Of chicken and coconuts...Part 2

I felt compelled to write this blog for two reasons: one to reminisce on my 'chicky pox' experience and another to offer help for all those other suffers out there. Here goes...

Things NOT to do (according to the Kadazan culture/belief):

1. Take your bath until all or at least one pox appear on either your palm or your feet. (Imagine wet hair due to perspirations, oils and boils, b.o. My niece wouldn't come near me. I understand I wouldn't want to smell myself)

2. Let yourself be exposed to the wind. (I think the rationale is to prevent being exposed to dusts which will make our pox itchy or infected with germs. The house fan or table fan should be all right I guess and very comforting since the climate in Malaysia is sooo hot)

3. Eat soy sauce. (Old folks believe that it would make one's spots turn dark. Hemm, dunno if this is scientifically proven or not but who's willing to take the risk, right?)

4. Pick/squeeze/scratch your pox.(This is to prevent scarring. But I did all three and can attest to the truth of this claim).

5. Cover yourself in thick clothing from head to toe. (You'll be experiencing fever, ranging from mild to severe. Had both by the way. It is important not to let your body become too hot to prevent getting seizures)

6. Look at yourself in the mirror. (This will make your pox multiply and become more. Actually I think the rationale would be to prevent the sufferer to feel sad or irritated and do #4 (pls refer))

7. Eat chicken, peanuts, chilli for 100 days. (Again, dunno the rationale but who's willing to take the risk. All your food should be steamed or cooked without oil)

8. Wear red coloured clothes. (It will slow down the recovery of chicken pox or so they said.)

Things which can HELP us in our fight against chicken pox

1. Coconut water

To make the pox come out quickly and some people said that it can prevent scarring. You should use coconut water when you take your bath for the first time (when the pox has appeared on either your palm/feet). However, not any coconuts will do. Use only the 'young' ones, plucked straight from the tree. Don't take ones that have fallen to the ground!

2. Vitamin C

This can be in the form of juice, fruit, tablet etc. Products to try out are Redoxon (as shown above), Innershine Prune Esscence, Ester-C 5oo from elken (to name but just a few).


3. Vitamin E

This Vitamin E concentrate boasts the highest level of wheatgerm %. But I don't even know the relevance only that a lot of people strongly suggest sufferers to massage this oil gently on the skin/scars to improve their appearance. We can also take Vitamin E in the form of a pill, courtesy of WIN EPA from Elken.

4. Guava leaves.

Interesting and sweer smelling guava leaves. The suface of the lear resembles that of a chicken pox spot and believed to be effective to make the pox dry faster and to get rid of all toxins from your body. Boil the leaves, let it cool down and you can add water and take your bath with it. You can also put it in the pail, pour hot water on it and cover. Leave for ten minutes and add some water and take your bath.

Actually there are other remedies also but these are the ones that I follow religiously and most importantly within my means :-). Good Luck!