What to do when a virus races through your house?
Get it.
That’s my answer: get sick and get over it.
I write that as I sit here, trying to figure out whether I’m feeling sick or not. I’m tired–normal, late morning, I-don’t-feel-like-working-tired? Or abnormal, illness tired? I’m alternately hungry and a little queasy–too much coffee? Or the beginning twinges of the stomach flu which has raged through my household over the last few days? I look pale and exhausted. I always look like that, don’t I? I’m old, for god’s sake.
Or do I look unusually pale and exhausted this morning?
It started with my daughter. Well, more accurately, it started with a potluck dinner party last Sunday night (I can trace it back because I used to read “Annals of Medicine” in The New Yorker and learned a thing or two about epidemiology. Plus half the people at this one event have come down with the stomach flu). Anyway, very early Tuesday morning, my daughter comes into our room, moves around restlessly on the sofa, then sits up–and vomits sideways onto the floor. She didn’t stop doing that, on and off, for several hours, although at some point I got her a bowl to barf in because I got tired of cleaning up the floor.
Around the time Annie stopped vomiting, my niece who’s living with us this year called from school to say she had thrown up four times and and needed to be picked up. Then my son texted me to say he didn’t feel well–he made it through the day of school but came home and went to bed. But the real excitement came at 1:30 am that night when my husband AND my youngest son managed to awaken and vomit within seconds of each other.
Good times, good times.
A side note: why do kids know they should lean over to vomit, but don’t think about actually doing it IN something? I spent a good hour cleaning up after my son had stopped vomiting: his room looked like some kind of cholera-ridden battlefield hospital.
All of this is to say: I must be doomed, right? I mean, the stomach flu can’t sweep through that many members of my family and not get to me. Can it? My oldest son has remained healthy but that’s normal for him–he frequently manages to avoid family illnesses (maybe because he frequently avoids the family–jk). But I’ve been in the trenches from the very first hurl to the last mopping up of the floor, so I have to get this thing.
Only I haven’t yet. And, frankly, it’s driving me nuts.
I don’t want to get sick. I hate vomiting more than I hate pretty much anything else (other than having Bush and Cheney as our president and VP–and THEY’RE ALMOST GONE). But this state of waiting to get sick is slowly but surely turning me insane. I keep thinking I’m “about to get it.” Every stomach gurgle and every moment of weariness jolts me into thinking, “This is it.” Only it hasn’t been. Yet. Or never?
I don’t even know when the statute of limitations runs out on this thing. It seems to have a short incubation. But who knows? And if my last exposure was the one that doomed me, the incubation may well not be up yet. I’m scared to make plans or leave the house–but I’m probably fine. Or am I?
So I find myself envying those who’ve simply had the damn stomach flu and are now on the mend. Sure, they were miserable–really, really, really miserable–but at least they know the worst is behind them. I don’t know that. Although maybe there is no worst for me. But what if there is?
Besides, if I simply get this stupid virus, I can console myself by reciting my favorite line from the movie The Devil Wears Prada–”I’m one stomach flu away from my goal weight.” Not entirely accurate–it would take me several stomach flus to get there–but inspiring in its admittedly sick and pathetic way.
Besides, I’d rather be sick than insane.
As with so many things in life, it’s the not knowing that’s so hard . . .
OWWW feel better!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am where you were and thinking the same things! Thanks for the giggle
I’m happy to say that the stomach flu has moved on from our household and I never actually threw up. I did feel lousy but, honestly, it may have been psychosomatic. I’ll never know for sure. My oldest son didn’t get it either–everyone else was flattened. I cleaned up a lot of vomit so I’m still wondering why I didn’t get it like everyone else. The mysteries of viruses . . . Stay healthy!
Oh my gosh – such good words of wisdom! It’s the not knowing that kills me! I am frantically Googling to find out all kinds of sage advice, and believe you me – this one tops all of the medical articles out there.
Aw, thanks. What’s funny is that this is probably my most read post. Who’d have guessed?
