AIBU? Panic attack

[MumofHennHals]

My little boy is 8 months old, he was born prematurely.. he's had no lasting effects of his NICU stay where he was on a ventilator for Respiratory Distress..

My daughter has tested positive for Flu A, the only reason we tested was due to my severely vulnerable nan whom we care for. She got over it in 24 hours, just a runny nose, slight cough and temperature otherwise well.

My son however, has woken up 2 hours ago with a cough and a fever, we've kept the kids completely seperate for 48 hours so I'm gutted.

I'll test him in the morning, but I'm having a panic attack. I'm scared he's going to end up with Bronchilitis or Pneumonia and require hospital treatment and I'm already panicking about it.

My husband said 'you need to grow up. We would've just thought daughter has the common cold. Everyone gets poorly children with coughs. No one jumps to the worst scenario straight away'

I'm distraught, I'm a mess. I have health anxiety and I don't need to grow up.

I want to know there's a chance that he can fight it himself, that not all babies go straight to hospital. I'm mortified.

As someone who suffers from health anxiety i get it and im sorry your husband doesn't understand. I really struggle when my children are ill too. When you feel the panic try to tell yourself you're son is a fighter and his a strong little thing. And as distressing as it is he will become sick along his life but my sister once said to me and i hope this helps "every cold he gets will build up his immune system". Good luck. Xx

On one hand, he’s kind of right. You need to make it about the reality of your kids and not how you feel about the POSSIBILITY of the kids being sick.
When your kids are sick and you are zooming ahead into future possibilities, you’re focused on that instead of what’s really happening. (Also potentially stressing them more.) They benefit more from someone who is connected to them in the moment. Try and bring yourself back to now and what’s happening now. Does your kid have something serious or is it a snotty nose and a sore throat? Take their temp and do what you can..Calpol and fluids? See if they feel a bit better in half an hour and then stay on top of the fluids and Calpol for the next few days.

He's tested positive for Flu A.. I'm aware it can turn to pneumonia and bronchilitis is babies under 2.. he's 8 months and was premature so I've got the fear of god into me that he's most at risk

I want to know there's a chance that he can fight it himself, that not all babies go straight to hospital. I'm mortified.

You already know that. What you are looking for is external reassurance so that you can momentarily settle your anxiety. But, as I am sure you know, your anxiety will come back and you will require progressively more reassurance. That's the cycle of health anxiety. So your husband is doing the right thing by not giving you reassurance. The only way out of it is developing distress tolerance skills.