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!

Hello girls, thanks for welcoming me back. Have been keeping up with this thread even though i am not posting much at the moment.

Anyway just had to tell you that last night I was so ill. DCs have both had sickness lately and last night I had a horrible stomach bug. The bizarre thing is that we have all been sick seven days apart almost to the hour so this has a very long incubation period. I am sure now it is no conincidence.

Well I have to say I think I was rather brave and despite being bed ridden today I just had to tell you all. Last night was the first time I have v'd for 15 years. It's not something I'd repeat in a hurry but I've lived to tell the tale.

The fear and anticipation was far worse than the reality.

Anyway am off to drink my flat coke and rich tea biscuit. Speak to you later!! x

BB - well, what a week you have had. What a horrible bug - but well done you for staying calm throughout. You are fantastic!!

You are of course right about DD, who has not done a poo since, and seems to be her usual happy self again (touch everything woody). I think it may have been the old and manky biscuit DH gave her for elevenses (why?????)

Upsy - as for you... I can't believe how calm you sound as well!! I'm sure you're right that it's not a coincidence - it does sound like a weird bug. Thanks for telling us - it gives me some slight hope that I might be able to cope if we do end up with a bug (can't quite believe that I would cope with v-ing, but it is encouraging to know that you have survived!) I hope you're feeling better soon...

Notalone - DD had a lovely birthday, thanks. She had a little party, and nobody v-d (this is the main bit of good news from my point of view - of course, only I could worry that a child might v at a party!!)
Unfortunately we are going to France in 3 weeks' time. I am now resigned to my fate, and am trying to visualise landing back in Manchester, rather than imagining all the phobia-inducing problems that we might encounter along the way (air turbulence, for starters).

Had a bad experience at the hospital the other day (I had to have a chest x-ray). I don't like hospitals at the best of times in case there are sick people in evidence, but I thought I might be reasonably safe in the chest clinic. Well, I went to the loo, followed the hand-washing instructions to the letter, then opened the pedal-bin to deposit my paper hand towel - only to be confronted by a sick-bowl. Fortunately it had been folded up, but I still fled all the same, complete with hand towel!!

I now dislike hospitals even more.

you all sound so brave, i cant believe how strong you are, my friend who i spent the day with left a message on facebook saying she was ill, and i went into a panic it turned out she had a sore throat!

i never knew anybody else had these panicky times until i found this thread, i really have so much respect for you all, with schools and kids, i have found that i avoid situations, but there is a funday tomorow and not sure how i am going to cope with that yet, already thinking about it i am getting breathing difficulties!!!!

anyway sorry to moan hope everyone is well
x

Hello again people.

Hey Wiggleit! Am so shocked there are more bugs our way yet again. People at work were discussing it today and I just wanted to run away. Weirdly one of the ladies followed the same pattern as BB said, sick then pk for a day and then sick again. She was sick at work again today. To make it worse I stupidly volunteered to work overtime tomorrow .... in bloody Nottingham, an hours drive away. We are all going in a convoy of cars and I am going wih a couple of girls in their early twenties who I don't know at all. What if I get sick on the motorway in the back of the car??? Bless your DD - how is she now? How are your mates who have been ill? Can't wait to meet again xxxx

Upsydaisy - OMG. How are you? Did you v a lot? You sound so calm about it. I honestly think I would die if I were to V and I mean that too. How are you feeling now?

BB - another very brave lady too. How are you feeling about everything what with th mare at school?

Dot - I am so glad the party went well. So sorry you are worried about the holiday. We also go in 3 weeks but only to Wales. Still it involves a long car journey, being away from my comfort zone and a motorway. Maybe we can reassure each other!! Which date do you go? We go on the 26th.

PS - BB - can't believe we will need to start a new thread either. How about "Emetephobia Still terrified of this sickness bug" lol

HI everyone! Gosh it's all happening on here atm... thought this time of year was supposed to be easy for us emets??not so eh? There is definitely something going around here Notalone.. just hoping our family don't succumb. Can't wait for the summer hols!
We will meet up very soon hun..hopefully in the next week or two if you are free?

bb - you are ab fab! Can't believe you actually stayed at work through all that v'ing!!!!! You are soooo brave. That cbt certainly seems to be working on you.