I am so glad I found your post! Two of my daughters have been sick, the older one started right after the younger one stopped. I am waiting for my possible turn–every gurgle makes me wonder and I’ve put myself on the brat diet along with my daughters–probably ridiculous but somehow I think I can beat it if I start the brat diet now (or at least it will be less awful when/if I start throwing up too). So, here I sit wondering if I’ll be next and I am making myself a bit crazy! Glad you never did get it and hope I’m in the same boat! Thanks for the chuckle and well written blog!….Kim
So glad you like it, Kim! But now’s the time to eat your favorite junk food–if it DOES come up, you might as well have enjoyed it the first time. Hee-hee.
i read that the stomach flu isn’t a real flu and can’t be transmitted like a virus through the air. so i bet it was something that your family members ate but you avoided!
That’s interesting. I always wonder with stomach upsets what the source is–food or virus? I have friends who constantly have the stomach flu and others who never get it, so I suspect some of us have a lot more natural resistance to bacteria than others! (Or a lot more GOOD bacteria in our guts.)
LOVED, LOVED your article…. Claire thank you!!!! This is exactly what Im going through at the moment. Out of 25 people at Thanksgiving 19 have had the stomach flu and 1 more that we gave it to when we got home. But still not me!!
Thanks again.
I’m glad you liked it!
Your article was awesome! I’m so relieved that someone else does this thing with anticipating the stomach big. Right now I’m on my bathroom floor with my iPhone googling “the stomach flu”. My daughter had it the night before last theny boyfriend (who does not live in this house) got it yesterday and threw up and had diarreah for hours. You see, I have a severe phobia of vomitting so this is literally about killing me or at least my spirit. I started a new job yesterday and would die if I had to call in sick. So tell me even though I have little symptoms here and there, I may not get this thing full blown like my little girl or my boyfriend suffered it? Oh and my hands are split and cracked from clorox and hand sanitizer! Ughhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! Help!
I know what you mean about a phobia of vomiting. It’s horrible in reality but possibly worse in anticipation. This is probably a good time to try to find the Zen part of you and realize what will be will be. I do think that some people are more prone to stomach bugs than others so maybe you’ll have a resistance the others in your family don’t. Possible. Good luck!
Thanks Claire! I did find out that individuals who have O type blood have less resistance. I am A positive. I am working on the ” what will be will be” thing. It’s tough because I am a person who plans each step. Throwing the “maybe” stomach virus into it really messes me up! Again, great post!
OH my goodness this is totally me. My husband was sick for the first time since we’ve been married and I panicked. I’m an emetaphobic and it scares the life out of me to hear that anyone whether i’ve been around them or not has thrown up. My husband only threw up once and he just felt tired and sick the rest of the day but now I’m on edge thinking that every weird feeling is me about to get the stomach flu or whatever he had. I haven’t thrown up in 5 years and before that I hadn’t thrown up in 13 years so maybe i’m just being paranoid and won’t get it but there is always that “it could happen” running in my mind causing me to panick… Ahhhh
I learned a new word from you! I love “emetaphobic.” I know a lot of people who are like that but never knew the word for it before. Thanks!
stephanie,
its so refreshing to hear that someone else out there is just like me. i fear throwing up more than anything else. i dread the “stomach flu”
Oh my gosh! You are all making me feel so normal. I thought i was the only one that worried this much about the stomach flu. We have not had it for several years and then got it last year… at least 2 of the 5 did. Probably thanks to my severe bleaching and disinfecting I go through when this happens. Well..my daughter got it again this year. Everytime someone gets it I think I make myself sick because I never really get that sick. I dread my husband getting it the worst cuz he practically shakes the house every time he pukes. Ick! Enough to make you sick if you aren’t already. Anyway… thanks for making me feel a little normal guys!!
Jen
Wow wow wow……Im in the same boat! Sooooo good to know that Im not the only paranoid emetaphobic! I constantly worry about that horrible horrible bug getting my home! If anyone has any advice to add on how to prevent spreading it other than all the crazy bleach and LySol spray cleaning, not breathing the air around a vomiting person, wash wash washing hands please let me know. I absolutey hate the worry of this, but it’s good to know that Im not the only one!
