I am definitely not the luckiest person when it comes to birthdays!

Today after reading a post written by @cabbagepatch, I realized how lucky I was not to have had any of the children's diseases that she spoke about. In fact, for some reason I never had ANY of the children's diseases. When I was about four year's old, my mother came in contact with mumps, perhaps at the hospital where she worked. My grandmother and my little brother caught it from her, but I never did.

When I went to university and was in my second year of studying, I woke up one morning feeling absolutely terrible. It was my birthday the next day, and I thought great! There goes all my party plans! I was getting the flu and instead of celebrating I would be in bed for my twenty second birthday. I phoned my mom to tell her that I was going to the doctor instead of class.

The doctor was about two blocks away from the flat where I stayed at that time, and I decided to stop by my grandfather on the way to the doctor. He lived about two blocks the other way and I used to check on him daily as he was getting rather old, but still able to look after himself quite well. But, I wanted to check on him anyway because I thought that I was getting sick so I might not be able to go the next day as well as the fact that it was my birthday and I had other plans.

I didn't have a car at that time, and I was young and fit, so I quickly walked up the two blocks. I must say, I walked rather fast as it started raining and I did not like to walk in the rain. When I finally reached his flat, and he opened the door for me to enter, he looked at me with a rather shocked face.

He immediately asked me what was wrong with me, and made me sit down on his favorite chair. I told him that I had not been feeling well, and that I was on my way to see the doctor. He asked me if I knew what I looked like. and when I shook my head he brought me his bathroom mirror to see.

There I was ...all covered in little red spots. I looked absolutely terrible and started crying. He told me that he was sure that I had chicken pox but that I had to go to the doctor to confirm. After I calmed down a bit, I left to go see the doctor. He confirmed that I had chicken pox. He gave me a sick-note for two weeks and told me to stay indoors and to behave myself calmly. Apparently chicken pox is not a disease to play with when you are in your twenties.

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I became so sick that I had to go home back to my parent's house, and my grandmother had to come stay with me for the entire time as my parents were away on holiday. There was not one spot on my whole body that was not covered in spots. I even had spots on my tongue and under the soles of my feet, as well as on my head and in my ears. I couldn't even comb my hair properly. It was the worst time ever.

After that terrific episode that I never want to have over in my life, I finished my teaching degree and started teaching. It is funny how a teacher can build up resistance against diseases, because we are constantly in contact with runny noses and other diseases that kids bring to school. So a few years ago just before we moved down to the South Coast, it was my fortieth birthday.

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My husband took the kids fishing that morning and I decided to stay at home and sleep a bit later than usual, because I don't often get the chance.

When I woke up at about nine o clock that morning, I switched on the computer to check my emails, and took a sip of water from the glass next to the bed. Weird thing ...I could not swallow the water, and I knew that there was something wrong. I didn't feel sick, but I suddenly had a very sore throat and thought that it was the beginning of flue again. I got up to go to the bathroom and when I walked past the mirror I had the shock of my life.

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I turned into a hamster overnight! No seriously....I literally looked like a hamster. I phoned my husband and told him that he had to come home to take me to the doctor immediately and that he had to cancel my birthday party for that evening.

It was not the best birthday ever spent, but at least I received a three week sick note as I couldn't go to school, we wouldn't want a whole school infected with Mumps do we?