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!

I know - it's soooo crappy that this is the first thing I think of!! My secondary thoughts were all very good (nice for the boys to have an extra male role model and so on) - but my overwhelming reaction is still: omg, how could you?!!

I shall send him with antibac hand-stuff and instructions not to put his fingers in his mouth!!

Hi. I am back too. How are you Dot, lovely Wiggleit (my local buddy), Zonedout and everyone else. That time of year is upon us again and I can also feel those old feelings of dread closing in again. DS is now at a new school so the less rational part of me keeps thinking he is not immune to the bugs in this school yet, even though the school is only about 3 miles from his old one.

Congrats on your new LO Zoneout. Do you know what you are having yet? Your DH sounds fab Dot but I would have thought the same sadly. Hoe are you Wiggleit?

lol feel like Im at AA.

My name is melsy and Im not sure if Im emetophobic , but Im acting all peculiar this evening about dh being ill right now.

Its late and Ive not eaten any dinner and my migrained from earlier in the week is trying to come back.

I feel a bit ick ,and not sure if Im imagning it due to anxiety.

see my thread here on chat tonight, warning some descrptions on there.

Hi Melsy. Really glad you have made it over here after all. We all feel the same as you over here so you are in the right place for sympathy, help or if you just wish to vent. I am off to bed now as I am shattered but I am thinking of you tonight - I know that terrified feeling all too well. Keep checking in on here whenever you need to - sadly there are quite a few of us!. Good luck x

How was last night Melsy? Are you ok

Is anyone else home educating partly to avoid WVD!!!?!

I hate to admit it but this is a very positive factor in our decision. Ds came home with about a million colds and other things last year, and I am hoping that not being at school will allow us a little respite.

I'm currently battling c difficile (not sure if over it, it kind of lingers and relapses and things) so do not need to be taking more antibiotics this winter...they are liable to cause a recurrence as that's what triggered it.

I'm sure we won't escape everything though! But do feel like we have had our fair share of illness this year.

Hello everyone btw - I think I posted on the thread last year but not sure!!

hi all,

i know the feeling we partly home educate as well to avoid!!! i can handle colds till the cows come home, but tummy bugs send me aaaahhhhhhhhhh i thought i was alone on home educating, but dd was bullied which was our main reason

how is everyone else?

IM ok so far notalone , thank you for your message last night , I was beside myself!

Ive done an update on my thread!

Hello Melsy,

Glad you came over to this thread! Hope your DH is better soon - the very thought of my DH getting a v-bug is enough to trigger a panic attack (even more so than the DCs, now I come to think of it...)

Hello Mlle, too. I did think about home education solely to avoid v-bugs, but DS is such hard work that I don't think it would ever have been feasible!!

Our neighbouring children are here playing with my dcs, and I am of course terrified that one of them will v (how paranoid is that?!)

Is it just me, or do any of you other emet nuts torture yourselves by reading about v? Melsy's post yesterday made it clear that her post on her other thread might have too much info for emets, but I couldn't resist reading to see just how-much-too-much-info it was. Of course, I regretted it deeply!!!

thanks for the welome, im not sure if I have a phobia or may be more a phobia to the disruption it causes in the household!

Im so sorry if it was tmi on my link for you all. Im feeling really silly that I did that

Glad all is ok Melsy so far. Hopefully that panic feeling may well have subsided a bit now. Don't worry about the link either - we were warned and didn't have to look at it. I am like Dot though and can never resist temptation to look, even if I know I don't really need to read it lol

I have considered home ed too but DS is an only and there is so much stuff I want to do for me too that it is just not possible. I do hate this time of year though - well this half of the year really I only start to feel safe around March time.

How are you Dot? Its been a while so you may not remember me. Did you go on your holiday in the end?

Hi Mlle and mumtoo3!!

Hello notalone - of course I remember you! We did indeed go on our holiday, and we did survive without incident (though I am still hoping we'll never have to go abroad again!!!)

Melsy - don't worry about the tmi! You did warn us, and it is my own silly fault for looking (which I would have done even if you'd said in capital letters DO NOT LOOK!!!!!)

Isn't September - April a nightmare?!

Hi again everyone and nice to 'see' you again Notalone and Wiggle. Notalone, i have resisted the temptation to find out the sex of this one but have a feeling (albeit based on nothing!)it is another boy...

