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!

Are they ones your DD plays with Ineedapoo? Its such a scary time of year isn't it? Nellys stats are good - not every child will get it and the ratios are about right.

DS freaked me out again earlier. Started complaining of tummy ache and said I wasn't allowed to clean his teeth as he had to do it instead. Last time he was sick it happenned when I was helping him reach his back teeth so of course I put two and two together and made 5 million. He seems ok for now and I am hoping it was the plums he ate earlier that caused the bellyache.

Notalone - I'd have put the same two and two together and would have made the same five million!
But I'm sure you're right about the plums - they are renowned for causing tummy ache. Plus it's also possible that his tummy does ache just because he's generally under the weather. Whatever it is, it can't be norovirus (sudden onset, she keeps obsessively reminding herself...). Good luck!

Hello ladies, I know only too well that dreadful feeling that you get in the pit of your stomach when your dc says those awful words 'I've got a tummy ache'. Whenever I hear that I want to drop everything and run away. It honestly puts the fear of god in me!

It is so tempting to lock the doors and all stay at home this time of year. I have washed my hands so much lately that they are like sandpaper.

My dcs are not really old enough to pick up on my funny little ways. My dh says that if you stand still long enough in our house I would ant-bac you!

I hope you all have a peaceful night. I hope this thread continues because reading it makes me laugh, cry and assures me that I am not insane. I thought I was alone with my phobia until I joined MN. Thank you x

Thanks for your words. DD plays with one of the girls not the other 2 fingers crossed 2 days till half term

Hello funnybunny! I'm sure this thread will continue - not least when one of us is in particular need of support. I have found it a godsend, and can't believe I didn't think of mumsnet sooner!!

If my dcs say they have tummy ache, my immediate reaction is to say "no you don't". I suppose my emetophobic inner self thinks that it will go away if I tell it to!! It never works, though.

DS has gone on a school trip today by coach. I immediately had a panic about a child getting travel sick, then remembered that it really isn't my school trip to get panicky about. I did not say anything to DS (like: ask everyone in your class if they get travel sick, and avoid all those who do!!), which is another minor triumph for me.

Oh god my ds has just swallowed a sweet whole and started choking, like he was going to be sick. I grabbed him and went straight to the bathroom, hit him on the back to which the sweet immediately reappeared. Fortunately the massive dinner he has just eaten stayed down. He came very close to v! It'll take me hours to calm down. DS is running around like nothing happened - typical. only 3 hours or so till their bedtime.

Nelly, I hope the school trip passed without incident. You've jut made me think back to my first school trip at primary school. 2 hours on a coach with all those children half of whom were travel sick. Nasty!

Oh, poor funnybunny. Thank goodness it didn't actually happen, and that he's okay.

DD went very funny this afternoon - she went all listless and lay on the floor saying she was ill. I immediately asked her 'what kind of ill?', and she said she didn't know, but that it hurt in her throat when she did a big burp. Cue panic mode!!!

I suppose a normal person might think she had a sore throat, but she had that terrible and terrifying look about her to my mind.

I have kept a close eye on her ever since. She did eat her tea (though nearly choked on her juice, which gave me another panic attack), and seems cheerful now, so maybe it's just one of those passing things. I am trying to convince myself of it, anyway!

Only one day to go until half term!!!!!

Nelly and funny bunny hope you are ok. Another 1 of in dd class today so 4 out of 17 have it i presume. ! day to half term

Fine, thanks, needapoo. DD her normal perky self!
To look on the optimistic side, it's possible that the fourth member of your dd's class is just skiving, it being nearly half term...!!
Fingers crossed that we all have a sickness-free half term week!

No sent home by school nice sunny day here so feeling more cheerful

Welcome Funnybunny - you are definitely in the right place for some support here. How scary with your Ds - that is my worst nightmare, even worse than V.

Nelly - that would have sent me into panic mode too re your DD. I always say "What kind of ill?" too and if it is a tummy ache I always ask what sort of tummy ache. DS always says "not a sick one mummy" so he must know how I feel and I really wish he didn't. Am scared he will be posting on mymumwasafreaknet or something in 15 years time saying how I was really bad about V and messed him up as a result.

Are we all on half term next week then? A friends DC's in Brighton are not on half term until the week after.

Fingers crossed all the germs will go over half term!

My 18 mth old had a bad night, (seemed fine this morning though). Took him swimming earlier and afterwards he just flopped onto the floor, barely able to keep his eyes open - he's never done that before.

