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Stomach flu @ our house again!!!

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Posted 2/7/2012 5:25 AM (GMT 0)
I don't believe it...my daughter has the stomach flu again!  I have honestly never known a child to get it as often as she does...and add to that, that I am phobic about it...AAAaahhhh, I just can't believe it.

To make things worse, my husband and I just got into it.  He feels like I was wrong to mention to our daughter that she really needs to rush to the toilet when she gets the nauseous feeling...you see she has trouble with this, but she is 10 and I think she is old enough to learn.

He isn't the one stripping sheets and cleaning rugs...I am.  He said that I am making her feel bad and passing my anxiety on to her.  I hope that I am not...I just want her to stop spewing all over the house.  She said that she felt nauseous and headed straight for her bed...I said 'no, get to the bathroom quick!'  and it was just in time.  After I asked her, if she felt sick, why would she not go to the toilet, and he jumped all over me.

So now I am stressed times infinity...for her, for the words my husband and I had...and of course fear of getting it myself.

I am phobic because I spent a night away from home with the worst flu of my life.  We were in a hotel and I woke up with it, and suffered the worst night of my life.  We had to drive home the next day and I literally passed out in our front entry, I was so weak from the whole experience.  So now, it is so frightening to me...and I always seem to get it when one of my kids has it...no matter how careful I am (I own stock in Clorox!)

Please send positive thoughts and prayers for our family...things are kind of hard at the moment.

S.C,

Posted 2/7/2012 5:52 AM (GMT 0)
Sending prayers. That bug is rampant where I live in the NOrtheast. I am literally either staying inside alone or am out walking in the air. if I HAVE to go in somewhere I wear a mask. I don't care what anyone thinks. Under "normal" circumstances I would not be this worried but, due to a gut injury, I lost the use of my colon and have a permanent ileostomy. If I caught that I run the risk of dehydration and permanent kidney damage if I did not get immediate IV's. OUr local hospital would likely not even know what an ileostomy is let alone what I would need and would likely not believe me even if I told them and showed them my doctor's note.

SO I am staying alone until all this blows over. I think it is rampant this year as there is no snow cover and that is interrupting the natural flow of things. Germs aren't being killed. Not sure where you live.

ANyway, best of luck. YOu likely don't have my issue, but I can relate to the fear factor. Prayers, Rosemary
Posted 2/7/2012 5:57 AM (GMT 0)
Sending as many positive thoughts and prayers to you as I can SC! I hope you don't get it too, I personally hate getting the whole stomach thing. I'm sorry to hear that you and hubby had an argument over it. But I agree, she should be able to run to the toilet at 10, so you are not wrong in telling her she needs to do that when she feels sick.

Next time tell your hubby to clean up the mess because you're not doing it anymore, and then maybe he'll change his tune. It always make the anxiety so much worse when fighting. Big ((((HUGS)))) from me to you!
Posted 2/7/2012 6:10 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys! I hope that you all stay healthy as well...especially you Rosemary! I can understand your concern and hope that you avoid it for sure!

My husband is diabetic, so I can't let him get sick as it would complicate his blood sugar levels, so it is up to me to do the clean-up after an episode.

My poor daughter, I do feel bad for her...I just wish that I wasn't so scared about it...I am sure that I am passing along an unhealthy phobia with my annxiety over this:(

I'll keep you updated.

S.C.
Posted 2/7/2012 6:15 AM (GMT 0)
S.C.-

As a dad who has had to clean this up so many times I started to keep a basin from the hospital or a bucket around. We taught our kids that if they didn't think they could make it to the bathroom to use the bucket. Usually the first time is a mess since kids seem to let it go so much easier than adults, but then we make sure the bucket is close by them at all times until it's over. I also put dish soap or something in the bucket to try and keep the smell down. So much easier to dump and clean the bucket than carpets and bed linens.

We have had it running through our house this weekend too. Hope you all get this out of the house soon.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 2/7/2012 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
SC,

Dang I am so sorry to read this and I do understand your feelings.  I have to admit I was fortunate when I was raising my children and even now  I suspect working as a nurse in the ER I was exposed to so much that I have a pretty good immune system.  The only scare I ever had was one exposure to a patient with TB and it turned out the patient did not have TB.   :-)

I remember the times when I would be up in the middle of the night changing sheets, pajamas etc.  I would hear one of the kids cry out "Mom" and I would leap out of bed, grab the giant plastic bucket ( I kept 2 available at all times) from the linen closet on my way to their room hoping I could beat the clock.  Well the clock usually beat me on the first round.  However, once tucked back into their beds, each child slept with the bucket in hopes there would be no more sheets to change and it worked pretty well.  I do not feel you are being unrealistic in teaching your 10 year old to try to make it to the bathroom or use a bucket. 

I know for me I was the one that always responded although my hubby would get up and help settle things down.  When your dealing with sick kids the last thing you need is to have a conflict with your spouse.  I have been in your shoes with my husband on topics like this too.

Looks like Bill had a collection of the same buckets as I did smhair

My son was in Texas last week for his companies annual "big" meeting" and he got sick on Wednesday night with the flu.  His wife and daughter had been ill the week before.  On Thursday he was the key speaker at a seminar and somehow he made it through but was truly happy to get on the plane and head for home late that afternoon.  I have learned through him how awful it is to be sick in a hotel room miles from home.

