A tale of an apple juice boy

I was once slept in my campus even before my first semester had started. Not that I was so committed to study or anything, in fact I was hospitalized in my campus hospital, This was back in Jan 1991 when I was pursuing my master's degree in the US. I got chickenpox, apparently a very contagious disease. In the US the vaccination had pushed down the infection down to 90% but of course foreigners like had no such jab as in my own country such disease is uncommon

Apparently the disease is more dangerous to adult than children. My doctor told me that many American kids had it and hence they had immunity. In my case I got the disease from a friend of friend, or is it my friend who had contact with a local student. It is blur now but alas I also infected my apartment mate. The disease is very contagious indeed.

I remember I had fever and when I checked into the clinic they asked if I had friends and when I said yes they asked me to stay. I couldn't remember exactly how long I was hospitalized  but I guess it would have been 4-5 days. 

I had my own room but of course who wants to be hospitalized - even if it was a VIP room. The food were taken from the nearby dormitory. I always ordered apple juice that they called me the apple juice boy. I remember each evening I heard canon shots. The nurse told me that they were shot to drive away pigeons. Sounds strange to me but each evening I was entertained by that canon shots. I  do not recall if I had a TV set in my room but in any case I was sick enough not to care about it. 

Each day I had my doctor visit. For the first couple of days a male nurse gave me medicine late in the evening. I often was already slept. I had skin rash all over my body. The nurse gave me powder to help me dealing with the itch. I was concerned that rash would stay permanent but turns out they eventually disappeared.

I remember I was released on Sunday night. I took a bus to my friend's apartment. I haven't rented my own apartment yet. He was so kind that I was able to crashed there temporarily. Too bad that later on he got chickenpox too

Mea culpa maxima