My daughter had a Super Bowl Party (which I didn’t go to) but almost every guest got sick within 2 days. My pregnant daughter got it, and her husband, then my husband and my youngest daughter had it, and I have been living in fear of getting it! I am an emetaphobic also. I feel like I could have written this article! In fact, I printed it out and showed my family because it is exactly the style of writing and my feelings put down to words by you! It was incredible. I have been researching for days about all of this and it’s driving me insane. I told my family that as much as I dread vomiting with all my heart and soul, I am almost envious they had it because they can move on, and I keep feeling like I’m playing Russian roulette every time I eat or drink. It’s like the barrel gets spun, the trigger is pulled and you wait for the gunshot and it doesn’t come that round, but you know what of those rounds it will hit you! It is a horrible feeling. I have my daughters baby shower in 3 days and I just know I will be sick, and then I will be devastated to miss out on her shower. (those events don’t happen but once of twice in your lifetime) It was just refreshing to know I’m not the nut case my family thinks I am. Thank you!
Sorry….that should have said “you know ONE of those rounds it will hit you”.
also I did want to point out that Lysol does not kill the Norovirus. Bleach is the only chemical that kills it (but it can be diluted in water and wear gloves so your hands don’t get affected by the bleach). Also ‘most’ food poisoning is the Norovirus that was contaminated by whoever made the food. Then the people who ate the food are also contagious, so that’s why it’s such a vicious virus to fight. Most people think food poisoning isn’t contagious. I was very sad to learn that!
fascinating, Joanne! I feel like I know so much more now . . .
I am the same exact way! Throwing up just absolutely freaks me out, I cannot deal with it.. My daughter has the flu now praying it doesn’t go to the whole family!
Thank you for this article. As most of the others have said it seems like quite a few of us suffer from emetaphobia. If I hear someone that I know has the stomach bug I go into an instant panic. It is a rather difficult way to live and I am trying to find ways to cope with this phobia. I agree with so many of you who say they wish they could just get it and get over it, I feel the same way. I always worry it tonight will be the night my 5 year old wakes me up from the bug. I guess it’s the element of suprise that gets me on this, you just never know when it’s about to strike. I wish all my fellow emetophobes a healthy remainder of winter and luckily spring is around the corner and hopefully all of the sickness will subside.
No one can understand what it is like to suffer from phobias, especially that of emetaphobia. I am 37 years old and have suffered with this for over the past 20+ years of my life. What’s extremely sad is that this phobia along with a few others may just be ruining my marriage. My fears extend out a s far as locking myself in certain parts of the house to avoid contact with my family who may be ill. Currently I am in the basement of our house, where I spend a lot of my time on the pullout coach trying to avoid sickness that may be lingering upstairs. Both my sons in the last two days have come home telling stories of the kids in their classes that are vomiting. Of course this automatically puts me on high alert and leaves me in a state of barely being able to breath, especially cause my 9 year old went to bed complaining his stomach hurt and I just heard a bunch of commossion in the last 1/2 hour that something is definelty going on upstairs. I have an extreme husband who literally handles it all, the only thing that he can’t handle is me and the contant withdrawnness I have created. The sad thing is that I have a wonderful life, but my inability to fuction and overcome daily phobias is tearing me further and further away from my family. Not to mention the hours of sleep I’ve lost afraid to go to sleep that I will wake sick.
o you ever give in at some point.
Hello all….I have the same problem, I hate the thought of vomiting. The sad part is, is that I work in a school filled with 5-12yr olds, and I have been there for 10yrs and went 7 of those years with never catching the stomach bug, until my daughter was born. My daughter caught it when she was one and it went through my home like wildfire, that was almost three years ago and none of us have cought it again. Every year I wonder if “this is the year”, I guess you just have to look at as “who cares” the worse thats going to happen is your going to puke, its not going to kill ya, and life goes on! Good luck everyone!
I loved this article! I never knew any body felt the same way I did about the stomach bug! My younger sister went on a sleep-away school field trip and my mom just left to go get her early, thats right, she got the stomach bug. I almost feel like I’m getting the virus now and my sisters not even home yet! My boyfriend is coming back from college to visit this weekend, he’s a 30 hour drive away from home so he doesn’t come home much. I’m dreading that when he arrives saturday I will have came down with the stomach bug. At least now I no I’m not the only emetaphobic out there!
