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!

Well, we are now in March girls. I can almost smell spring. Yay!

Nelly - how are things in the raggbagg house? Hope you are all ok after the plumber incident. Is he due back again or will that be it now?

Zonedout - congrats on your pregnancy - fab news! So sorry you have been having such a stressful time with it all. Hope your DS is ok now and that you get answers quickly re your breast. It does sound like it could be connected to PG as hormones do all sorts of random things to us, but will be thinking of you x. Have you had any pg symptoms yet? New job is going ok thanks. It wasn't the job I wanted but it is close to home and will do for now. It also enables me to carry on with my driving lessons but that us another thread all in itself!

Wiggelit - am not talking to you in a fit of jealousy over your TWO nights out.

BB - Have got everything crossed for you re TTC - sore breasts is a good sign! Am really glad the therapy has come through for you too. You will have to keep us updated. Am on your behalf re other thread on nursery fees though. Don't know how they can justify a hike like that

Wiggleit - gonna have ot talk to you now as I have to apologise for spelling your name wrong!
Bless your DH
I was another spoilt mummy - I got a lie in followed by eggs benedict for breakfast in bed which is my absolute favourite and some perume.

Hi everyone! Hope everyone has had a good mother's day.

Notalone - haha, got you talking to me again! Actually it's not strictly your fault for spelling my name wrong coz when i first joined mn i did spell it different to how i do now, so if you wana still not speak to me coz i'm a gadabout then that's up to you, but i do hope you forgive me and be my mate again!! xx Plus i may have built my hubby up to something he's not, don't get me wrong, he's a sweetheart and treats me well, but he's not that brill...he did make me egg n bacon for breakfast but i was the one who had to wash the pots and clean the hob! Then i cooked tea and washed up after and cleaned hob again and i also cleaned the bathroom today!! Have done more today than normal!!!!! It's because i'm a bit houseproud and can't stand any mess and he knows this, but really i think today of all days he coulda stepped in. But generally speaking he's a star...have to say that coz he's lurking... xx

How is everyone else? how's things with you nelly? Survived another day post plumber? Hope so! xx

Hello all,
it looks as if we have survived the plumber incident, thank goodness. Thanks for the reassurance, everyone. Roll on the Easter holidays!

BB - I was very interested to hear about the therapy. Do let us know how it goes. I'm glad you're not being given emetics - this is one of my big fears about any kind of treatment!

Had a bad moment yesterday. We were in the car on the way back from Manchester, and DS and DD, having been fighting most of the way, had finally started talking to one another in non-aggressive voices. The next thing I heard from DS was "I feel sick..."

I immediately went into cold-sweat panic mode - then, seconds later, I realised they were playing a game of Mummies and Daddies, where one of them was a child who was sick and had runny poo and the other was the parent who had to clear it up (!!!!!) For the next ten minutes, they merrily took it in turns to pretend to be sick all over the car - which was more than my nerves could really stand. I started a conversation with DH about shower enclosures in the hope of blocking it out and getting my heart-rate to return to normal. I was soooo glad when we got home!

The only thing I was quite encouraged by is that DD-as-Mummy didn't have a screaming fit and leave the imaginary room when DS-as-child was 'sick'. I appear to have managed to hide my phobia from them so far!

It was interesting, though, that I did carry on feeling panicky even though it was all just pretend...

LOL Nelly, nothing like those 3 little words, enough to strike fear into the heart of any emet. Fortunately, dd doesn't say them yet, although she does say she has a tummy ache, which is the next best thing!

So, despite having had noro myself, I'm still stressing 24/7 about the dcs getting it!. It's not like I'm going to get it again, so it just goes to show that the thought of them being sick is just as bad as the thought of me being sick.

The bloody virus is again being reported in our local paper too - hospital ward closed - arrrrrgh

bug-free vibes to everyone and ttc ones to BB!

As you lot are the only people I really "know" on Mumsnet, I have just come over to say goodbye. There is a thread about recycling in active convos atm that has made my mind up for good! There are some people on this forum who just depress me too much and I cannot share the same space any longer.

To you all and your dcs, I wish you good health and happiness and many many thanks for your good advice and support.

And to belgianbun - especially good luck with the ole ttc.

Daphne
xx

Oh Daphne, I will really miss your combination of phobia and good sense. Let me wish you and yours good health and happiness, too.

*

Bad moment today: in Sainsbury's, DD declared that she felt a bit sick. She looked funny, too - though she was skipping around. I paid sharpish and went straight home, since when she's had her tea and played happily ("I am going to eat my tea, even though I was sick at the back of my mouth", she declared - to my horror). She started with a temperature and runny nose on Saturday, so maybe that's her problem? This is what I'm trying to tell myself, anyway!

