they get worse today/tomorrow and will let them know if it seems to be definitely chicken pox. I really hope they let me as this is my final A2 English Literature exam which I am supposed to be doing at University in September, eek!

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Reply 7

Gax

Original post by elbury1

I guess all you can do is see your GP about it, get some medication to suppress it as much as possible so you can some revision in, hold tight and hope for the best :dontknow:

But you've probably heard this before so I don't know

Reply 8

Kabloomybuzz

Original post by elbury1

I'm afraid it sounds like it probably is, and unluckily for you, it makes you feel more ill the older you are when you get them. I was 10/11 and it was horrible.

My advice is:
Go to your doctor, get a definite diagnosis and ask for a note confirming the diagnosis to send to your school/college.

Ring the school (or get your mum to do it) and let them know of the chickenpox ask about resitting the exam at a later date due to illness as you may be feeling very ill and you will be contagious. You should also bear in mind that the chickenpox virus can be dangerous to pregnant women and their babies, so if you might expose anyone its another good reason to not go in.

If you get diagnosed and have proof, I don't see this being a problem to be honest. Either way, its not a good idea to be sitting exams if you're ill with chickenpox.

Reply 9

vhowkins

Make an appointment (maybe emergency appointment) with your GP/doctors. Go to a drop in because regardless, you're obviously unwell and you want to do the best you can.

Obviously, it's infectious so you may have to sit in another room for the exam to keep it under control.

Reply 10

juniorx

Oh man what a horrible time to get it. I actually caught it for the first time last October and it was horrible, the spots quickly spread all over my body and the fever was like my brain was being mushed up in clamp. It sounds like you are in the early stages so be prepared cause it could get much worse. I saw my gp and he said that there isnt much you can do apart from take paracetamol and he prescribed me a lotion to help with the itching of the spots. The annoying thing is chicken pox gets worse the older you catch it. I hope you feel better soon! And if your interested mine lasted for 2 weeks although the 2nd wasn't as bad

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(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 11

Kmonster

my friend had chickenpox very badly during his A2s and had to stay in bed for 2 weeks
he got doctors notes and the school contacted the exam boards (who said he should sit the papers anyway and wouldn't give extra marks or anything) and also the uni, who said that they would take that into account if he missed his grades.
he wasn't able to revise during this time because he was ill but he sat his exams anyway and got the grades he needed
i should say though that the doctor cleared him as being no longer contagious before he sat his first exam, but he still had the fever/headaches/insomnia etc, so he was uncomfortable during exams but not endangering anybody else!

my advice would be to get a doctors note, talk to your school about writing to your uni to let them know you could potentially achieve lower grades than you hoped for
but really your main priority should be trying to relax and get better asap so you can sit the exams now rather than next year! so don't stress about revision, just try to have a little read of some notes or something (as opposed to doing lots of past papers which might tire you out)

get well soon x

Reply 12

elbury1

Original post by Kmonster

Okay thank you for your advice! I'm going to try and book a doctors appointment today. I didn't think they would want me sat with everyone anyway haha, feel very sorry for your friend, at least I've been able to sit 3 of my exams without being ill. I'm going to attempt this although I'm such a stresser when it comes to revision I feel super guilty and am probably making it worse by panicking.

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Reply 13

elbury1

Just in case anyone wanted to know for future reference on this, I've had to collect a doctors note which states I'm still contagious but fit to do the exam and I have an examiner coming to my house tomorrow morning. They're also sending off a letter to the exam board for "special consideration" for all my exams this week with temporary illness (which I assume will only be about 1% marks at most)

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Reply 14

Tan MH

but my school dont allow me to take my P5 exam....it depends on my mid-year exam which I failed in...i might have to retake P5...they dont let me retake the exam....IM GONNA GET RETAINED!!! AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!