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

It's my new thing lol only have about 4 sips but its helped me twice so far when ma ds and dp were ill at the weekend I got my self that worked up my stomach was in agony and by dp gave me some whiskey then last night :)

But the thing is, I know my 'non vomiting' won't last forever and in a funny way, I think if I HAD been sick at some point, it might help me to cope with it. It's the fear of the unknown.

I too have this phobia :( its so awful to be so scared all the time. Mine started badly last year when my partner and both children caught norovirus i was very lucky and escaped it. My little boy was sick last night and now i feel like im waiting to get it. Im feeling sick from being so anxious. My friend recommended motilium of which i have now got and am taking however not sure how well they would work against a sickness bug. im going to doc on monday to see if i can get any help

dancer - I know what you mean, I went for over 10 yrs without vomiting & when I did it wasn't from a bug but from a virus that damaged my inner ear, it took another 3 yrs for a bug to make me sick. When I was sick from a bug to be honest it wasn't that bad, I didnt have the worry that time or the work up as it struck suddenly & an hour later was sick. Ironically the fact that it wasn't that bad hasnt helped me as now my bigger fear is that as it struck suddenly I could be taken ill away from home so its just added another worry!

Had a bad night with dd2 and her coughing, thought she was going to be sick as she was coughing non-stop, was so anxious and tried everything to help her stop coughing, she took 3 hours to go to sleep ut then she slept through until 6am and has woken a lot better (coughing less and cough isn't as dry). I now feel poorly, partly from have dd's cold and partly because i have to go to the school christmas fair in a minute (i couldn't get out of it as dd1 wanted to go), i'm going to try and make my exscuses and leave early (as dd2 is still poorly). Why did i say i would help? i dont even like other peoples children (mine are hard enough) .

I have had norovitrus a couple times and TBH its the anxiety before that is the worst, when i get it i'm only sick a couple times (sometimes only once) probably because it takes a lot to make me sick, it was'nt very nice but once its over the anxiety goes. I will still do anything i can to make sure it doesn't happen though. Would much rather have a bad cold for the year than have noro for 1 day .

Sending you all possitive non-illness vibes xxxx

Marne sending you a anti-viral bubble for the fair. Hope your ok and manage to get away quick enough. Hope your dd2 gets better soon. Xxx

Hi all, had a very stressful night. DS has had stomach ache and been off his food for two days, last night he went and got himself a sick bowl (he has asd and doesn't communicate that well!)

I went into a panic and sat on the sofa until the small hours, finally went up to bed, he wasn't sick in the end, and seems better this morning

I'm home, stayed for 2 hours, a couple of kids looked a bit pale with sunken eyes so i kept my distance , now going to have a bath (have washed my hands several times already).

Devil- glad he was ok and well done him for getting the bowl xx

No more sick in our house DS had a bit of diarrhoea though. He seems well in himself today. No one else ill yet

Can I butt in too pls I am an emet too been suffering for 24 yrs have 2 dc and struggling at the moment :( xx

Finley'smommy. It's a horrible phobia. Winters always the worst

I am feeling very low at the moment my lo goes to his little nursery 2 mornings per week no cases going round that I know of but I just don't want to send him I feel such a crap mother :(

I know the feeling I'd homeschool if I could

oh and me :( xx

I'm joining too, if that's ok.

I've been an emet for as long as I can remember.

I've spent the entire evening reading this thread. Most of it I can empathise with, but some of it I'm at, in a totally non-judgey way. It shows me that my own phobia is far less severe than it could be...

Hope everyone had a good evening, dd2 woke at 1am with a high temp and fast breathing, i had her in bed with me but she decided she wanted to get up, luckily dh got up with her but i could not sleep as was worried she would be sick, luckily she wasnt. I think she might have a slight chest infection from this nasty cough , she's now fast asleep with dh and i'm up with dd1. I hope when she wakes up she will feel a bit better. Am worried as she has stoped drinking and i dont want to end up having to take her to the doctors or hospital (as i dont want to be around sick people).

my ds is complaining with a poorly tummy (he's 3) but I think he may just need to poop as he always complains for a bit before, getting harder and harder to deal with normal life with this phobia I hate it and I hate the person it's made me :( Marne hope youre lo is ok xx

Just to let you know, ds1 age 4 would always complain his tummy hurts which would send me loopy. I called his bluff and took him to the dr end of August and the dr asked where it hurts and I told him ds always points to his belly button. Apparently drs like that as it means there is nothing wrong and the children are looking for attention so ask where it hurts and if its the belly button (not actually near the stomach) then try not to panic.

I'll remember that for future thank you, he has pooped now and he's fine, xx

that's good to know!

DD is now pale and complaining of tummy ache, hoping it's the same 'non-vomiting' bug that DS just had. She's eating small amounts which is a good sign

I'm pleased & saddened thats there is so many of us on here. Pleased as it means I'm not alone but also saddened as it really is a horrible fear & I find it takes over everything this time of year.
Santa's hug - Yes tummy ache in children in the belly button isn't anything tummy related as such (or so I was told) My dd has a post viral illness & yummy ache is one of her common complaints & we were told it usually means the child is generally unwell rather than tummy or bowel related.

I am shocked too at how common the phobia is its scary as I would love to get rid but I worry that it makes me who I am as I've had it since I was 6 can't really get my head round it? I am at the stage now when I am saying 'come on god give me your worst bug that u can' I'm so done feeling like this

Ds1 was moaning in his sleep when I checked on him before I went to bed so of course I now can't sleep just in case it's because he's ill. Just read a noro bloody thread too. So fed up of feeling like this.

Awww Santa why do we do it to ourselves? the worst thing we can do is keep reading up about it, both my ds always do that in their sleep but it scares me too big hugs xxxx

Hi all, have been reading and lurking over the week end. I love this thread and am thankful for people understanding me but also I'm finding it quite hard to be on when I already feel really anxious IYKWIM (that isn't a moan, just saying why I haven't posted). Hope everyone is OK. I'm back to the GP this morning having seen her a week or so ago re: emet. She was going to look into what she is able to refer me to so fingers crossed for me. I'm struggling so much at the minute - there is a tummy bug (which people are apparently concerned it's noro) at work (I work at a school) and I've been barely functioning the past couple of weeks - shaking when at work from anxiety and then at home I'm so shattered from all the energy used up from worrying. My hands are in such a state from all the hand washing and I've spent the past 2 week ends with horrible nasty IBS tummy pain from all the stress of worrying all week .