Hi to everyone else! Well done Upsy on surviving your v episode...can't imagine how you got through it. Only hope we don't get it here! Very well done hun, you did well to say you haven't v'd in 15yrs!

Hope all is well with everyone else xx

Upsy - how are things?? Hope you're all on the mend...

Hello to everyone else!!

Hi everyone! How's things? Hope all is well with everyone. xx

Hello everyone, Thanks for all your enquiries as to how I am. Well fortunately I am on the mend. Stomach still feels dodgy and am still not eating very much.

I do feel slightly proud of myself that I managed that night without panicing or wailing, but with composure and control. Only my fellow emets will understand what I mean!!

Hope you are all well and that like me you are looking forward to the school holidays - not because the dcs will be home, but because they will be away from bug infested schools. Hooray!

Upsy - you jolly well should feel proud of yourself!! I can't begin to believe I'd cope like that. Composure and control are quite something...

DS breaks up tomorrow, so fingers crossed and wood touched for a bug-free holiday... Oh, I do hope so!

Hello people!

Have things quietened down now on the V front where you are Wiggleit? I haven't heard anything but to me it is like a big monster just waiting to rear its ugly head. BIL and his gf are down this wkend but should be ok for a meet in a week or so if you are up for it xxx

Upsydaisy - how did you do it without panicking or wailing? I would have been doing both of these along with pacing, crying and strangely begging DP to make it stop (I always do this - WTF??!!) Did it happen in the night? How much time was there from 1st symptom to the actual incident.

Fingers crossed Dot - am sure you will be fine. Perhaps you will feel better being away from all the usual stresses and strains of everyday life.

Evening all!

Notalone - hi babe, i'm here! I'm out this weekend for a friend's birthday and next weekend maybe going thru to my sister's so it mite be the week after (weekend of 26/27th). Are you free then? Will text you anyway hun, glad you are ok.

We had sports day at DD's school today, at the end of it there was this boy crying holding the teacher's hand with a tissue..and another boy going to his mate..'has he just been sick' aaaarrgghh! Got DD out of the way asap!

Glad to hear you are on the mend upsy? How on earth did you cope so well? I would have been in a right state just begging for the feeling to go away and annoying my DH by asking questions and wanting him to put my mind at rest! Dread the day i have to deal with that. (so does he probably!)

Hi to everyone else on here...(waves) xx

Evening everyone! How are we all today?

Notalone - how's you my little buddy? Looking forward to seeing you soon, shall we have a girlie night or shall we invite the fellas along? How's things at your work, any more bugs? things seem to have quietened down here. I seemed to have a mad blast of everyone falling ill all in the same week! Can't wait for schools to close!

How is everyone else, bb - how's things at your school? Are you still coping magnificently? You are so fab! xx

Hey Wiggleit

Aaarrgghhh - nope I go away that weekend to Wales for a week so will have to be after that now. We will make arrangements some time this century though ok???!!!

Lol - you sound just like me babe with the begging DH and asking him when it is going to go away. I am sure if our other halves had flu, turned to us and said "Make it go away. Pleeeaaaaaassseee - how long will I feel like this for? Why won't it stop?" etc etc we would be and thinking they were mad. There is something about feeling sick that must turn us into helpless children.

How have you been over the past few days?

xxxxxx

Hello everyone,

well it is a week since I had the dreaded sickness bug and my initial strength and determination to beat this thing didn't last long.

DC started complaining of a stomach ache yesterday between 12 and 6 so as you can imagine I spent the entire day watching his every move and on the edge of a full blown fit of panic and terror. It ended with no episodes of v and the evening passed without incident. He was fine after tea, me on the other hand stiil haven't yet calmed down.

I was thinking today about how many times my dc had been sick since he was born, and the answer is about 4(gastro bugs). So in four years he has had 4 or 5 days of being sick. This does put it into perspective that I have spent the last 4 years scared witless for 4 days of him vomiting. I just can't keep that thought in my head when I hear thos dreadful words "I've got a tummy ache mummy"

I don't know about you but I can deal with sick when it is not associated with a bug, eg cough or reflux, but I have to be certain that it is not a bug. Am I alone in this?

