Measles Outbreak Reminds Me of When I Nearly Died from It

You hear something like "measles outbreak" and you think, "Is this really 2019?" This national outbreak means business.

Eyewitness News-WEHT posted a story from ABC News that shows a map where new cases of measles have been reported.

And Kentucky and Indiana are shaded in blue.

The cases here and across the river are part of the 626 confirmed cases reported so far this year.

Needless to say, that is a LOT!

When I was 10 years old and in 4th grade, measles moved like wildfire through Masonville Elementary School and my class, in particular.

There were kids out all the time from December through February of that school year.

And I was one of them.

I don't really remember much about the time when I was at my sickest. But my mother sure does.

I do remember feeling weird little bumps inside my mouth the day after Christmas. And I remember Mom (a nurse, retired now) stopping dead in her tracks when I said that.

The next day, I was sitting in the waiting room at Dr. Bickel's office.

After the visit, I was escorted out the back door, not through the lobby. That scared me to death.

I was sick for about two weeks, including the first week back to school after Christmas break.

I remember wearing sunglasses all the time and being in dark rooms everywhere I went in the house.

I remember being bummed out about being too sick to enjoy Mom and Dad's New Year's Eve party. They were always a blast. Of course, only those who'd had the measles came over that year.

What I don't remember are the times, according to Mom, where I was so sick that she sat next to me while I was laying on the couch or my bed praying fervently that I would stay on this earth.

I was never told until I was an adult just how close to death I came.

Be vigilant, everyone, and take care of yourselves.