When I was eleven, the chicken pox was going around in my group of friends. I caught it and was sick for a week.

BUT I had white sores (not pus) and they stung instead of itching. Everyone else had the usual red and itchy sores.

For years I've wondered about this. Were the symptoms I had relatively common?

It could be that you simply had an unusual presentation, but it's hard to say. I'm pretty sure that your doctor can do a blood test to check for antibodies that would indicate that you already had chicken pox and since it's more dangerous the older you are, I think you should ask about it at your next appointment.