Emetophobia - my worst nightmare

[zonedout]

Ds1 goes to a school set on several different sites. Today one of the sites has been closed for deep cleaning due to norovirus wiping out hundreds of children this week. There are loads of siblings in ds1's building/class and 8 of his classmates were off today.

I am a single parent (really outing myself here!) and terrified of what feels completely inevitable right now. I was awake all night last night, waiting. Shall be doing the same again tonight.

You know, I feel like I have improved a lot with my emetophobia recently. I am no longer worried about the odd v. It's the awful, debilitating violence of noro that terrifies the life out of me.

The waiting is utter torture

mprning everyone

*belganbun"as always you speak sense to teh rest of us

i was ripped from sleepby dd2 saying dd3 being sick.leapt up legs began to shake,breathing in small gasps.went to bottom of stair and called up is she ok?

dd2 replies.yeah.sorry.she just wants a drink

decided to text dp see if he lurgylicious or has stress induced ibs-he has a fever,aching limbs and nausea

this has got to be the most stress ive ever been under as an emet

so now im fretting a)for myself-another couple days before i stop panicking for myself over dcs bug
b)dp was here 2 hour before started to feel ill and lay with the dcs for an hour-fears he will add another bug to my house

sorry for the endless whining and moaning

hope everyone else is ok

frozen you havent blundered in.we are all here in this here boat together.everyones being amazingly supportive and kind

forgot to add,discussions of the day usually only on the board a day or two and FWIW its not even in the top 50 active discussions at this time!

"that thread" will go away patience and posting til it has passed are the key!

Morning all

I agree that BB should be crowned Queen of Calm Voice of Reason. Wish I could be half as sensible

An uneventful night, thank goodness. Thinking the next couple of days will be the critical ones since all mixing back at school post bug yesterday.

Welcome to all new posters on this thread. All emetophobes warmly welcomed here!

hang in there zoned you are doing ok honey

some people are naturally more sensible than others

Hope dp is ok, zoo.

wwe dont live together so im not exposed to his suffering!

as dcs are akip again i may have to attempt another catnap
will pop in a bit later to see how everyone survived the night/is getting along

Yes, this bit has got to be a much bonus to living apart, you are not being subjected to his germs!

Hope you manage some sleep... I am shower bound.

This morning:

Dad of ds1 best friend - he's a little under the weather today, he was ill over the weekend.

Me - oh, what was wrong

Dad - he has a bad tummy, he said it hurt this morning but I think it's just because he had attention on the weekend when he said it hurt.

Me - was he sick?

Dad - yes, last time was Sunday night though so its been over 24hrs and he's eaten well this morning.

Me - oh, poor lad (I didn't say lad btw I said his name).

He's going to infect ds1 isn't he? He's also coming to ours after school tomorrow as I'm looking after him on weds for 5 weeks as a favour for his parents (who are lovely sensible people but I'm still worried its not been a full 48 hrs)

Rang dh who basically said there's nothing we can do if we're going to get it, we're going to get it. Fuck, panic stations are fully manned and I can't see me sleeping for a while.

super big hugs santa im here for you honey!
im sure our school operates a 24hr after been sick not contagious and can return

you must try and take things a day at a time,a hour, a minute if necessary

you are careful with handwashing etc,thats the most important tool you have in prevention

by tomorrow he should be well clear even though i admit i would still be struggling

im assuming this boys family dont know of your "predicament"?

in our news,dcs still exhausted and complianing legs hurt so assume dp got their bugso least unlikely they are going to drop again

has heightened my fear for myself though

Oh my God zoo I've just read the whole thread and it sounds like you have been through all of our ultimate worst nightmares, you poor poor thing. I couldnt stand that. I only have 1 ds and due to this phobia thats the way it will stay. I simply couldnt go through this with more than one!

When ds was being sick the other week I kept my distance and used loads of bleach but I still got it, probably because I kissed his head a few times. He looked so small and sad and my maternal instinct to protect him and look after him was so strong, but then so was the fear. Emetophobia is so cruel, because you so want to be there for your dc's but you just cant!

When I got it myself my body went into survival mode I suppose, I just kept focused and kept telling myself "in 6 hrs this will be over" (you feel bad for 24 hrs but the actual symptoms only lasted 6 hrs in most ppl) and somehow I got through it.

I hate that its the main article on this site! It shouldnt be, theres lots of people like us freaked out by it.

Hope you all have a peaceful, emet free day :)

I'm really surprised how many there are of us...

Hi Brandy waves

Yeah theres loads of ppl with this phobia, my therapist says its one of the top 5 phobias, but you don't 'know' a lot of ppl on the outside with it cos I suppose ppl are ashamed by it? Only my family and closest friends know, I dont tell ppl cos I feel ashamed and stupid.

at 'predicament', I like that way of putting it, zoo. Have you heard how dp is today?

Still dropping like flies at ds's school. The deep clean has clearly not done much. Hardly surprising given how many people seem to be ignoring the 48 hr rule

Not sure how much longer I can live like this for. When I stress I loose weight and am already quite small. Which just worries me even more with this bug, I have no reserves to keep me going.

Well done Vichy for getting through it so well. V inspirational!

Vichy? Sorry, Vicky

Thank you zoo because I know its up to 36 hrs incubation I will be on edge until at least Friday. I'm good with my own hand washing but will be on top of ds1.

A big part of it for me is people not being sick or diarrheaing where they should (accidents and likewise). I also panic we are all going to get it at the same time and we only have one toilet. Sick can go in buckets I know but what if its both ends? I drive myself mad going over and over it in my head.

vicki its taken me very many years to start being a bit more honest about how i am,but i pick who i tell.sometimes i get it wrong and people-ive had a few never speak to me again.initally i was hurt but had to develop a thicker skin!

zoned i am a size 8 and i dont eat/loose weight when im very stressed.the weights falling off me

im going to have to try and force in a ginger biscuit or something similiar today as i havent eaten since lunchtime sunday and am starting to wobble a bit!

its very hard "living on your nerves" being on such high alert is very draining/exhausting and you just get to that place where you wonder how much longer can i do this,but somehow we plod on.i guess we are all a lot stronger than we give ourselves credit for!

I started the 4:3 diet today as I'm trying to lose my baby weight, luckily today is a fast day so I have an excuse not to eat .

not heard of that one!

im one those infuriatingpeople who drop a sprog and slide back into jeans in 6 weeks

i bf them all and i guess i have a lot nervous energy

it works against me when im stressed though-when ds was born i had an ec sectthen he was a difficult poorly baby.i dropped to size 6there are only 2 photos in exsistance of that time and i look like a skeleton in clothes!!

befoe i had dcs i was an ample size 14!

Thanks :) it all passed in a blur..

santas (and I apologise if this is gross) don't worry about mess too much.. I was (sorry tmi) ill at both ends at the same time and I just sat on the loo with a bowl. Its the only thing you can do. I didnt make any mess at all. I hope that helps a bit

you are amazing vicky i cant imagine ever being able to rationalize it like you have

like ive already said,rather slice throat than deal with that

Hi zoo hope,things are calming down for you.
My dc had a sick bug 3/4 weeks ago.
Dh and I both cleaned up sick, I had them in bed with me and held the sick bowls etc.
we didn't get ill, although I did get diahorrea and felt dreadful for days.
Do try and eat...carbs are good or eggs.