I feel sorry for each of you that has posted your fear of vomitting, because i have the same fear. I’ve only started having this issue about 15 years ago and i’m 41 now. The strange thing is that I’m a father of 2 and married to a wonderful woman that, somehow, understands my issues with this. It seems strange that a guy that has been through what i’ve been through with the military can be scared of such a small thing as throwing up. I’ve been under fire and had no issue handling that metally or physically. I’ve jumped out of planes with no issues either. I would really like to find a way to deal with this issue because sometimes it makes me feel like there is no hope. Like it’s a helpless feeling. I guess that is why it makes me so crazy when someone around me gets sick. I wish i knew so i could understand.
My sympathy to everyone who’s had a tough time with this.
claire- how crazy you are getting comments 2 years after you first posted…
all from people googling i’m sure. myself included.
total vomit phobe myself. and am right there along for the ride with each of these folks. playing the waiting game. chugging echinacea and goldenseal, umeboshi plums, homeopathic influenza spray blah blah blah!
crossing fingers it doesn’t come for me next.
now..what i wanna know is if these people all ever got it…..
thanks for the well written post.
oops- wanted to get follow up replys. thanks.
I really did tap into something with this post. It’s so funny. You’re right that I wrote it a LONG time ago. I think we all want to be able to control our health–that’s why we take so many supplements when we feel like we’re getting sick–but it may be the one part of our lives we have no control over whatsoever.
I also did some Google research on avoiding the stomach flu when others have it and found this post. The waiting game has begun at my house. The noise of my wife puking at 5am woke me up, and she’s been vomiting all day.
We’ve had a hell of a Fall. She’s pregnant, but somehow managed to only vomit once when she was in her first trimester, though she was neaseated continuously for about two months. As soon as she was nearing the end of her first trimester, I had fairly rapid onset appendicitis, and had to have an urgent appendectomy. Within 20 minutes of visiting Urgent Care, I was moved to the ER, and about six hours of arriving at the ER I was in the surgical theater. I spent four days in the hospital, and two weeks off work recovering. Right at my last two days of recovery, she caught a cold which took a good week to shake off.
Here we are less than a month after my surgery and a week after her cold, and I’m carefully dancing around the house, and hoping my (usually) strong immune system can keep me on my feet, and avoid the stomach flu she caught. I also want to avoid using any more sick/vacation days at work, because I want to bank as many as I can for when the baby arrives in May.
Thanks for giving me a sense of hope, and a little humor. Let’s hope my immune system, tempered with years of working in a retail environment, can battle this storm and keep me going!
I bet it does! Not everyone gets every stomach flu–that much I’ve learned from years of having a big family. Sometimes only one or two members get it. I hope you all stay healthy!
Hi
Just found this blog entry after Googling “are some people more susceptible to stomach flu”. I, like many of you, am emetaphobic. I can’t remember what triggered it. One year I was fine and the thought of being ill didn’t bother me (although it’s never been pleasant, of course) and now I’m terrified. I get scared of being ill when I’m not at home, and wonder how I’d get home if I did get ill as I can’t drive. I’m terrified of getting stuck somewhere when I’m ill; to the extent that I will no longer holiday abroad, hate going to visit family who are more than half an hour’s drive away and get anxious when I’m in uni because I know I’m an hour away from home there.
My Mum works in a private hospital, and some of the staff have been off with the stomach flu. One of them was ill in the hospital yesterday, and Mum’s in work today, and I can’t even begin to tell you how scared that is making me. Although people are probably ill all the time without her coming down with it, I think the simple fact that she’s told me about it makes me think that it’s going to happen. The rational part of me tells me that she’s hardly ever ill (she must have a strong immune system) and people MUST be ill in that way pretty much every day in a hospital environment, right? But at the same time I’m terrified.
Like some above have mentioned, the anticipation of being ill is often worse than the illness itself. I also worry that if I am ill, the anxiety of being ill again will make me feel ill again and will create a horrible spiral of not wanting to go out because I’m not sure whether I’m going to be ill or not.
I just wish I was normal. I wish I could join clubs without worrying they’ll want me to go on trips with them. I wish I could go out drinking without being terrified of what it might do to me. I wish I could go out of the house just once without being worried that I might be ill while I’m out (it’s a daily occurrence whether somebody I know is ill or not).
