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!

oooh, I had lamb curry from the takeaway last night. Daren't order chicken or prawns, but lamb's a bit safer, is it not? (saying that, I got food poisoning from lamb curry when I lived abroad!)

Yes Dalex, got a lovely image of you now in the garden retching in your pants! Am picturing some lacy fuller knicker type things? is that you? Hehe! x

Wiggleit - I am another one who would rather die than be sick. Didn't want to post this due to some of the other threads on here, particularly the Health section, but if I ever got cancer I honestly belieive I would refuse chemo due to the fact that it can cause sicknness. I also sleep with anti emets next to the bed. Which ones do you have? Mine are Stemetil. Thanks for the good luck vibes for Monday xx

Annoyingdevil - so glad you re all ok. DP confessed this morning he had spent most of the night feeling sick with a dodgy belly. and today he has had D, I hope it is just that and that V is not to come. Thank god DS was in my bed last night and not DP(who sulked when he saw Ds in bed and slept in DS's bed).

Dalex - I also have the image of you in the garden in your pants bless ya! Unlike wiggleit though my imagination involves the pristine functional white variety lol. Which one of us is right then lol Was it the tikka masala that actually made you sick or was it the thought of it? For the record I also stuck to veggie dishes when I can and never get prawns or chicken as a takeaway. Do you think your emet could come from that incident in school? Apparently most phobias originate from incidents in childhood so this may well be your particular trigger.

BB - hope your weekend away is going well. Where did you go?

Hi all, just popping on to see whats happening with everyone, got an hour to myself! Bliss!!

Notalone, yes my anti-emets are stemetil too. Don't take them unless i have to because they make me sleepy. But they are good don't you think? I have the same sentiments as you regarding cancer. I couldn't imagine myself being able to have chemo. I dread anything like that happening to me. I know it's a sensitive subject as you say and people out there who haven't got this phobia will just think we're nuts... well i know i am! But i do know how awful it is to be affected by cancer as do probably loads of people on here. I lost my Mum to cancer when i was 23yrs old. I used to feel terrible at having to run out the room when Mum vomited but luckily she understood. Once while visiting her in hospital someone in the next bed to Mum started vomiting and i was out of there like a shot and couldn't face going back in. Felt so bad about it. I beat myself up about a lot of things to do with her illness but it was all down to this phobia. Just wish i'd been there for her more, but just couldn't do it, was paralysed by fear. Awful isn't it?

Anyway how is DP? Hope it's just d. Could it be something he ate? Thinking of you. Sending good chi your way!

Good luck with going full-time tomorrow! xx

Hey Wiggleit. An hour to yourself is pure bliss! Sory to have brought up the C word. I was in two minds as to whether to post that or not. Easier said than done but please try not to beat yourself up over your mum and V. You were not running away out of selfishness, you were scared and that is what people do when they are scared. Your mum would have known more than anyone else why you did it. This phobia is so bloody debilitating isn't it? I get freaked out on long car journeys on motorways as I always think if I am going to V then I can't get out of the car. Am strangely ok on public transport though, even coaches on motorways. How random is that? Have you found that Stemetil works? I have taken it on a few occasions, once according to DP when I felt sick I went completely white but after I took these I was not sick. I also drunk too much alcohol on a night out once and took them immediately (I carry them everywhere) and although I felt v v sick I did not V. My GP said they would not work on a bug though which makes me really anxious.

Dp is fine now thanks thank god! He thinks it was caused by a dodgy bacon and egg sandwich from one of those mobile vans he went to when he was at work.

Am counting the hours now until its back to work. I have a lottery ticket that I haven't checked yet though so you never know, I may not need to go to work at all . If I have won I will pay for all us emets on here to go for private CBT then for a big drink afterwards!!! What do you do for work? xx

Notalone, yes i do find that the stemetil work. I always have some on me! Not sure if they would work on a bug or not, i've not asked that question, but my husband googled stemetil a bit back and it said something about how they work and he said it stops the message getting to the brain that you need to be sick, so maybe they would work on a bug? Hope so, that's how i get thru the days knowing i've got my tablets if i need them. I will google them myself and read it. My husband only told me recently that he'd looked them up, he'd got hold of one of my repeat prescription forms and googled all my meds! He must have been bored!
Get that lottery checked anyway girlie, we could do with that big drink if nothing else!!
I work for a house builder. what do you do? xx

Wiggleit - yes I have read that too. I think the brain always controls v so hopefully we would just get the D maybe? Another GP said they may work but its all down to timing and you need to allow time for them to work. Perhaps because we always carry them we may be ok. You are right though, they do make you really groggy. I took some last year at about 4am (4 tablets) and I was that tired on the bus on the way to work that I got straight back on the bus to come home at the interchange. How many do you tend to take?