I know one of the first symptoms of this virus is extreme tiredness, so cue lots of obsessive worrying from me. Of couse, he's probably just knackered from swimming and lack of sleep! I keep feeling his forehead for the slightest sign of a fever.

Oh god, someone knock some sense into me. DS awoke from his nap totally lethargic with a raging fever. After a rushed trip to the GP he's been diagnosed with a VIRUS. Bloody hell, what kind of virus?

I'm clinging on to the hope that as he was sickening for this yesterday, surely he would have been sick by now? (he did eat a bit this evening).

I'm sure you're right, annoyingdevil. My (unfortunate) experience of my dcs and sicky bugs is that they do appear from pretty much nowhere. It sounds like one of those fever things that littlies unaccountably come down with. My DS had a 'virus' with extreme tiredness, high temp etc for his fourth birthday. He had it for about four days, each day of which had me in a complete and utter panic - but he was not sick, despite not eating for the whole time he was poorly (which made me panic all the more!!) I do hope your ds is feeling better tomorrow!

Notalone - I did laugh at your mymumwasafreaknet (in fact, I'm laughing again now). My dcs will both be posting on it!!!

Annoyingdevil - these freak temps are strange. The smaller your DC's are the more likely they are to have them too (and not to be able to relay what symptoms they have). My Ds used to get loads of them too so am sure it is literally just a temp. I think noro starts with V really suddenly so if it was that, fingers crossed you would know by now. Let us all know how he is when you get the opportunity.

Nelly - it does help to inject some humour into this whole panic . I just hope my "premonition" doesn't really come true!

Thanks for the support ladies. It does seem to be one of those unidentifiable viruses. He's a bit better this morning, eating ok, although still not himself. But no vomiting -phew.

His sister also nearly gave me a heart attack last night - screaming for me at around 11pm. Apparently the 'big bad wolf' was in her bed. Oh dear, I knew I shouldn't read her 'The 3 little pigs' just before bed.

I'm just so relieved neither of them were sick.

Hope everyone else is managing to stay bug-free!

That is good news, annoyingdevil. My DS went in for those sudden, inexplicable high temp viruses when he was younger. He was once sick with one when he was very little -but I blame my DH for that. The GP told DH not to give DS excessive amounts of fluid, as children can't digest large amounts of fluid in one go when they have very high temperatures, and it can make them sick. DH duly gave DS three full cups of juice ("to cool him down"), which proved the GP's point. I have not yet forgiven DH - and this was about five years ago!!!!!

Oh that's very interesting Nelly. Maybe that explains why dd was so sick last time she had the dreaded 'V' bug. I gave her too much water! From now on I will ensure they only have little sips of fluid when they have a fever.

DS currently throwing raisins around the room - guess he's feeling a bit better!

Raisin-throwing is good! V glad to hear it.

I'm v peeved now as noro is back on the cover of the Telegraph today. Apparently 5 million people have had it so far - according to my rubbish Maths, that means one in ten of the population. I now feel very gloomy. If we know 100 people, ten of them will have noro!

When do we have to worry less? Is it April or May when the 'season' ends?! (Not that it will stop me worrying generally about them being sick - but it will be nice not to be in mid-noro-season-panic!)

Oh Belgian can you be honest say as dnephew isn't well you don't want dd to catch it as you have so and so planned this week

i suppose another idea would be to suggest you meet up in park etc for a picnic

Oh, bb ... what a horrible dilemma. I don't know what I would do in your position. Politeness (and general enjoyment of family events) would make me feel as if I had no alternative but to go - but an equally big part of me would be desperate to stay away at all costs. I'd probably end up in tears, saying we couldn't go, with DH being cross with me for letting my phobia affect all our lives - and then I'd end up going because I'd feel too guilty not to (and I'd have a hideously panicky time of it). Oh the joyous life of an emetophobe!!

To be more rational (ho ho), it's possible that your dnephew's sickness was just one of those one-off things, and that he's been fine for the rest of the day. If that's the case, and he's okay tonight, I'd probably opt for crossing my fingers, going for Sunday roast, and hoping for the best. But I do think that if he's sick again today, you would have a reasonable case - even by 'normal' standards - for opting out of a get-together. If either of my dcs were sick, I'd certainly be warning people that they'd be better off steering clear of us, so it's possible that your relatives will do the same if he's sick again - even if people aren't phobic, I can't imagine they'd want to put others at risk of bugs!