Scared of the test

[BigCrimboCorona]

I know this is really silly but I'm absolutely terrified at the thought of getting the test.

I've seen one video where it looks like the swab goes right up the nose and tickles the brain and the one at the back of the throat surely makes you gag? I don't know how so many people have willingly gone through this? Surely the nose one hurts and the throat one I just know I'd end up gagging and wet myself

I had to test at home as part of the voluntary thing the government did a while back and I couldn't get the stick up my nose very far or right to the back of my throat... there's no way, can you really say you did the test accurately yourself?

I don't see myself ever going to get tested or letting my kids go through it

Oh and I’ve had 3. My 7 year old has had 2, as has my 5 year old. No issues.

You realise it's physically impossible to touch your brain by going down your nose, right? Or at least, not without poking through bone and soft tissue.

@Santastealer

You are in control of it and have to give consent for someone else to administer the test on you. Just do it yourself.

I tried and I couldn't push the stick up too far

Thanks for all the reassuring comments.. I think you're all much braver than me 😬

Oh I don't know it's making me have a nervous twitch thinking about it

Stop thinking about it until you're there. Deep breaths and it will be okay. You'll feel so great after it's done! You can do this 💪🏻

I have a very sensitive gag reflex and I have managed to cope with three tests so far.........the anticipation is worse than the test. It's not pleasant but it's quick.

I had one today, it was fine! I'm mostly pathetic with anything medical so it can't be bad!

I've had it twice, as had my 5 year old. My 7 year old has had it once. It's not pleasant especially with a heavy head cold- the reason for the second test but it's over in seconds. It's better to just get it done than not know if you have any symptoms.

@Icenii

Does the nose one honestly go as far back as it suggests in the YouTube videos? It looks like it goes back and not up.

There must be a few nose tests available as the one I had was just inside the nostril, they swirl it around a couple of times and done. This was a rapid test, results back within 4 hours.

@Figgyboa rapid tests and PCRs are two different things. As are antigen and antibody tests. So there are a few ways of swabbing depending on which test you're taking.

For the throat one, tuck your thumb inside your hand like a fist, it lessens the gag reflex.

@MistletoeandGin

It takes seconds. Have you never had any form of medical procedure? A smear? Have you given birth?? Had an immunisation? Had an IV? Anything?

Yeah this is what I was thinking.

Whilst on another thread people have said they are needle phobic, which I will accept as true phobias can sound silly to others but are very genuine and real..... Threads like this are just daft.

I'm sorry, you're an adult, it's a two seconds job at the back of your throat and up your nose. If you're deciding you're afraid of this you really need to have a word with yourself.

Maybe I'm speaking as someone with very serious medical issues and I have to inject myself multiple times a week and have blood tests every week and have done for decades but to be honest I don't think that plays any part in how I feel about this post.

Sorry to be blunt but you need to get a grip. If you need tk get a test then you need to either do it yourself or let someone else do it. If you can't face that then you and your family need to isolate for two weeks.

Or, if this truly is something you're afraid of, you've lived a very unscary life so far and I'm kinda jealous.

If you're an a mentally well adult you should be prepared to put up with a slight amount of uncomfortableness in order to have a test. You seriously need to pull up your big girl pants.

I'm fine with injections, smears, dentist... it's just the nose thing I think... I saw a video of someone having it done and it looked awful.

I know it's silly and I can read you all saying it's fine and I want to believe you

@BigCrimboCorona

I'm fine with injections, smears, dentist... it's just the nose thing I think... I saw a video of someone having it done and it looked awful.

I know it's silly and I can read you all saying it's fine and I want to believe you

Well it’s not awful, it’s fine. It doesn’t go to your brain, that’s impossible.

The nose one didn't hurt for me, just tickled and made me want to sneeze whilst she twiddled it for a count on ten. The throat swab did make me gag. I have a very high gag reflex and can gag when brushing my back teeth sometimes. I had the throat swab done first, just to get it out of the way. The person doing it was really kind. Let me have a break between each one. Neither hurt.

Also, I elected to have someone else do it as I don't think I could have done it myself.

@BigCrimboCorona you seriously need to get over yourself. And to say you wouldn't let your children have the test done is quite frankly irresponsible.

When I think of all the invasive, shitty horrible treatments my 18 year old son had to go through during his (unsuccessful) treatment for brain cancer, which he did with humour and courage it makes me spitting mad to read posts like yours over a simple throat and nose swab.

You may gag, you may sneeze. And that's it. Over in less than 2 minutes.

It looks worse than it is. I had to put on my big girl pants but it was fine once I decided I had to do it

It looks worse than it is. Nose tickles like buggery. I didn't gag at the throat. Although perhaps that says more about me than the test