I'm next, aren't I?? :(

[namechangemam]

Background: I have severe emetophobia and my anxiety is through the roof and beyond, so please no nasty comments. 😓

Toddler DD threw up randomly Tuesday night, was only sick once then perfectly fine. Last night (48 hrs later) older DD was sick. This morning DP has thrown up.

I am just waiting now for my turn. It's inevitable that the bug will get me, isn't it? 😞

DP thinks I could be OK as it was him who cleaned up toddler DD's sick on Tues and not me, and he looked after her all day the next day while I went to work. But I'm not so sure.

Im so scared. If it's going to happen I just want it over asap. 😢😢😢

What do you think will happen if you do get it? Everyone else is still ok arent they? Sometimes illnesses are part of life. Your worry and anxiety will cause you more suffering and misery than the tummy bug. Are you seeking help for this? You have my sympathy by the way, not judging.

Yeah you're probably going to be sick and you'll probably stop after 24 hours. Stop worrying as that will make you vomit if the bug doesn't get you anyway.

Ah, that’s rubbish OP. But I think you could be okay as your husband says. Me and my toddler had vomiting bug over winter and my partner never got it. Good luck. X

That's really unkind to say that to an emetophobic person, how mean. Best to post nothing. You clearly don't have a clue about how the psychology of emetophobia works.

@namechangemam like you I'm dreadful being around anyone being sick. All you can do is keep your hands and face clean at the moment, especially before food prep, and hope for the best. There's no guarantee you'll get it, all you can do is try and limit the chances as much as you can x

hope you still ok today .

Look on the positive side - if you do get it most likely your husband will be better by then and can take care of you/the children

Thanks everyone

We go on holiday next Wednesday too. Why is this happening now?? 😞😞

I feel sickly right now but I think it's anxiety possibly. Not sure.

Between my children, we've had four sick bugs in the house this year, I've cleaners them up, cuddled them etc and not caught any, it isn't inevitable. I wash my hands and clean the loo a lot, but don't do anything else. I hope you are ok!

If you've stayed away from the vomit and been scrupulous with cleanliness you're probably ok. You're more likely to get ill from the children than your DH as they are less hygienic. It doesn't always hit everyone.

It's inevitable that the bug will get me, isn't it?

Not at all. In fact, given your phobia, I'd stake money on you managing to avoid it. Small children have terrible personal hygiene and poor immune systems, so no surprises that they shared it. Your DH has had far greater contact plus, not having your phobia, is unlikely to have taken the same hygiene precautions you have.

In addition to this, some people are just not as prone to sickness bugs. My DH never gets them, but is more prone to chest infections. Link to the really interesting science behind it and a quote from it:

If a group of people is exposed to a strain of norovirus, who gets sick will depend on each person’s blood type. But, if the same group of people is exposed to a different strain of norovirus, different people may be resistant or susceptible. In general, those who do not make the H1-antigen and people with B blood type will tend to be resistant, whereas people with A, AB, or O blood types will tend get sick, but the pattern will depend on the specific strain of norovirus.

(This doesn't mean you are going to get it if you have one of the blood types listed as it varies according to the actual virus!)

Possibly not, I’ve found coughs and colds spread like wildfire through our house but I can’t recall ever catching a vomiting bug from my kids. I’ve had one too that they didn’t catch. And when they’ve been ill (again, not often, they don’t catch many), it’s been me they’ve been sick on, me cleaning up. You might be fine. And if you catch it you’ll be fine by Wednesday x

We had a vomiting bug in our house before Christmas. 2 year old DS got it first. I helped clean it up with DH and cleaned up another few times when it happened.

I was incredibly careful to bleach all handles etc and washed my hands religiously. I was also caring for 4 month old DS and my 2 year old at the same time whilst DS was recovering.

Only DH caught it. Me and the 4 month old were fine. I was really stressed like you though. Kept thinking it was going to get me next. I lost over 2lb through worry and not eating. Ironically made myself feel so sick due to all the worry, so I can empathize OP. But there's definitely no guarantee you catch it.

I’m so sorry, sending hugs and solidarity. My toddler has brought 3 d&v bugs home since starting nursery, I was pregnant with the most recent one, and they are diabolical. All I keep doing when they hit is tell myself they will be over quickly, and they always are overt quickly - the last one was just a couple of hours.

@PineForestsAndSunshine interesting! I am A- and seem to suffer less and get through it more quickly than the rest of the household (O+)

My blood type is O-
Does this mean I'm more prone? 😞

Hi OP, I'm also very nervous of being sick. I'm sorry you're feeling so anxious (which will definitely make you feel nauseous, you're right!). Firstly it's not definitely going to happen, as others have said. Secondly, if it does happen it will be unpleasant but you will cope. It's easy for the feelings of anxiety to trick you into thinking you can't cope with something, but you would absolutely be okay, even if it was horrid in the moment. Would be over very quickly and you'll be off on holiday (you'd definitely be recovered by then).

We had very similar a few weeks ago. DS first, DD a couple of days later. DD was only sick once, DS a lot more. I am a single parent so did all the cleaning, didn’t affect me at all. So it’s not inevitable you’ll come down with it.

Not necessarily. There is a gene FUT2 which also plays a part in if you are likely to not be affected. I’m blood type O but have the version which means I’m a non-secretor and so not susceptible to most noro variants. Pretty much proven out by the fact that I’ve never had it if you want some anecdata

blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/genetic-armor-in-flu-season/

My youngest is very susceptible to sickness bugs. DH and I have never caught one from him, his sister has once.

Try to stay in the moment and not let your thoughts spiral. It may not happen. If it does you will get through it.

Always open the windows when someone has been sick and use the Covid face masks to avoid breathing in particles. Spray everything down with Detox type cleaner and wash hands regularly. I’ve managed to avoid a few times. Your DP was in the thick of it. You might be ok.

My twins catch every sickness bug going round. DH about half the time catches it from them. Me and eldest DC have never caught one from them. If you’ve got this far there’s a good chance you’ll be ok. I worked in schools for a long time so think I built up a good immunity and passed it onto my eldest through breastfeeding (didn’t breastfeed the twins at all!).

Not necessarily once a few years ago dh, my dc, my 3 sdc all had norovirus . I stopped eating in preparation for me getting it and had just plain biscuits as figured they’d be least unpleasant to bring up when it started 🤣🤣🤣 I looked after them all and I bleached everything every few hours. Little dc was not containing anything and twice vomited on me . After a few days they were starting to get better and I was waiting for it to get me !! It didn’t !!! I was shocked

You might get it but you might not. We’ve had sick bugs in our home and we haven’t all caught it.

if you do catch it try to think to yourself that now you have it, it will soon be over. Every time your sick the bug is clearing out of your system and the sickness is a little closer to coming to an end. The first time of being sick is always the worst because that empties your stomach. After that it isn’t so bad.

As unpleasant as it is it’s doesn’t last! It will come to an end! You’ll be fine and you can cope with it.

I had HG in pregnancy and now if I get a sickness bug it gives me flash backs. Completely get the stress but I find I feel sick if someone mentions it so your nausea might be nothing other than stress. It’s a bit like headlice, any mention and my head feels itchy. Sending none sickness vibes your way

Last time my DP and two DC were sick I didn't catch it! And this was after cleaning up sick and sleeping in the same bed as one of them. So you might be ok OP.

Should have said the version of the FUT2 gene which means I can’t catch most variants of noro. Reading it back it looks like I was talking about a version of type O blood - sorry