Welcome to all the new emets... i must say i found the support here completely invaluable last Winter.

I am sure the preg hormones are not helping but i am feeling sooo low about my emet coming back with such a vengeance again after a fairly chilled out Summer. Stupidly had a look at the health section and it would seem that the d&v bugs are back. Yes, Dott, am brilliant at self-torture by almost seeking out news on v (hence my mild obssession with the health threads ). How very lovely of your husband to volunteer but i must say I totally understand your reaction!

Hi again everyone and nice to 'see' you again Notalone and Wiggle. Notalone, i have resisted the temptation to find out the sex of this one but have a feeling (albeit based on nothing!)it is another boy...

Welcome to all the new emets... i must say i found the support here completely invaluable last Winter.

I am sure the preg hormones are not helping but i am feeling sooo low about my emet coming back with such a vengeance again after a fairly chilled out Summer. Stupidly had a look at the health section and it would seem that the d&v bugs are back. Yes, Dott, am brilliant at self-torture by almost seeking out news on v (hence my mild obssession with the health threads ). How very lovely of your husband to volunteer but i must say I totally understand your reaction!

ooops apologies for the double posting, my laptop is onits very last legs!

Hi everyone! Special hugs to you Notalone! xx Must meet up again soon and have that night out we promised ourselves. heehee!

Hi all, melsy, haven't read your chat thing coz am about to go to bed and don't want any horrible thoughts going through my head but will read it soon! Hope you are ok. xx

Hi to everyone else!! (waves and blows kisses) xx

Hey Zoneout - not "seen" you in ages. Glad the pg is going well. 7 weeks to go - wow! I have mainly been ok over summer too and this thread has been v quiet. No doubt it will be busier during winter sadly.

Wiggleit - hey! xx Yes our night out is definitely due soonish. I think the best emet cure is getting a little tiddly. I have even been known to induldge in the food horror that is a kebab after one too many. I would NEVER do that sober - too worried about where the food has been first etc . Shall we do Doncaster Wiggle?

Hi Dot. Glad you survived your holiday. I thought about you in France and was hoping you got through it fine. What have you been up to over summer then?

I start uni on Monday. I am going to be a mature student studying Occupational Therapy which means placements and hospitals. What on earth am I thinking of?! Oh and I have to have a Hepatitis B course of jabs which can cause vomiting. Bugger and double bugger. Can't do the course without it though. Shit!

hi all,

notalone - you are so brave let us know how the course goes

were off on holiday in just under 2 weeks so i am officially scared as last time we went abroad ds had rotavirus and this is our first trip with all 3 and dd2's first trip away aaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

hey everyone else x

Notalone - you are braver than I am!!! Good luck with it all...

What I got up to over summer was keeping the children outside (in the rain) as much as possible, in the hope of them not picking up bugs from soft play places and the like

MT3 - good luck with the holiday. Aren't holidays trying?!

DH is going to be away all day on Saturday, so I am convinced that the DCs are going to be ill then. Oh go away, paranoid thoughts ...

notalone - thanks, I found it. Feel a little bit relieved already.

so, to repeat my other thread (on general health) - please help me. I am so scared.
Sunday DS (15mo) got vomiting bug. I was so proud of myself for dealing with it, albeit with sheer blind panic.
Tues eve DH and the nanny got it. Thought my world was coming to an end. Now my mum has caught it.
Please please tell me it is possible I won't catch it?

IT IS POSSIBLE.

You poor thing - you are living through my nightmare.

You need our lovely emet counsellor BB to help you!!

As she keeps telling us, you can only get these things from direct contact with d or v, so if you keep hand-washing, there is a chance you won't get it.

I have my fingers crossed for you!!!

Yes, it's possible and even if you do you may not vomit (stick to a very light diet for now). I have been in this situation numerous times and it's hellish.

Have you any latex gloves to use while changing nappies? (assuming your ds still has the runs)

I have a stash already lined up for any 'noro' type cleaning incidents. I feel it's only a matter of time until the household succombs

Latex gloves is (are?) a good tip. I have them in the car and my bag, just in case (and used to have them in the buggy). Fortunately my sister runs a rubber glove company!!!

I also have a whole arsenal of antibac cleaning products and special throwaway cloths...

[neurotic emoticon]