Upsy - hang in there!!! I had exactly the same thought recently - six years of anxiety for about six days of sick in total (DD's 10-dya-long rotavirus excepted - which I dealt with surprisingly well, though that might be because she was only just two, so I could sort of convince myself that it was baby-sick). I can just about deal with sick if I'm certain it's not stomach-bug-related - but only just! (Nut-allergic DS ate a walnut and I had to ask DH to deal with the consequences... )

Have to go now as both DCs are on school holidays, so no time to myself for the next 8 weeks. Thinking of you, upsy! (and waves to all my other emet pals... xxx)

Upsy, my DD had that bug on Weds - tummy ache, head ache and high fever. I was convinced she was going to 'V' and was in a complete panic.

I'm guessing she's actually started to build up a bit of immunity to these bugs and will not automatically 'V' everytime. (some comfort, I suppose)

I thought we emets might have at least got the summer 'off' but it seems not. (perhaps when they break up!)

Hope everyone else is ok.

Hi everyone!

Notalone - we are pants at arranging stuff aren't we?! We must make sure we meet during the hols. Miss ya!

Upsy - I can't cope with v under any circumstances really. I'm better if i know it's not a bug but the thing is i'm never certain it's not a bug so don't relax around it. I just hate anything to do with v'ing. My DH had a hangover last year where he was sick and i was the one nearly passing out! It was quite funny afterwards but at the time i was in a total state! My DH came to check on me after he'd v'd to make sure i was ok! I was there in a heap on the living room floor laid down listening to the blood rushing through my ears waiting to pass out! Not good!

Hi to everyone else..hope you are all well. It doesn't seem like us emets get a break does it, there's always something going round.

My friend asked me last week about booking something to take our DD's to in January and my first thought was 'that's noro season' ...I have booked it but i know when the time comes i won't want to leave the house and go anywhere for fear of catching it! But i will have to make the effort for DD's sake and my friend's. Bad though init?

It is good how we all realise we are wasting our time fearing this bloody thing but how the hell do you get over it and have a life? It's like a few of you have said, it works out that years of worrying probably equals the same amount of days of actually v'ing.What a waste of our lives eh? xx

Hello Wiggle, and everyone else!

I have to say, I don't Do V at all (even if it's not quite so bad when it's not a bug). When I lived with a family on my year abroad, their 15-y-o son (otherwise a lovely boy) used to go out drinking with his friends at the weekends and come home and throw up in the bathroom right next to my room. I had to hide under my bedcovers with every available pillow over my head to try to block out all noise! It was all very traumatic...

Wiggle - I know how you feel about your January date. Some children have just moved in next door to us, which is fab (they all play together every day) - but, of course, I am already anxious about them getting noro (or similar) and passing it on to my dcs... How sad is that?! Any normal person would just be thrilled to have children next door in a road where children are otherwise few and far between!

My current gripe is that we are going to France far too soon (24th - 30th). I am resigned to my miserable fate...

V-free waves to all my emet pals!! x

Hi Dot, and everyone!

I'm with you on the v front, can't bear it under any circumstances.

As for the kids situation i know exactly what you mean, A new family has just moved onto our street, with 4 kids, and whilst it's great that DD has someone to play with, i live in constant fear of any of them being ill and passing onto my DD,it's very sad isn't it? I wouldn't let DD play with a girl down the street a few weeks ago because i'd heard she was ill ( i didn't know what with but i wasn't taking any chances!! )Sad for DD bless her!

Try not to worry too much about your trip to France Dot... ( she says! I'd be exactly the same as you! I hate holidays! ) Hopefully you will have a fab time and really enjoy it. xx

Hi bb!! Great to see you! Have just been on the other emet thread earlier, so pleased to read that you are getting so much out of your therapy. Wish it was available here. You are at probably the best place in the country, It was recommended that i went to Maudsley years ago but it is just too far. Congrats on doing so well!! xx

BB - well done on your boat trip!!!

I don't think any money would persuade me to venture near a boat...

x

Me neither Dot...it's funny because we were having this conversation last night with mil and she was tryiong to persuade me to go on a cruise,i understand that it is different on a massive ship but my main fear is that bloody noro virus rearing its ugly head, how many times have we read about cruise ships being infected with that, and there's nowhere to go! Aaaargghhh!

Cruises??? Aaaaaaaaaaargh. Over my dead body. Same goes for Center Parcs, since I read about a dreadful noro epidemic there, and people having to be quarantined there...