Quick survey: (a) how often do you get a D&V virus; (b) how often do you get any other illness bad enough to confine you to bed; and (c) are you ill more frequently than before you were a parent?

[artichokes]

I am lying here with my fourth bed confining illness in 6 months. I am so fed up of being ill. If it's not me it's the DCs or DH. Due to our poor health we cancel more social engagements than we keep. This survey is to see if we are normal! My answers are:

(a) D&V once every 6 months at the moment;
(b) Other virus once every 2-3 month;
(c) My health is sooooo much worse since DCs. Before conceiving I had not had a day off work in 6 years.

a) average once a year
b) flu once in my life last year, a good few times in my life other than that
c) no different when it comes to 'proper full on bed ridden illness but a hell of a lot more snotty colds and coughs
hope you feel better soon
x

I'm feeling your pain artichokes! I was at the docs last month after my 3rd D&V bug since Christmas. Follows the same pattern each time DS first, then me, then DH.

a)D&V every couple of months
b)flu type symptoms (achey, high temp etc) every couple of months
c)Health definitely much worse.

GP asks if DS at nursery.
Yes, I responded
That'll be it then says he!!!

I am very rarely ill

Never get D&V ,wouldn't mind a bit to lose a bit of weight.

Get a chesty cough about once a year

a) don't get D and V as far as I recall. I had food poisoning about 6 years ago.
b)Don't remember ever being in bed due to illness
c) health not worse since having kids.

I'm sure I'll get my fair share one day. No, I am not Bruce Willis from Unbreakable.

i am much more ill than before i had children as an asthmatic i seem to be most susceptible to chest infections. Get severe ones three to four times a year.

a) D&V, only once since having DS's (they are 5 and 3) But I have the stomach of an OX and went to India and Peru surrounded by everyone else getting D&V and losing weight and I was constipated......

b) About every 4/5 mths, have tonsilitis at the moment

c) I think I am prob healthier as I am fitter and eat healthier. I smoked and drank too much pre-DC

artichokes are your answers based on yourself or the whole family?
Myself:

a)Use two be twice a year, now once every 3 years.
b)3 times a year
c)After dc was born I was constantly ill, but seems to be subsiding the older they get.

Handsup - my answers were based on my own health. If I add in the times that DH and the DC are ill it feels constant. It is so depressing. I feel it is taking the gloss off their early years.

Myself:

(a) The only time I've had D&V as an adult was when I went to Egypt (where I believe it is compulsory);

(b) Probably when I had chickenpox 11 years ago;

(c) I get more colds and coughs now but that's about it.

I am very lucky that my dcs are rarely ill and dh takes it as a personal affront to catch any ailment!

Sorry to hear you're unwell - it is so dis-spiriting, I know.

a) DandV rarely
b) colds every 2-3 months. Flu 2 years ago, pneumonia last year
c) Definitely far more frequently. Alwasy feel run down.

artichokes, was only thinking about this last night for some odd reason.

When Dcs were little we seemed to be the same as you - there was always someone ill and I lost count of the number of times I had D&V.

Now they're older we're very rarely ill.

Hang on in there it does get better.

(a) Never (touchwood)
(b) Less that once a year.
(c) Yes, definitely.

That is nice to hear Owis. How old wereyour kids when things improved.

Never seem to get d & v. We are a cough family.

My health is better since becoming a parent...I don't let myself succumb to things and battle through.

(a) kids maybe once a year, rarely vomiting, maybe upset tum for a day or two. i have had one in the last 4 years.

(b) confined to bed maybe once a year, mostly with a bad back, or a flu/chest infection/throat infection. but had rhte flu jab this year, so not happened. touch wood.

(c) am probably ill the same amount, but have to get up and get on with it, so notice it less.

Oooh you know it's so hard to remember properly but think by the time they reached 8 or thereabouts it was a lot less often.

Seemed to get better the higher up juniors they went. Nursery and infants seem to have been spent constantly sniffling, coughing, vomiting, etc., on a round robin basis. And I always got it as well. Always. It's horrible to always feel so run down. Sympathies.

I am an emetophobe and have had four bouts of d & v since having the children (all when they were little babies, now I think of it) in 8 years.

But prior to having the dc I'd only had 1 puking bug in 30 years! Emetophobes never forget a bout of v ing .

So, yes, it was much worse for me after having the children, but we all seem to be getting more robust again now the dc are 8 and 5. Touch wood.

Hope you feel better soon.

my health is better i am sure, or at least i don't take time off work, or rarely, i have to get up and get the dc's out to school, which makes a difference!
don't get D & V.

Minty - I used to suffer terribly from emetophobia. Thank God a got CBT and it worked else I am not sure how I would have coped recently. In fact last night as I was staring at my toilet bowl feeling terrible it occurred to me how frequent exposure has also helped reduce the fear. Every cloud...

a) D&V - once a year
b) Other virus - colds etc - quite often - once every 2 months - got 2 toddlers so not surprising
c) heatlh reasonably similar - used to commute using trains and tubes so was ill in the winters anyway

(a) only had D&V once AFAIR have had a sickness bug about 3 times
(b)i don't get ill enough to be confined to bed (as in i wouldn't LET myself be confined to bed)
(c)my whole lifestyle has changed since becoming a prent and i spend a lot more time around children so yes i do get things like mild colds more but they are not really bad either

a) only had d&v once in about a decade - but yes, it was my dcs who passed it to me!
b)generally more prone to feeling a bit bleurgh since becoming a parent - fighting off all the busg that get the kids but that dh and I seem to fight, whilst just feeling a bit off colour
c)yes - never used to be ill at all, apart from maybe an annual really bad cold/fluey thing but since ds1 was born, the last few years seem to be a run of general malaise!

(a) D&V never - none of us, DTs have only been sick a couple of times in their 5.5 yrs, more due to catarrh than sickness
(b) once in the last 7 years
(c) no noticeable difference

1. never, even when my family have one. I have the digestion of a cast-iron ox.
2. About once a decade.
3. Less. Because I don't admit to it So thankfully nothing serious.

a) Every 2-3 months
b)Every 6-8 weeks
c) My health is definitely worse since having DD, I have always had a fairly crappy immune system but she brings stuff home from nursery and passes it on to me.

I rarely take enough time off to get properly better as I have had a couple of days off for her prior to me coming down with it. Therefore I'm always fairly run down and more susceptible to catch things and the cycle repeats...