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!

Hi all, Oh my god - how gross is that tip of the day!! Definitely something I couldn't do even if my life depended on it. Can't talk too much today as am very busy. But will catch up with you all again tomorrow. x

Wiggleit - you make me laugh lol. If only you knew just how blonde I am. Honestly I am quite clever academically but have literally no common sense and am incredibly gullible so I am laughing with ya not at ya!! x

Nelly - why are men more aggressive than women? It drives me mad! Glad you have been relaxing in front of some DVD's. DS and I have a duvet day almost every Sunday in the winter when it rains and we do nothing but watch DVD's and eat chocolate and fruit - bliss!

Funnybunny - thats ok - come back when you can.

That tip of the day is just so bleughh. Why would anyone think "Oh thats ok, i'll just shower it off. Noooooooooo!!!!

I forgot to mention my "moment from hell". I was at work last week in a meeting when one of the women clasped her hands over her mouth and legged it out of the door. I was the closest to the door so the person chairing the meeting says to me "Notalone - go and see if she is ok will you?". I had to go to the toilets and was cowering away from the whole thing. She wasn't sick when I was there but was about an hour later and then stayed at work. Why????!!!!

Notalone - omg! Why do people insist on staying at work when they are unwell? It's sooooooo annoying!!
Think i could give you a run for your money in the blonde stakes babe... I have lots of blonde moments..actually they usually last about a week!!! I do have an image to keep up!! You keep laughing at with me chick! heehee!!

I have been reading the thread and keeping up with everyone's news.

Anyway, I am back to report that DS officially has stomach bug. Not sure if it is noro as am too scared to read about it. He was hugely sick in the night (twice) then a couple of more times, dry retches, ending at 5.30am.

He has kept water down all day but was complaining of sharp tummy pains until about 7 this morning.

He has just asked for something to eat so have given him a plain biscuit.

DH was here last night and did a certain amount of bed stripping and clearning up and stayed up with DS while he was v'ing but he had no choice but to go to work today - he is freelance and has a job today and tomorrow with a humungous fee: if he'd stayed home today it would have cost us a 4 figure sum, so I had to let him go...

Despite all my therapy, I found myself trying to keep away from DS whilst it was all happening last night (I didn't actually witness him vomiting) and now of course the countdown begins to see if we all get it!

I swore off Mumsnet a while back but I do need someone just to listen to my sob story so if anyone's there, do come and say hello ...

eekamoose - so, so, so sorry you're back (iyswim). You poor, poor thing - and your poor DS. It does sound like a stomach bug, unfortunately. Hang on to the thought that the therapy will work eventually, even if you're not entirely there yet. Stay strong and keep washing your hands! I'll look at the site again later. Good luck - am thinking of you.

Sorry, Daphne that you're back under such circumstances. If your DS is keeping water down today, he'll probably be back to normal tomorrow - and starving hungry (that's what happened with DD).

Most adults that I know that have had the bug recently have not v'ed with it (except for me!). So that gives you some hope.

Nothing else to report from me. The cat threw up last night and I was as cool as anything. Why oh why can't I be like that with the dcs?

Hope everyone else is OK.

Thanks for your messages! I have missed you (but been lurking) - always knew I'd have to come back to this thread if the unmentionable happened rueful .

Your comment about the cat made me lol annoying. When my cat starts that disgusting retching and heaving when he's got a furball I run out of the room screeching for DH to throw him out in the garden. Unfortunately we can't do that with the dcs .... [only joking].

Is it just me or do the dcs only seem to get ill when you have big plans? DS was going to a birthday party today and we were going to have friends over for supper tonight. Both had to be cancelled. And of course now I've got a fridge full of food for the dinner party which will all go off cos I won't be able to eat for the next few days ...

Woe is me .

Glad you are here to talk to though.

Hi eekamoose - sorry you have had to come back iykwim! You seem to be handlng things pretty well under the circumstances. I wouldn't have let DH out of my site no matter what amount of money was involved!!! Sounds like DS over hte worst of it now, but like you say now it's just a waiting game to see if anyone else gets it. Hopefully you'll be ok, got everything crossed for you!! Know what you mean about not eating for the next few days, that's me! It's great for the diet though isn't it?!

I'm pretty good at handling the cat when he's sick..which he is quite often coz he's got kidney problems. But at one time i couldn't even cope with that. I used to have to get my Mum to babysit the cat if he was ill! How sad is that?? But sadly my Mum died so i had no choice but to get on with it. Now i handle it fine, mainly coz i know i can't catch anything off him.

Anyway eek, you know we're always here! xx

Hello again wiggle, nice to see you. Interesting about the cat!!! very sorry about your mum, though. I guess you have to deal with the cat now your mum's not here - and so, you do.

Today I am 45 and a half. Tomorrow I will be closer to 50 than I am to 40!!!! What a thought. As I lay in bed at 7 this morning reading GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU to DS who had been ill all night, the tears were rolling down my cheeks, and I was thinking to myself, it really is about time I grew up and acted like an adult! FGS! I had to let DH go to work, I just had to. He would have been furious with me if I'd tried to persuade him otherwise, and £1000 is such a lot of money to us. And I couldn't let my phobia cost us all as a family that much money.