OK, well that was long winded which seems to be me in the mornings lately.

I guess I just wanted to say I've got your back and remember it is OK to have a phobia - we all do.  You are the best SC and drink that gator ade along with high doses of Vitamin C. 

Lottsa hugs,

Kitt

 

Posted 2/7/2012 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
I went to bed last night after having felt kind of funny for a few hours. Then I woke suddenly early this morning with stomach cramps. At first I was constipated a little, I guess. Then, I was most assuredly the opposite of that and I had a little nausea as well. Things got better for a while but now I'm feeling nauseated again.

Kind of strange I was looking this up on Google and found a forum I visited daily for several years. Yep, I've spent plenty of hours on this forum while nauseated! No matter how much better I get with anxiety, as soon as I start to feel queasy things get really bad in a hurry.

Anyway I don't mean to hijack the thread; all I'm trying to do is find out what the adult symptoms are and how long it will likely last. 99 percent of Google results are about some cruise ship and are probably not relevant.

Hope everyone has been doing well.
Posted 2/7/2012 4:37 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Bill and Kitt...and yes the bucket is a tried and true fixture around here as well...it's just that the first round ususally goes to floor/bed/walls, ect! We just were not expecting it as she had no fever or other symptoms. Otherwise 'old trusty' would have been on duty as he is now!

She got through the night and is just resting today, so maybe it's not going to be so bad...but the first episode was truly of 'Exorcist' caliber!

Debaser, good to hear from you...although I am sorry that it is because you're not feeling well. If you don't have a fever/body aches/headache chances are it is just something that will pass (no pun intended) without further symptoms.

I have had a few bouts of D without any explanation, and it just goes away on its own soon enough...I hope that's the case for you.

Thanks everybody...I'm going to think positive and try my hardest not to get this. Kitt, I have a good immunity towards colds and the true flu...I have a high exposure rate seeing 150 students a week...but my achilles heel seems to be the stomach bug, go figure!

S.C.
Posted 2/8/2012 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
SC:

Oh, how I feel for you. I am absolutely terrified with panic when I hear the stomach virus is going around. In fact, it is what caused my severe OCD and anxiety as my kids (now grown) were hospitalized several times thru the years. (They were in the ER 9 times for IV fluids and admitted 5 of those 9). I figured it must have been all my fault for not being clean enough, so I went overboard with OCD. I can now barely function 'cause I disinfect all day long. It's a miserable life. Thankfully, I am heading to the psych doc on Thursday!

I just wanted you to know that I am thinking of you. (Although admittedly your post sent me into a panicked frenzy - LOL). Ugh.

Hope your daughter is better by now!

(as I trot away to wash my hands again!! :)
Posted 2/8/2012 1:36 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Cat Lady,

That is right, you do get plenty of exposure from the future Radio City Rocketts.  cool

I worked with several nurses and one Cardiologist that could not deal with cleaning up emesis.  They fled the room and abandoned me like a dirty shirt.  Everyone has their phobia.  skull

Take care,

Kitt

Posted 2/8/2012 3:50 AM (GMT 0)
Stomach viruses are the worst because no matter what everyone will end up with it. My daughter got it once when she was about 4 years old and tried to run to the bathroom through my master bedroom and threw up RED gadorade all over my white carpet in our new house. That had to be the worst looking thing ever not to mention next to impossible to clean but I did get it out with my Bissell steam cleaner. I now use extra large plastic garbage pails in each bedroom if anyone is sick and put the plastic garbage bag in them so clean up is throwing it outside in the garbage can.

One thing I feel has helped is that I bought a floor steamer that also comes with different attachments and you can literally steam anything in the house. If we are sick I will steam away. I try not to use chemicals for cleaning because of my kids asthma problems so this is my alternative to bleach and strong cleansers.
Posted 2/8/2012 3:51 AM (GMT 0)
Just wanted to add the sad thing is parents are sending their kids to school sick. I can't tell you how many times my daughter says someone threw up in homeroom and had to leave school but has shared that they were sick at home and their parents told them to go to school and if they got sick there they could get them. If parents kept sick kids home these viruses would not be going around over and over.
Posted 2/8/2012 5:11 AM (GMT 0)
Amen to that sister! I have had students tell me that they were throwing up the night before coming to my class! It is inexcusable to not only expose others to it, but to make a sick kid go to school and activities, ect...when they should be at home!

Well your stories have made me feel better and not so alone with my 'paranoia' of the stomach flu.

LHA...I am sorry, I will put a warning from now on...no graphic content!!! I am sorry that happened to you and your little guys, and yes I can see how that would push you to have OCD tendencies. I am so proud of you and happy to hear that you will be starting therapy...good for you and best wishes in your recovery.

Kitt...you were the designated quicker picker upper? And stranger's vom no less?...I don't know how you did it...you are a stronger woman than I!!!

Jillianna...red Gatorade? What a nightmare...that steamer of yours sounds great! We have hardwood floors though, with area rugs...and wouldn't you know it always is on the rug...the cats are really good at aiming it that way too, so maybe I should go ahead and get one, Lol!

Thanks again guys...so far so good for me and my husband...but I hate going to sleep at night, because I am afraid of waking up sick in the middle of the night!:(

S.C.
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