Well I have checked the lottery ticket and I didn't get one sodding number. I guess its gonna have to be a 4 year wait on the NHS followed by half a lager in the working mans club after hon!!

I am usually a mortgage advisor but there is not much going locally at the moment so I have taken an office job with an energy supplier as a stop gap until I find something else. I have also applied to study OT at uni - I really really want to do it but it means spending whole weeks in hospitals full of germs which will be an erm challenge!! Luckily DP works outside so I shouldn't have to worry too much about him bringing germs into the house. If he were a Dr or something high risk I think I would worry everyday!

Right off to watch Dungeons and Dragons with DS. I used to love it as a kid and Ds seems to too! Wishing you a lovely V and anxiety free evening x

Notalone, it depends how bad i feel as to how many i take, but know what you mean about taking them during the night, it's so hard to function the next day! How brave of you to consider doing something that entails hospitals etc. Very impressed! I hate hospitals, Drs surgeries, anything like that. It may help you confront your fear being in that environment?
I guess we'll have to stick on the waiting list as you haven't won on the lottery. I never get a sniff, not a lucky person where winning stuff concerned. But can i have a G&T rather than half a lager in the wmc? cheers! Don't do lager! Enjoy Dungeons! Have a lovely evening. xx

Aaargh! I am seeking reassurance...
When I took DS to school this morning, we met another school mum and her three children. Her DD2 held my hand all the way in (fortunately, I was wearing gloves). On the way out, I asked if we were taking our DDs to ballet this afternoon as normal (she gives us a lift) - and she said she thought we probably would, but that her DD2 (the one who held my hand!!!) had been sick just before bed last night (she gave me the details, not realising that I have a phobia, which was a bad start to the day). She hadn't been sick again and seemed fine this morning but... I still have various fears!

I am anxious that she has a bug and that we'll all get it by going to ballet with her.

I am anxious that her DD1 will be harbouring it, even if she has no symptoms. She and my DD are hand-holdy, kissy Best Friends, and won't leave one another alone at ballet. Aaaaaargh.

I came straight home, put my gloves in the washing machine and scrubbed my hands, so I'm not too anxious about that. However, it's the DDs-at-ballet that gets me. Plus her DS is in my DS's class, so could also be harbouring a bug-to-be.

This is a bad morning! Any words of reassurance would be appreciated...

Oh Nelly - am so sorry. I have only just found this as I started work today. Am feeling your stress - I know that horrible frightened feeling you will undoubtedly be experiencing. Lets try and figure out what was wrong with her. First how old is she? The younger they are the more likely they are to V for no apparent reason at all. Secondly has she been sick again? If she hasn't it is likely to be something she ate or one of those "just because" v incidents. When your DD gets in make she washes her hands just in case but on this one I feel you should be fine. If it were a bug she would have been sick more than just the once. Let us know how you are when you get the chance.

Wiggelit - of course you can have a G & T. You can eve have a house double if you want .

DS spent his first day with his CM today and he has just informed me he went to the chemist with her after she had picked him up. I HATE chemists for the same reason that I hate Dr's surgeries. Hope you are ok today!

Hello everyone. DD's first day back at school today. Her little friend was sick on the carpet, DD sitting just in front of her, tiny bit of vomit on her skirt!!! FFS!! and also one of my best friends and her daughter have been sick today too. There have been countless incidences like this since September in our lives (although I'm not sure anyone has actually been sick in the classroom before - all the kids were talking about it excitedly, the major news of the day!) and we haven't caught the virus yet, but this is definitely our closest call so my heart is heavy.

Strangely enough I am going to my meeting with the Sec of State for Health tomorrow (see my post of Feb 13th) - its at the Maudsley, Belgian - to back up my therapist and her colleagues in putting forward the case for more CBT in primary health care. Feel like a bit of a fraud right now cos althoughI'm not exactly panicking I do feel doom-laden once again.

