hi there-
I had it at age 29 and it sucked. Aside from the misery and itching, it was hands down the sickest I've ever been and I was left very weak and drained for a few months afterwards. I really feel for you. Take good care of yourself!

Something to ask the doctor about if you are inclined: would a course of anti-viral drug be beneficial (I was prescribed acyclovir; even with this, I was still sick with visible poxes for over 20 days). Gamma gobulin (I think) is also prescribed for serious cases, but I think this has to be given very early in the illness.
Wearing gloves helps minimize scratching damage, as suggested above (especially when you are sleeping, if you wake up and find that you've been scratching). I also dosed myself heavily with benedryl (which I ordinarily avoid because I am very sensitive to it), used calamine, and took lukewarm/cool showers to ease the itching. Head's up: the facial poxes seem very prone to scarring, so try to avoid digging into them. I ended up with two very small pits on my face, but no other scars despite abundant scratching at arms/ankles etc.


Good luck!