Emetophobia - terrified of this sickness bug

[nellyraggbagg]

This sounds so stupid, but I'm completely terrified of the children (not to mention DH and me) catching this Norovirus that's doing the rounds. I've been emetophobic for as long as I can remember, and it has become even worse since having children. Every time they open their mouths, I'm terrified they're going to say they feel sick. When I go to bed at night, my last waking thought is: "Oh my God, what if they're sick in the night?" My DH is working away a lot at the moment, which makes matters even worse (he is good at dealing with sick, thank goodness!!) I have dealt with both children being sick (I have found that manic cleaning helps very slightly to take my mind off the blind panic), but am rigid with fear following newspaper reports of this current bug. How will I pick DS up from school if DD and/or I get it? My Mum is miles away, unfortunately. And what if DH gets it? I don't know how I'd cope if he were sick. Please, please help, someone - even if just by saying that I'm not the only person who feels like this!

Oh, notalone ... no, I'm afraid it hasn't. In fact, I walked up the path behind two mums today who were comparing recent multiple v-ing episodes, and cheerily talking about the 'epidemic'. Oh fab. I can't really see how we're going to avoid it. Only two weeks to go until half term!! I think we'll be spending it outdoors...

I hope your DS is feeling better soon. My DD sent me into panic mode by complaining of tummy ache, but seems fine now (touch wood!)

Saw a friend yesterday who said her DS (aged 6) told her he'd thrown up on Saturday, though it had all passed her by. How can a six-year-old child (and his mother) be so laid back about it all when I'm such a nervous wreck?!

I know Nelly! How people can be so blase about it is beyond me. I so wish I could be like that. DS proudly told me his best girlfriend whom he played with today at school had the tummy bug this afternoon. Cue sheer panic until I realised she was there this morning and also at after school music club looking quite perky so I doubt she really has it. Have any of the kids in your Ds's class had it yet Nelly?

Well, that really must have given you a scare, notalone! Maybe she meant she had it at Christmas or something - in which case she'd be a good person for him to play with, as she probably won't get it again this winter!!

Nobody in my DS's class has had it - yet. I fear it's only a matter of time, though, not least as so many of them have siblings in other classes. I heard today that one of his friends in Reception has just had it, which made me nervous... I do wish I could be more laid back about it all!

Thanks for the reassurance Nelly. I will be hoping and praying familyraggbagg don't get it too.

Actually, just remembered a really important question I need to ask. Do any of you have trouble burping? It sounds a bit odd but there was an emet thread about 2 years ago now and the common denonimator seemed to be that many of us couldn't burp. I have never been able to burp and only do when I am sick. I have used this in my explanation to DP as to why I am so scared of being sick. Most people are used to the feeling of burping whereas with me the feeling is totally alien. Combine this with V and it is hell for me. Is anyone else in the non burping club too?

I can burp (though of course never do, being very ladylike... ). On the whole, burping doesn't bother me - probably because my Dad was a great and very cheerful burper, so we always saw it as a joke. DS has a good line in manufactured burps as well, sadly enough - which, of course, DD is starting to copy. Oh joy!

I do clearly remember a friend's child doing a huge burp of the type that mine used to do when they were about to regurgitate milk as babies, though. I got all hot and bothered, but it turned out not to signify anything.

The baby-milk thing reminds me that I was never bothered about them bringing milk up (and DS had reflux and used to bring up pretty much all of every feed). Why's that so different from 'proper' sick in my strange little mind?

BB - your comments on avoidance and rituals are interesting. I can see how that would work (I could easily get in a stew and decide we were all going to be sick because I had done hand-creaming and tooth-brushing in the wrong order or something, if I put my mind to it!!) At the moment, I'm going for regular hand-washing as the best defence...

PS I was v proud of myself today. DD fell over in DS's school playground, and we went to the office to get her cleaned up. And I resisted the (enormous) temptation to ask the lady in the first-aid room how many children were off with noro!!!!! This is a minor miracle!!!!! (Or maybe I was too scared of the answer?!)