Hope everyone else well. If anyone has anything in particular they'd like me to say to Alan Johnson, I'll do my best! Post here with your pertinent points! ...

Daphne - well, you have put my fears into some kind of perspective, for which I am grateful! Good luck tomorrow - it should be an interesting encounter.

Thanks for moral support, notalone. My friend's DD is 2.3; she was very whingey this afternoon, and not her normal happy self - but had not been sick since 11pm yesterday. I did panic when she said she wanted a cup of water, but nothing untoward happened after it. She wanted to sit on my lap, but I made the excuse that I was holding a hot cup of tea. I said to her mum(adopting optimistic tone of voice): "Oh, well at least it doesn't sound like a bug" - to which her mum replied: "Whenever she has sick bugs, she's only sick once". In other words, she might have a bug which she's busily passing on to all and sundry!

I did wash DD's hands as soon as we got home, so am hoping to have minimised our chances of catching anything. We shall see!

Hi everyone.

Notalone - how was work? Hope it went ok.

Daphne - Good luck tomorrow. Let us all know how it goes! Oh dear, the vomit on the skirt thing would freak me out! How are you coping?

Nelly - Sorry you've had such a worrying day. I always get my DD to wash her hands the minute we get in from anywhere, especially school. I'm sure you'll all be fine.

My GP prescribed valium for times of intense stress. Do you think I could take a couple now?

I also bought some acidopholus (sp?) for children today. AIBU to give them some tonight, given current circumstances?

Notalone - I see you went to ballet. Well done! I don't think your daughter's child had much of a bug if she was only sick once. Could have been anything. My DS was sick last week but the bug he had was chest-related not a stomach thing. Maybe she had something like that? I'll hope so (ykwim) anyway!!!

My therapist is now trying to concentrate with me on why I feel I don't really function properly because of emetophobia. Am trying to describe to her examples of how we don't quite live a normal life due to this issue. If anyone else on this thread feels they can post some examples, I will talk about them tomorrow, in an effort to explain how difficult life can be for people in our situation and how any kind of therapy might possibly help ...

Thanks all,

Daph
x

Hi guys, Went back to work today after half term. I hope you are all okay considering what you have been through with various vomits of the day.
As I work in education I might be able to offer you a little reassurance if I can. Little kids v for no reason whatsoever. I sat a nursery kid on my knee in assembly as he wanted his mummy, only for his m to thank me followed by telling me he had spent 3 days in hospital on a drip due ot excessive v!!. I was fine but I did worry. Over 14 yrs, I have learnt to ensure I wash my hands before eating myself and to encourage my kids to do the same in a reasonable fashion. Ch do throw up constantly at work and actually depite the fear that omg I might get it, when you see the anxiety on their faces that they are at school and feeling rough, you have to summon up all your courage and give them a cuddle.
In counselling, I learnt to ask myself, in a week, will this be important? Will a bug kill me? No but nearly
So gald you're all feeling the way I do. Don't feel as daft anymore.

Thanks for the moral support, ladies!
To top off a bad day, I think DH has poisoned himself. When I switched the oven on this evening, I discovered a piece of pizza left over from Saturday night. I put it on the work surface to be thrown away, but was then distracted by the children. When I went back, it was missing. Turns out DH had eaten it, thinking it was left over from the children's tea today... Yes, a manky two-day-old bit of pizza that hadn't been anywhere near a fridge. Another anxious night beckons!

Daphne - the immediate thing that occurs to me is that this phobia affects our lives pretty much across the board. It rules me out of anything involving small children (more's the pity); nursing and doctoring would be an absolute no-no. It affects where I will go on holiday (nothing that involves ferries); it affects what and where I will eat; it even affects of simple things like pressing the button at a zebra crossing. At its worst, it can affect other people, too. It seems that we do all try hard not to let our children suffer as a result of our phobia (I did take DD to ballet because she enjoys it so much - though I'd have preferred not to have taken her, and if my friend's DD had definitely had a sick-bug, I would not have taken her, to my shame). I don't know if that's any help for tomorrow?!

I'd also go for the acidophilus - certainly can't harm them.

