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Original poster

emetophobes, it's that time of year :(

505 replies

devilinside · 07/10/2013 09:31

First bucket sighting at school this morning. My sister had norovirus last week after attending a party where some selfish buggers thought it was acceptable to bring along a vomiting toddler. Most of the other guests got the bug including an elderly man. Feel free to add your rants and worries here.

OP posts:
BeckyBendyLegs · 07/02/2014 08:06

Hello everyone, another stomach bug going around DSs' school. They are dropping like flies again. I was there yesterday in reception to pick up DS2 for the dentist, sat next to an abandoned sick bucket :(

So I've spent the last 3 or 4 days with my stomach in knots, waking all through the night at the slightest sound. I hate this. I would have hoped that the fact that we all had one in November (and I survived without being sick) means I'd be a bit more relaxed this time around but if anything I feel much more anxious.

BeckyBendyLegs · 07/02/2014 08:09

Marne I've just read your post about immunity and that is really interesting. Mine generally tend to get a bug once every two years (as do I) but I have friends whose children (and the parents also) get sickness bugs up to 3-4 times a year. DS2's best friend is always one of the first to get it and I think this year (since Sept) he's had three now and he's always sick constantly for hours. My DSs tend to be sick no more than about 3 times, often just the once. DH is always just sick once. So perhaps (she says hopefully) we have good immune systems.

Twighlightsparkle · 07/02/2014 09:25

I read somewhere that no reovirus ( I think the article was specifically about norovirus) affects people differently depending on their blood type.

I'm not sure how that works, but I work with someone who in 13 years I've known her ( we work with kids in hospital) has never had a vomiting bug, she says she was a teenager the last time she vomited.

Original poster
devilinside · 07/02/2014 10:21

Hope everyone is ok. DS was off yesterday, feeling sick and slight temperature, but that was it, no v'ing. Nightmare time of year, a few worrying facebook posts are appearing. Roll on half term when I can hibernate and not worry about bugs for a whole week. I know it's going around at school

OP posts:
Marne · 07/02/2014 13:53

I'm counting down the days to half term so we can shut ourselves away for the week, dd's break up on Thursday so only 4 school days to get through ,doesn't seem to be any bugs at school at the moment other than a bad cold that's doing the rounds. Dh woke up feeling ill this morning but I think it's just man flue, dd2 was coughing this morning and looking pale ( but I can deal with this ).

I think people can build a good I unity to these things, dh has only been sick once since we have been together, he has been married before and had children, apparently when they were younger he always picked up their bugs, I'm thinking maybe he built up immunity as he rarely gets anything ( unlike me), when the dd's are ill it's usually me that gets it. I'm not sure about the blood type thing though, there was so ting I read a while ago suggesting that one blood group may be immune to noro but I don't think this is true.

Newcurtainsplease · 07/02/2014 14:10

I am tapping the wooden table as I write this! I haven't had a sickness bug for over 30 years. The only times I have been sick since I was a child is through alcohol excesses!

Newcurtainsplease · 07/02/2014 14:11

And I am A blood group

Marne · 07/02/2014 17:34

I'm A negative, and have had a couple of bugs since having the dd's but went through high school without catching anything.

Twighlightsparkle · 07/02/2014 20:19

I'm A+ and tend to catch them, and always have . Probably bad hand washing as a child and now close proximity to children!

Marne · 07/02/2014 21:11

Twighlight, I never washed my hands as a child, was quite a dirty child, was rarely sick ( just the odd bug ), there never seemed to be many bugs around ( not like now ). I think I have been sick more times as a parent than as a child.

Original poster
devilinside · 08/02/2014 15:57

I don't think there were that many bugs around when we were young, firstly there wasn't the emphasis on needing constant entertainment, soft play, toddler groups etc., and then endless parties and playdates, it just creates an opportunity for norovirus to spread.

Every single bug my DC have caught has been after soft play, after a party or after a playdate with a child who has D (and been told by the parents that it was a dairy allergy or they were no longer contagious) The reason it's rife is because most people don't give a damn about spreading it

OP posts:
Twighlightsparkle · 08/02/2014 23:13

I agree it's a lot to do with attitude. People don't care for others so much nowadays. Parents having difficulty taking time off work too.

The bug my 5 year old had this week was contracted at a party. She was due to go to me today, she had forgotten and so I didn't take her, just can't do it!