Her best friend didn't go to ballet today because she was - yes, you guessed it - throwing up catarrh. Is this what is in store for us? I am going to have an anxious night...

AnnoyingD: bad news about your hospitals. I had hoped that noro was going away, as the media aren't mentioning it - but it seems not. Boo.

Daphne I was ineedapoo and come on here from time to time. You know where we are if you need us but hope you don't IYSWIM

Oh Daphne, good luck with everything. Haven't known you for too long coz not been a member that long but do understand why you are saying goobye. My hubby not that keen on me being on here so i try not to spend too much time looking coz i do think it can have a negative effect, although it is also a godsend to be able to communicate with mums who understand the phobia. Best of luck girl. xx

Where are you annoyingdevil? Not heard about the hospital ward closures again. Just as we're creeping into spring i think this awful bug must be on its way out and then i hear of something else!!It 'duz me ed in'!!!

Goodbye and good luck, Daphne, we'll miss you.

The ward closure is in Reading, so stay away! the bug is rampant here.

Hi all,
Hope you are all healthy!
DS's first words when he came out of school yesterday were: "Someone in Year Two has got norovirus - I know because he was sick in a tray."
Oh fab.
So it would seem that noro is still rife in his school!
I have reminded him to wash his hands before snack-time and lunch, but goodness knows whether he'll remember...
BB - your therapist is onto something with 'selective attention'. I can hear the word 'sick' from about five thousand miles away, even if I'm already having two conversations at the time!!

Yes, unfortunately it's still around. Roll on the end of March. My friend and her DH had it over the weekend, so it seems to be going around the parents, rather than the children - how strange is that!

Yet more stress for me today. DS spent the entire time at 'messy play' eating jelly that had been left for the children to play with. It must have had around 10 different toddler hands in it! Every time I took him away, he had a screaming fit, so in the end I left him to it!!!!

Not been on here for a while. Sorry you are leaving Daphne. It has been a bit much in places on some others threads so can understand, but we are all lovely on here so come back to us re the phobia if you need to. We won't tell anyone you have come back for a visit! Take care x

In response to other posts - yep the bug is still here too. When I picked DS up from drama his very hands on drama teacher was telling another mum how she had been up all night on Tues being very ill and now her DD has got it. Thought we would be safer now we are in March but it seems to have resurfaced. Roll on April then!

BB, AD, Nelly, Schmoopoo and Wiggelit - how have all of you been. Wiggelit - please don't leave us too! You are my local font of knowledge and you make me laugh lol

Hi everyone! How are we all? Sending you all
lots of well vibes!!xx
Notalone - not leaving hun! Don't panic, it's just i understood Daphne's reasons. I need my emet mates! It's rife around here again, heard loads of stories this past week. Here i am, confidently skipping into March then wohh! along comes another few vom tales..great! Roll on summer!!!!! How you doing hun? It's doing my diet good though, hardly eaten a decent meal for days! xx

Where has everyone gone? Keep checking on this thread and no-one been on for days! There's another bug around here (or the same one still lingering) .. fed up with it all. When will it end so we can relax a bit? Nearly all the kids on our street have had or have got d&v, nightmare or what?? how is everyone finding things these days? xx

Interesting about the therapy, the bit about you not seeing yourself as different to your dh or dd yet don't worry about them v'ing as long as you can't catch it! Am totally with you on that one!! Wierd yet fascinating... sorry, i'm nicking your lines, i'll think of my own things to say hey??!! SOOO nice to hear from you bb. Wondered where everyone had gone, especially as things still rife bug-wise. This therapy sounds great, i've had lots of therapies over the years but none have been successful (obviously!! duur!) but i had resigned myself to the fact it's just something i'm going to have to live with and cope with as the time arises. You have given me new hope that maybe i can look at more therapy and maybe get somewhere. Please keep us updated on your sessions coz it's reassuring to know there is hope out there. I'd be interested to know more about the realistic fear of catching stuff and how you overcome that. That is my main concern because other areas of the fear you can cope with to a certain extent..ie,being careful what you eat etc, don't you agree?xx

PS. Sorry to hear about af arriving bb. Keep trying hun xxxx

My DD1 had sickness Saturday night. I was hoping it was the sausage roll she had from local bakery but her teacher said she has 6 off with sick bug. I am so nervous of geting it or my other 3 getting ill. Especially as DS1 is on school camp this week.

Oh tortoise, it's horrible isn't it? I was really starting to think this bug had died off but it's back with a vengeance. Did you manage ok with dd on saturday? How many times was she sick? Thoughts are with you hun. I find it difficult to say anything positive because i'm as scared as all us emets and i'd be a fraud if i pretended and said ' don't worry, everyone will be ok' coz i'd be exactly the same as you and worried sick. (no pun intended) How you coping?xx