BB - looking forward to hearing how it goes!

Nelly - did the pizza have any chicken, fish or meat on it? If not, just plain old cheese/veg or a well preserved meat like pepperoni or bacon - then I'm sure a big strong lad like your DH can take it!

And even if he does get food poisoning, at least none of the rest of you will catch it .

warning, you may wish to avoid reading the following

So yesterday, the unthinkable happened, and I v'd (twice). The mild bug that I thought had gone, turned into something nastier -exacerbated (I think) by too much alcohol on Saturday night

When I woke on Sunday feeling a little nauseous, I wasn't too concerned. I thought it was just the red wine kicking in and that I'd be fine after some breakfast. (baring in mind, that I know exactly how much I can tolerate without being sick.

Then I had to run to the loo a couple of times and started feeling more and more nauseous (I won't go into the details of the actual 'episodes') But I was remarkably calm. DP had to go off to work and I was looking after the DC's on my own.

The dc's have so far not succombed, and I can't believe that DP and myself could both have it, without passing it to them. Still, if they do get it, at least I won't be worrying about myself 'v'ing'. I must be immune by now!

I'm still in a state of shock tbh, will post more when I feel a bit calmer

warning, you may wish to avoid reading the following

So yesterday, the unthinkable happened, and I v'd (twice). The mild bug that I thought had gone, turned into something nastier -exacerbated (I think) by too much alcohol on Saturday night

When I woke on Sunday feeling a little nauseous, I wasn't too concerned. I thought it was just the red wine kicking in and that I'd be fine after some breakfast. (baring in mind, that I know exactly how much I can tolerate without being sick.

Then I had to run to the loo a couple of times and started feeling more and more nauseous (I won't go into the details of the actual 'episodes') But I was remarkably calm. DP had to go off to work and I was looking after the DC's on my own.

The dc's have so far not succombed, and I can't believe that DP and myself could both have it, without passing it to them. Still, if they do get it, at least I won't be worrying about myself 'v'ing'. I must be immune by now!

I'm still in a state of shock tbh, will post more when I feel a bit calmer

annoyingdevil - you poor thing... you do sound quite calm and rational about it all. Well done, you. But what a horrible experience for you. As you say, the only consolation is that you won't catch anything off the DCs if you've already had it. I hope you're feeling better now. You have obviously handled it all far better than I would have done.

Daphne - it seems you are right, as my DH has suffered no ill effects (yet). Fortunately it was just plain old cheese and tomato. He is annoyingly smug about it all, having dismissed my concerns last night!

Good luck today...

Nelly, glad to hear your DH survived the pizza 'incident'. Thankgod it was just cheese & tomato and not shudder seafood or chicken!

I have had a couple of days to reflect on my noro experience and am feeling seriously freaked out on a number of counts:

Firstly, I had mild symptoms 6 days before v'ing. What the feck is going on? I thought v'ing was the first symptom. Does this mean I'll be panicking whenever I get the slightest tummy pain or the runs.

secondly, I am now convinced I caught this bug from a friend who had no symptoms (even though both her dcs had the bug!!!! So where the hell does that leave us? nowhere is safe.

Thirdly, despite being scrupulous about hygiene (even to the point of wearing latex gloves when cooking). I have slipped up a couple of times. E.g. in a coffee shop yesterday DD drank a teaspoon of my tea while my back was turned. Today DS put his hand in my bathwater and licked it.

Anyway, sorry for my rants. This phobia is so self obsessive, is it not? I hope everyone else is ok and bug-free.

nelly - good on your DH. Don't let it go to his head though and have him gaily skipping about the house eating out of date food just to test his theories. Of course you won't!

Annoying - you've had a very nasty day or two and I sympathise immensely. But instead of being "freaked out" is there anyway you can turn your thoughts around to "well, I got through it and I'm still here and still got a sense of humour and I feel better now etc etc" sort of thoughts? Honestly, was it as bad as you imagined? If you v'd twice, then that was about 20 seconds of vomiting, I imagine: 20 seconds out of hours and days and weeks and months and years of not vomiting?

Trying to help, not be preachy. Honestly. I'm saying it as much to myself as to you, I really am. Reading my post back, I think I'm probably being the annoying one tbh, but I think I'm going to click the post message box anyway ...