BeckyBendyLegs · 09/02/2014 09:38

Aghhh I've been struck down with the bug. It happened Friday night. I had horrible diarrhea and felt like being sick all night but wasn't (through sheer will probably). Then Saturday morning DH had a piece of chocolate and as a reaction to the sound of him chomping I come the closest to being sick since I was 16 but nothing in my stomach so I was ok. But now I'm here to tell the tale on the other side, with just that horrible taste of sulphur in my mouth left over. I guess I should be thankful that I can get a bug and not be sick. I can only think I picked it up when I picked up DS2 from school for the dentist. So far everyone else is ok although DS2 didn't eat anything yesterday and said he felt sick (rushing to the loo but nothing happening). He says he has a funny taste today so perhaps he had it really, really mildly.

Marne · 09/02/2014 10:34

Glad you were not sick Becky ,I have had a few bugs without being sick ( but felt very sick), last year dd1 had a bug and was not sick ( just wretched) ,I think our phobias often rub off on our kids and then they try so hard not to be sick.

Twighlightsparkle · 09/02/2014 11:47

Last time I had one I took not mot ilium defiantly helped.

Glad you survived xxxxx

Marne · 09/02/2014 12:37

Me too Twighlight, I love my motilium Smile makes me feel a little less anxious knowing theres something I can take that will help.

ephemeralfairy · 10/02/2014 14:24

Glad everyone is surviving! I had a bad night, we had baked chicken legs last night for dinner and I convinced myself that mine was undercooked and I was going to get food poisoning and end up vomiting. I was absolutely fine but I barely slept through worrying. The constant anxiety and intrusive thoughts are exhausting. Sad

DP thinks I'm worse with it when stressed about other things, we are moving in a few weeks and I'm having a lot of problems with my relationship with my mum (whole other thread...!). I'm not sure, I am bad at the moment but put it down to it being winter, plus we have been viewing flats and so I've been in contact with lots of different people.

what do you think?

BeckyBendyLegs · 10/02/2014 14:37

ephemeralfairy I know how horrid that feels. I remember DH cooking a chicken and I was convinced it was undercooked. I refused to eat it and he ate it instead and I spent the whole night worrying about him! (I also worry about everyone else vomiting.)

I think stress does make phobias worse. Winter of course makes this particular one worse.

I'm still not well. I'm eating though. Food is just going straight through me :(.

justmuddlingalongsomehow · 10/02/2014 23:42

Becky that sounds horrible but you've coped amazingly!!!! xx

BeckyBendyLegs · 12/02/2014 20:32

justmuddling thank you. I just wish each time I came close it would help with the next time. But I feel panicky again, not about me catching anything but about DH. He has it now and he wants to take a bucket to bed. He cannot see why that is anxiety city for me. I can just about cope with children being sick (due to necessity) but the thought of a grownup being sick in the same room as me, in the middle of the night, terrifies me. He doesn't get it. He keeps on going about 'but its practical in case I don't make it to the toilet'. I feel sick with nerves now about going to bed. Thing is, he probably won't be sick, he hasn't yet. But he doesn't get my phobia about this. He totally gets my fear of catching something but not my fear of being close to sickness.

Marne · 13/02/2014 08:08

Hope you had a ok night Becky, if it was my dh I think I would have slept downstairs or made him sleep downstairs. Hope he is feeling better and wasn't sick xxxx

Triliteral · 14/02/2014 08:09

Wow, just found this thread. justmuddling, your Christmas nightmare drew a few tears from me. Becky, I HATE when my husband needs a bucket in the bedroom. Hope you managed to get through. The whole thread just resonates with me. One of the great things about living in Norway... no Christmas parties in the last week of term. That used to drive me mad and I could never understand why they couldn't have them a week earlier.

Definitely better now they're older. 16, 14 and 9. 9 year old is also emetophobic (for which I feel horribly guilty) but there is a good side because he avoids public toilets (including those at school) religiously and he is very good about washing his hands.

Anyway, just... well this is a lovely supportive thread and I wanted to join in.

BeckyBendyLegs · 14/02/2014 13:12

Hello DH was fine, he wasn't sick at all so all good. Now I feel so much more relaxed, for a while at least! I did say to DH I'd sleep in DS1's bed (he has a double) but I didn't need to in the end.

DS3 yet again got away with not catching the bug. That boy is an enigma. Touch wood but he's never had a stomach bug and he's 4 years old. How is that even possible?

YoureAllABunchOfBastards · 15/02/2014 08:07

DS2 was sick several times last night. I can just about bring myself to hold the bucket but it nearly finished me off - had to get DH to take over.

He has just appeared and asked for breakfast. Oh God, please no more sick.

justmuddlingalongsomehow · 15/02/2014 09:28

Oh you poor thing - I wouldn't give him breakfast yet... maybe try some water first and see if it stays down. Glad he managed a bucket. Is DH still with you?