I'm an emetophobe and I just managed......

[calvemjoe]

To clean up my ds's 1st ever vomiting episode, in a public place, without being sick myself and freaking out. I'm so proud of myself (stupid I know) but I can't believe I managed it!

Well done calvemjoe, it will get easier. Before kids this was my idea of hell - people throwing up. I used to shake uncontrollably when anyone even felt queasy.
However after years of having to deal with the kids I have improved and it is now bearable. I first managed to deal with travel sickness - that wasn't too bad as I knew it wasn't catchng. Then I realised I never actually caught their bugs so started to manage dealing with that too.
I still avoid eating if anyone is ill and I wash my hands more than enough so that I don't catch anything, but I am much better than I used to be.

tanyac, I haven't thrown up since I was 8. In fact, I don't think I can. Only on 2 occasions have I wanted to since then but just could't manage it.

I too believe I can "control" myself from vomiting as I have just learnt myself over the years. A couple of years ago I caught a bug and how I managed not to vomit I do not know, I literally stopped it coming out. Strange I know.

Wish I wasn't scared of my kids being ill Quangle, luckily for me I have a wonderful DP who is quite happy to look after the kids when they are ill so have never really had to deal with it as my kids aren't ill very often.

Still doesn't stop me worrying EVERY SINGLE NIGHT THOUGH.

crazydazy - I used to worry every night too - and what a bore it was too, to put it mildly. I also used to get anxious every New Years Eve simply because on 2 successive New Years Eves dh was very ill with a tummy bug (not alcohol related). I knew it was coincidental but I just couldn't help it and it persisted for a few years.

Not sure how my fear became manageable. I think it was because dh always managed to be away in the bug seasons, usually October and February, and I just had to deal with it.
It took a while though, they are teenagers now and luckily they don't fuss when they are ill and don't require my services as a nurse. Their future partners should be grateful to me

I know I sometimes think I am wishing away the best years of my life with my children because they are small and need looking after!!!! I really don't want them to grow into teenagers but it will be a relief cos like you say they can look after themselves.

Do your children have the phobia? Did you hide it well? This is my worst fear that they will develop the same phobia and have to live the way in which I have.

No definitely not!! They just take it in their stride. In fact once when ds1 and dh were ill and I didn't feel very good myself, ds2 (age 3ish) walked around the house pretending to throw up into a bucket all day. No sympathy or empathy whatsoever!!
Incidentally, I didn't (couldn't) throw up and felt dreadful for days. ds1 and dh were sick and were better by the next day.
Now they are teenagers and just sort themselves out.

I don't think my DS will develop it tbh, he's so laid back about things and he's only 3, whereas DD is like me, a born worrier, she worries about every little thing and has tummy ache every single night, lucky I know when its real!!

Thanks for replying Quangle

quanglewangle, me too a few yrs ago I caught awful D&V from ds when I was preganant....I couldn't vomit either....just spent most of 12 hours retching....ugh...my idea of hell...

I never knew my fear had a name!! Well done calvemjoe. I have been faced with this recently too and just managed to clean it up. I am very lucky my dh will do it for me if he is home. I feel very sad though that I cannot bring myself to comfort my kids when they are sick with a tummy bug though.

Have had a nightmare few days. DS still poorly, luckily not being sick, but I've barely eaten and my hands are red raw from obsesive washing. DH mentioned last night that he's feeling rough and I've been a shaking mess ever since, even slept on the sofa in my ant infested living room so I didn't need to be near him and am bleeching everywhere that he's likely to have touched since he left the house for work this morning.

I'm fed up of feeling like this. Any advice on any treatments? I'm pg with db2 and the likelyhood of me being exposed to vomit in the future is just getting bigger and bigger. Does anyone know anyone who's tried hypnotherapy? Or any treatments that work? I can't live like this

calvemjoe, it is a while since my children were little but what I do remember is that whenever they were ill dh was always away. It was dreadful and after one particularly messy couple of weeks I shelved any ideas to have a third child. I had had enough. If dh had been around he would have done it all for me but he wasn't and all I can say is that I was forced to deal with it and it did get easier. I still get very shaky and anxious if anyone is ill and I still bale out into the spare room if dh says he feels unwell but it isn't a fraction as bad as it was before.

I don't know if hypnotherapy works but it helped a friend give up smoking so might be worth trying, especially as you are well motivated.

Now ds2 is 16 and never gets anything - a third of his class were off ill with D&V and I didn't even know about it at the time. He must have built up a strong immume system as a result of all his tumy bugs as a baby and is lucky as he has no fear of illness.

tanyac - I spent a day unproductive retching when I was pregnant with ds1 and I didn't even feel sick!! Didn't feel great but certainly not sick. It was horrible. Not as bad as feeling sick though.

love your name quanglewangle
I may become The Attery Squash

Suzy - I toyed with thepobblewhohasnotoes ....

Have any of you guys ever visited www.emetophobia.org ?

Thanks quanglewangle. I can copeish with ds being ill cause he is so little but I bail on dh too if he so much as feels funny.
tanyac, I'll give that website a go, thanks.