My family have never been so ill? Why? Is it just us??

[pansyflimflam]

Seriously we have never been so ill. We have 5 children so yes, there is room for a lot of bugs going around but honestly since the Autumn we have all been ill. Is it a bad year for these things? Colds that go on and on and on. We have had a couple of sickness things so (which we have really rarely had) and now my three young boys after chickenpox now have stinking colds again.

This has been the worst 5 months of my life. Its getting to the point where it is making me anxious because children seem to be dropping like flies at school with d and v again and I thought it eased up this time of year. Scratch that, and make it incredibly anxious.

Did anyone else find that the after effects of the Norovirus thing went on for much longer too. Seriously this is how I think it spreads, people think after the sick bit has stopped 48 hours and then bingo but we all had GI symptoms for about 5/6 days after. Still very upset tummy and no appetite. Dh had to go back to work but I was thinking with all the best will and hygiene in the world he travels on the tube every day!!!! It honestly took about 2 weeks for the desire to eat came back. This was true for the people who had it around here. Also actually felt like we were going to die when we had it. We had another one over Half Term too, sick only once but upset tummy for days after.

Both my elder DDs are in the unacceptable absences category but no one seems to have followed that up - they probably don't have the staff as they are all of sick!

same here - normally we have a few colds, but this year have had proper flu, bad ear infections (the kids), chest infection, UTI, tonsilitis, some nasty colds, and DS is just over chicken pox, so we're waiting for DD to get it now.

Miserable winter :(

We are exactly the same, three DCs, all been through the pox with ds1 spots got bloody infected. No sleep for about three weeks, then d & v but some godawful one that had the baby projectile vomiting and retching for about twelve hours straight.
Ds1 had tonsillitis, ds2 got a second sickness bug, and the cough/colds have been constant for the past few months.
Just found out that my niece has got slapped cheek so am waiting for that to strike.
I'm so exhausted. Roll on summer

I wonder if the dreadfulness of this years viruses offers us any protection from next years?

Was just thinking this this morning - I normally only have one head cold per winter & couldnt tell you the last time the dc were ill. I've had 3 head colds already & I've now got some sort of flu - fever, achey, snot, cough, diarrhoea, no appetite, ds1 has got tonsillitis (on antibiotics for the first time in his life) & ds2 has got the same kind of flu as me. We've all been in the house all week & everyone who phones to ask how we are says "oh yeah my dc/dh... has it too." I also wonder why its worse this winter - I've lost 15lbs since New Year so have been eating healthier & even all the vitamin C in the world isnt stopping the bugs.

Hope everyone feels better soon.

I a hopeful I have been so ill I am now impervious to any bugs that come my way!!!!!

And actually, aren't cold snaps meant to kill bugs off? It has been bloody freezing here and lots of snow but no dice..........

Could be vitamin D deficiency.
In a normal summer vit D levels build up through sun exposure and the body stores enough to last through the winter. Little sunshine last summer so we're likely to be vit D depleted and prone to infections. Worth taking a supplement, at least 1000 iu a day, not enough in multivits.

Well thanks that is good advice and certainly no harm to try that.

Those saying you wouldn't have a job by now, you would, you'd have dragged yourself in, (anything terribly infectious excepted) this is the reality when there is no option. You do get through the day but by jingo, it's tough!

It is not about me getting through the day, with 5 children who have all been variously ill they would not be able to go to childcare.... wtf happens then?

We all have those problems though. One has to keep lieu days and holiday back for such occasions or share childcare with DH (no family to help) so you never have a day together. Fun, innit?!!

And I don't work full time, what a juggle that must be.

Well I don't work for precisely those reasons to be honest. My DH works in London and is out 14 hours a day and no family at all. I really respect those who juggle because it would genuinely be beyond me.

That sounds tough in itself.

Ds1 has just been sent home from school. Sick.

I skipped my last lecture to get back and the guard on the train let me off the correct fare so I could get back on a different train.

Please can all this illness go away. Ds2 is literally only better today after 2 weeks of illness!

I take my hat off to all parents who work and juggle ill children and then have to drag themselves into work feeling ill themselves when they can't take anymore time off.

We had no or very little sunny weather last year.

No sunlight = no, or low, levels of Vitamin D3.
No D3, and your immune systems T-cells literally don't mobilise to fight infection.

I'm reading this whilst lying on the sofa with a horrible flu, virus thing. Barely slept last night as so bunged up & head was banging & had the shivers. I caught it from DD2 who was off for 3 days last week. Only just recovered with about 2 healthy days from laryngitis/cough that lasted 2 weeks (also caught from DD2) and a long head cold before that.

I help out at school & I know for a fact parents are sending their kids back after 24 hours (I also know not all of them work).

We are thoroughly fed up. My DH is out 13 hr days so just got to power through it.

I take multi-vits but they obviously do nothing.

Any other tips to stay healthy? I'm tempted to restrict how much time we spend with other kids over the Easter hols for us to recover!

Well I am going to take the advice here and buy some Vit D 3 and give t a whirl - I have nothing to lose as we all have another horrible achey cold AGAIN!!!!!!!!!

Hope everyone feels better soon xxxxxx

Oh FFS! Ds1 sent home again this morning. No sickness since Friday lunchtime so he should have been fine. Also considering restricting contact with others over the holidays.

It's the same in our house and I definitely think in some cases it's the same bug going round and round because parents aren't keeping their kids home long enough. My LO had two full weeks off in the past month.

If I hear a child so much as sneeze in our presence I might have a melt down. Gonna get me some face masks like they wear in Japan.

Yup still ill here, sore throat is just lingering on and on. Boring!