I know that this is stupid to be afraid of, as everybody is going to be ill at some point in their lives. I know it’s stupid. I have seen a doctor, who prescribed me with anxiety pills. They may have worked, but I’ll never know. I couldn’t take them because “nausea” was listed as a possible side effect.
I know this is really long, but just thought I’d post to let everyone else know that they’re not alone. I need to get over my phobia before I have children, which is something that I desperately want. Bizarrely, I think that I could cope with morning sickness because I would be expecting it to happen. It’s the thought of becoming suddenly ill that bothers me; and also the thought of my future children becoming ill and me not being able to comfort them.
My current partner is very understanding, but he loves travelling, and I think he’s beginning to resent the fact that if he stays with me a lot of things aren’t going to be possible anymore.
I’m going to leave it there, that’s the first time I’ve ever written about my issue and, if I’m being honest, it’s just made me horribly panicky about what my future holds all because of this stupid worry.
Thanks for being so open with us, Jenny. I think it’s clear from all the above comments that you’re truly not alone with this, that it’s a pretty common fear. Does it help to know that illness rarely comes that suddenly? Usually there’s a fair amount of warning. Did you talk to your doctor about your fear that the anxiety medication might make you throw up? That seems like a worthwhile conversation to have. I wish you all the best luck with this.
Well to follow up, somehow I didn’t get sick!
I kept her somewhat isolated in the bedroom while I slept on a blow up mattress. Lots of soap and water on any surface she touched, and lots of fluid to rehydrate her. She threw up for a total of about 12 hours, then another two to three days of building back up her strength.
It’s funny that I have found this article because I have been wondering the same thing..
I have been researching.. all kinds of topics on this. How often do parents catch it?, how often does it go through your house?, Are some more susceptible than others.. etc..
I am definitely emetephobic.. and my fear is worse than ever right now because I’m 18 weeks pregnant. I do not want to get it while I’m pregnant.
I wonder, because I hear so many people and parents talk about getting it every year.. then I hear some say they never or rarely get it.
I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve had it in my life.. and only once as an adult.. I’m 29 now.. and the last time I was 21.. and before that I was 8. I know it may be genetics because my parents and brothers rarely get them too.. I don’t think my parents or brothers ever caught it from me the few times I had it as a child. And my husband and I never catch it from the kids.. they get it 1 or 2 times a year.. and we never get it some how (knock on wood)… in their 5 and 6 years of life. They sometimes pass it to each other but we never get it. Everytime they get sick I worry we will, but we don’t. He said his parents never/rarely got sick either.. so maybe we just have good genetics. I’ve heard others say the same thing.. but then others who say they get it every year. So I’m just wondering what is more common? We don’t do anything special to prevent it. I guess we do take multi vitamins and wash our hands regularly.
But regardless, I wonder is this normal? I sit around waiting for it to be my turn. One of my stepsons had it a month ago and two other children at his moms house got it, but the other stepson never got it. But he was sick a couple of weeks before. But no one else got it then. No adults caught this one.. somehow. I thought we made it through for the year.. but since the youngest one didn’t catch it when the other kids got it.. now I’m in constant fear that he’s going to get one still. But I”m hoping what he had a couple weeks before the others may have been the same virus.. but we contained it… and hopefully we’re good for awhile. Ugh.. it makes me so nervous. I also worry constantly because my husband teaches 7th graders… but I have noticed that it seems to happen more from children bringing it into the house.. whether parents get it or not. I’ve never caught it from work or seen it really go around work bad.. so I don’t know.
Sorry to ramble on…….I was excited to read this.. and it is funny how it has gone on for 2 years! I”d also like to know if any of these people who posted ever got it!?
Thanks for letting me vent!!
Omg, I’m 14 and for about 3 years I’m terrified of throwing up. Its stops me from doing things I would normally do. If I get bellyache, I instantly think I’ve got the stomach flu, in school if I’m in assembly, I get upset, I’ve had counselling and it still doesn’t go away! I’ve had talks, I’m so scared and my solution from today is don’t eat anything and you won’t throw up? I think its the bug bit that scares me, like how long woll I be sick for. If someones sick, I shake and cry, you can laugh I don’t care, it terrifies me, I thought that I was the only one like this. I can’t go on like this, I think that its the fact that I’ve nevergot stomach flu a lot? Maybe once every two years,touch wood’ but it still scares me to think about, sorry about the essay x
well i had it last week and it came around again, and its only me…
the stomach flu just came through town and got my son. I stayed up with him all night while he was sick, and even though he had a rough night of it, he’s fine now, so remember: it’s a very short term thing and a very quick recovery! And I haven’t gotten it so it’s not THAT contagious. Good luck everyone!