Oh poo. A girl in DS's class felt sick today, though it apparently came to nothing. DS says he moved to sit a long way away from her. Now I feel doubly bad: not only am I so hopeless about sick myself, but I think I'm guilty of giving him a phobia, too...

Oh no Nelly - maybe it will be the same as DS's friend who had a tummy bug yesterday yet was in school all day and after school music club too. My Ds is the same . On the way home from school he proudly told me when we get home we would do his spellings and reading but first we needed to go to the sink to wash the germs off his hands. I feel terrible that he even thinks like this at 6 but on the other hand I can't not get him to wash his hands either.

BB - can you not burp or choose not to burp. Again an odd question but with me I just physically can't.

Hello all!
Does our silence mean that we have - thus far - managed to avoid The Unspeakable?! If so, long may it continue!! xx

Good to hear from you, bb!!

Glad all is ok in the bb household, despite your school nursery being stricken. One of DS's friends was off today, so I am thanking my lucky stars that he must have become ill over the weekend. I just hope he stays off for 48 hours...

I'd also been wondering about zonedout as I trundled round Sainsbury's this evening!! I hope her trip went well.

Nearly half term. Yippee!!

Hi nelly and BB is your half term next week ? I am really looking forward to it.
BB keep washing those hands. I am panicking today as ds touched a lizard at nursery today. The animal man came in. I have just realised reptiles carry salmonella and he is a thumb sucker so may have sucked before he washed IYSWIM. Oh I hate this phobia

Hello People

Yes all clear here too so far thank god (hope I haven't jinxed it now by saying that)Looking forward to half term as this gives a week for the germs to disappear. Is also my last school holiday with DS as am going back to FT work soon

Zonedout - come back to us! We have been wondering about you and how your trip to SA was

Hi all - we're all clear here. DD hasn't had a sicky bug since October! Seems to good to be true, surely our luck will run out soon! I'm counting down the days until spring

Aaarrgghh - Knew I shouldn't have posted! DS has come home from school all pale saying he has a headache and feels dizzy. While I was waiting to pick him up another mum was saying she is amazed at how many D & V bugs there have been and how there are loads of them all over the school at the moment. Bloody bloody hell.

Oh, notalone... I hope he's feeling better after a good night's sleep.
DS informs me that one of his friends' mothers has got noro. Eek.

Well Ds has had calprofen, a glass of milk, a biscuit and insisted a calippo would be the only thing to make him cool down and feel better. He is now a lot more perky so fingers crossed he is ok. Think noro comes on suddenly so fingers crossed

How close is this friend to your DS Nelly? Could it be likely your Ds has got it wrong? DS insisted his friend had a tummy bug when she was in school all day a few weeks ago, it turns out she had mentioned she had a slight tummy ache and DS took that to mean that she had a tummy bug. If I hadn't seen the friend in school woth my own eyes I would have been v worried though as Ds was quite sure she definitely had one

Sadly, her symptom is violent sickness. Bummer!!
As there are only 10 children in DS's class, they are all rather forced into one another's company. Double bummer!
Good news about the Calippo - it doesn't sound like noro. There are lots of throaty-headachey-things going round as DS's school as well, so with a bit of luck (if you see what I mean) your DS will have one of those!

Eeeek. Well it could be something she has eaten or due to an earache or perhaps she is just one of those people who V's a lot. Luckily DS isn't which is why I worry so much when he is cos it means it is something nasty he has. I have a friend who V's roughly every 6 months yet no-one else around her catches it. Do you know if any of the rest of the family have it? In DS's class the mother (a TA) of one of his classmates had it as did the brother of another and so far these kids have not had it themselves. Will keep everything crossed for you!

Oh notalone fingers crossed for you

Thanks for all your wishes of good luck. DS is still poorly but it doesn't seem to be a sicky one

How is everyone else today?

We are OK but 3 out of 17 in DD class are off with sickness (one sent home yesterday)

ineedapoo... that is very unfortunate. This is when I try to tell myself that, statistically, this means that your DD's class has now had its dose and so she won't be affected!!
Glad your DS hasn't got a tummy bug, notalone. Hope he's feeling better soon!