Might not be making much sense as I've had two valium ...

I do understand eek, hope i didn't come across as not. It's just the phobia is so overwhelming for me that i couldn't be left on my own with DD if she was ill. This phobia is not about growing up or acting like an adult. Don't beat yourself up over that. Poor you, it is heartbreaking i know because you want to be there for them but just can't be. It's horrible. Happy 45.5 birthday!! Stay strong hun! xx

Also eek, thanks for the comment about my Mum. xx

Eek - I'm with you on the cat thing. I can't even do animals v-ing. How tragic is that? Ages ago, when our beloved family dog was very poorly (he had Parvo virus, and only just made it), he was v-ing - and I had to leave the room. I felt dreadful as he meant the world to me when I was 16. How could I possibly be phobic about a dog v-ing when there's no way I could catch it??

Anyway, I hope your DS is still on the mend. What a half-birthday present for you! I have everything crossed for you...

Hi Nelly, just seen you on the other thread about vomiting. How annoying are those parents who send their kids to school ill??It has really wound me up!! Why are people soooooo selfish and inconsiderate? It's beyond me it really is.

Hi guys, would just like to add, if any of you are getting help (I know BB is) please plod on with it no matter how gritty it gets. I have suffered many yrs until I had CBT. It lasted about 8 mths and we seemed to cover everything. I wouldn't go to say I am completely cured but since February DD3 has been quite poorly (sick) twice. It was me that coped with it not DH. I even let DD sleep next to me in bed! still can't quite believe that myself.! Talking helps, but try to rationalise it, this really seems to be helping me at the moment.

So good luck everyone.

PS I also agree, I get really irate that people send their DC to school etc when it is plain obvious that their DC are ill.[grr]

ooops I should be in bed. DP working tomorrow and I'm sure DS will be awake at some ungodly hour!

Re: animal vomit. I used to be terrified until I inherited a bulimic cat (ie one that throws up at least 3 times per week) Proof to me that 'flooding' really does work (for me anyway)

Eek, have you managed to avoid catching 'it'? How is your DS now? Spill the beans!

None of the rest of us so far, annoying. I've always considered 5 days to be the limit - so that's tomorrow night 11.30pm. DH and I are going on a rare night out together tomorrow (with tickets!) so am not considering ourselves out of the water until Wednesday morning. Or am I being silly?

DD has been sick (only once, bless her) quite recently - infact after the little friend throwing up in class incident (my post of 25th February - she was sick on the 28th, early in the morning, DH dealt with it all, I didn't even know). So fingers crossed that was her exposure to the virus.

But who knows?

I don't think it was noro because DS was eating again by the next day and no diahorrea. Luckily for everyone at nursery he was off Friday, Saturday and Sunday of course so he won't have spread it around. He was playing with the neighbours boys all afternoon until 6pm on the day it happened - and they didn't get ill.

Welcome back Eekamoose even though it is not under the best circumstances. It does sound as though your DS had a bug but hopefully the worse is over now and you have all escaped relatively unscathed. How is he now? Age really doesn't matter btw - a phobia is an irrational fear and has nothing to do with how "grown up" you are. I am pretty adult in all other aspects of my life but V makes me run and cry like a small child. It is the fear that makes me act like this so please don't beat yourself up with it

How are the rest of you too? I saw you, Nelly and Wiggleit, on "that other thread" and can't quite believe how many people feel it is ok to send kids to school when they have V'd. Aaarrggghh!!!

Hey AD - how are you? And welcome Pinkbubble too? Weren't you on "that other" thread??!!

Twas an interesting point re animal V. I used to have 2 cats who frequently V'd but was not too bothered about it as it wasn't catchy to me. I still refused to clear it up though. DP and I had an agreement with the cats. I did poo and he did V. Shame they pooed more but hey!

Thanks notalone. He is fine now. He kept water down all day after the night of V, so I kind of knew he didn't have it too bad. I was exemplarary as far as cuddling and being close to him is concerned - but only after he'd stopped throwing up! I dealt with all the washing too (although DH did get the worst of "it" off) - all the evidence has been hot washed away. I used bio powder for his bedding (normally non-bio for the dcs) but I think thats allowed in the circumstances!

Glad to see this thread has gone quiet (ykwim). Everyone must be well then and throwing up bugs finally coming to an end? Do hope so - Spring has sprung and hopefully we can all cheer up a little bit (ykwim again). .

Hi eek..don't speak too soon!! Let's hope spring has sprung and the vom bugs will subside a bit, fingers crossed!! How are you hun? Hope all is well with you. xx

All well here, thanks Wiggle. Its a week today since DS was ill so am assuming the rest of us have escaped it .

You ok?

Hi eek, yes i'm fine thanks hun. Glad all ok at yours. Think you've escaped it by the looks of it..phew!!! xx

Hello everyone. Hope you are all well. I thought I would update you all, as you know I have embarked on a course of analytical hypnotherapy. I've had 4 sessions now and although am still very phobic about the v word DS has complained of a stomach ache 3 times this week and I have not gone to peices like I normally would. There is still a very long way to go but I do feel very slightly better about the whole thing. I will post some details of the therapy on here over the next week or so for you to read.