I’m sorry to say this but I loved reading this stream. I think I could have written parts of each post. It is very comforting to know that I am not the ONLY person in the world that has all these thoughts. I’ve know for a very long time that I have an extreme fear of both me vomiting or knowing anyone in my world is ill. I think the worst part of it is that it becomes so debilitating for me. I can’t think past it and have a very difficult time functioning. What really upsets me is that I miss out on a lot of things that should be fun, such as holidays, weddings, etc. It’s not that I don’t attend events but I’m usually so stressed I don’t enjoy them and then they’re over and I’m mad at myself for once again doing this to me. I feel bad that other people have to live what I live.
I live with my boyfriend of 6 years, and he has never gotten ill. but we went to visit his niece and nephew and they were sick. well my boyfriend got it. he’s in the room now feeling terrible while I’m on the couch waiting for my turn. we live in a small apartment, so I’m for sure next!! i have been washing my hands constantly. hopefully it works. cause i have a major phobia of stomach viruses!!! but knowing that some of y’all didn’t get it helps calm my nerves..but after he feels better he is still contagious for three days!! omg I’m doomed
I have some kind of stomach epidemic thats running through Louisville, KY…. Its the second time Ive had it within 7 days. Everyone keeps passing it around.. Its horrible. I have a very important physical agility test in a cpl weeks & here I am not working out but fighting this crap.
Wow, this post has been going on for a long time! I too found this after googling because my 1-year-old just vomited all over the place and I went into panic mode. It brought me to tears to read that other people have the same fear as me. It’s weird, some years I am fine and don’t really think about it and then others it’s so debilitating that I have a panic attack or 2 a day! It has kept me from doing a lot of things in my life and that alone KILLS me. I use to want to travel the world and now I can barely fly to the next state an hour away because I’m scared of getting sick on the airplane or if someone else is sick near me. When I was a teenager I would cut myself to distract me from the anxiety of throwing up. So for all of you that posted above of your fear YOU ARE NOT ALONE! It actually makes me feel a lot better. I always tell my husband that I wish I was normal like everyone else and this actually makes me feel like I am for ONCE in my life!
I’m happy this post has helped people feel less alone with this!
I am notoriously paranoid when it comes to sickness in general, but especially stomach sickness as I’ve had stomach problems most of my life. When I get a bug like the stomach virus, it hits hard! I am currently in a state of panic because the facility where I was helping move my dad recently had an outbreak, and my brother who was with me the entire time helping was sick all through the night last night. I am currently at work and the thought of dealing with being sick at work (which coincidentally enough is a hospital, but still…) is terrifying. Driving home feeling ill would be the worst! I am currently torn between whether to leave early or stick it out. On the one hand, I would feel silly for leaving early, canceling a meeting, etc. for paranoia, yet on the other, it’s driving me crazy worrying when it will hit me, and if it does, I’d surely rather be in the comforts of home than in the office. Glad to know I’m not the only one who freaks out over this kind of thing. Wish we had already gotten past the stomach bug as a species from an evolutionary standpoint, it’s definitely one of my worst fears.
Hi there. I too came across this thread by good ‘ol google! I am an emetephobe but am finding it increasingly difficult to live with since my 4 Year old daughter was born. The dreaded bug is circling our town yet again so now my heads in a complete spin just waiting for it to hit our house! I homestly feel like Im going insane with worry sometimes! Its definitely the not knowing thats the worst. I have no words of advice or measures to help avoid it but just wanted to share my thoughts. I read that a pharmaceutical company are working on a Norovirus vaccine but as there are so many strains of the virus its still a few years away from release to the general public! Im sure like me you fellow emetephobes cannot wait for that day!!!! No more worry – life would be perfect! I have had CBT for my phobia which did help initially but I personally think it is impossible to cure
Our minds are great at controlling us. Hope everyone manages a healthy winter! Roll in Spring xxxxx