I'm nervous...

[coolpk2003]

Today... we had a potluck sort of thing at work and then tonight at my church we are having a potluck for a baby shower. I feel like potlucks mean stomach viruses are bound to happen. Also a lot of people at my church have been sick and they will probably cook for this tonight... makes me nervous but I have to eat because that will be my dinner. And my friend who had diarrhea all last night is coming to the shower tonight and she'll sit by me so I'm even more nervous. UGH.... help me... I don't want to get it. NO...it's not an option to not go or not eat. I have to go, have to eat, and have to sit by my friend.

[Mowilson]

Is there anyway you can eat before you go, and just try to socialize and not spend too much time in close quarters with your friend? I know how I feel, I don't like to go to any big public gather between the months of Oct-Mar!

Hang in there!

[katherines6]

Well I don't know about you but if it was ME in this situation, I wouldn't worry too much about sitting by my friend because I am not afraid of d* (I abbreviate because I know some people on this site are and would rather not see the word), its just v* i have a huge problem with. And as for the eating, I don't see why you have to eat there. And if you absolutely do, choose something safe; they usually have side dishes at gatherings like those, so have a salad or something that you can handle on your own and make sure, if it makes you feel better, to wash the leaves. Thats what I would do.

[coolpk2003]

I guess this is where I differ from other people. I refuse to be different from everybody else because of my phobia...I just freak out about how "normal" I was when I get home from somewhere. When I get there I guarantee I'll sit across from my friend all evening and I'll eat a full plate of food and act like all is wonderful and then when I get home and it's time for me to go to bed tonight I'll freak out and feel like tonight is the night I'm going to throw up because I sat by my friend and I ate at the potluck where people that's had the flu have cooked the food. In that way I'm just like everyone on here but at the same time I refuse to be different than other people because of this fear....i eat at potlucks, I fly on planes, I go on cruises, I ride rollercoasters, I am lactose yet still eat dairy which upsets my stomach, etc.... but then I freak out about it later. I make no sense but that's just how I am. I guess it's off to the shower...to eat a potluck dinner which I'll probably really enjoy while I'm eating it...then I'll cry to my husband about it later and he'll get super upset because he says all of our conversations during flu season are about me and whether or not I'll throw up...I know I'm annoying and I give him kudos for even still being with me once he realized how crazy and insane about this I really am...Okay i'm done venting.

[katherines6]

awww, things seem really tough. but in a way i really think you are doing the right thing. most people with emetophobia restrict themselves and don't do the things they enjoy out of fear. hopefully the fact that you do what you like and have fun, though you may regret it later when you get scared, is helping you get better. have you considered seeing a therapist? i do and I think she's really going to help me be able to go to activities and have fun AND not be worried when i get home. that seems crazy now but if you think about it it sounds like a great way to live.
yeah i worry I'll never get married when I grow up because no one will want to deal with my insane panic attacks about v*ing if I never get over my fear. But if you think about it, maybe him finding out how you are really afraid of this and it is an actual disorder type thing that real people suffer from, your relationship could benifit because he would want to help you get over it. Which might sound weird but for example if your husband always locked the front door, even when you would go get the mail or something, and it bugged you sooo much and you would always tell him to stop it, wouldn't you feel differently and better about the situation if you knew that he had a phobia of break ins or something, and he wasnt just being forgetful and inconsiderate? which is a bad example i know, but i'm trying to help. ^.^ and lol you probably don't want my advice with matters concerning marriage because I'm not even 14 yet. xD
But anyway, I really hope you have fun at this potluck, and please post about how it went when you get back, because even if it didnt go well and you are worried and scared, this is a great site with a lot of nice people and we are all willing to help in ways we can.

[katherines6]

...woah i wrote a lot. sorry! xD

[coolpk2003]

Haha the potluck baby shower went well. I ate a lot cuz it was all food I liked I even ate chips which I hate doing out cuz everyone puts their hands in the bowl which scares me. I did also sit across from my friend that was sick yesterday she even poured my pop and brought it to me. I am nervous and kinda freakinf out inside but I don't feel sick at least not yet so that helps a bit. Although I'm always scared I'll wake up out of a dead sleep and have to throw up tomorrow I have a youth function because my hubby and I are youth leaders so once again I'll be in close quarters with people and eating out of the same bowls like tonight just different people and different food and this makes me nervous because some of these kids I know for sure have thrown up this week ugh freak out time again boo

[katherines6]

really good job at the potluck tho!!! i know how you feel; i also worry that i will wake up suddenly about to v*, but the chances of this are pretty slim, despite what my emet makes me believe. My advice for the youth function is maybe having some echinacea before you go to make your body better able to fight of any sicknesses that may be hanging around in there. and about the snacks, i dont really know what to say except maybe just take stuff from the bottom of the bowl??? idk but good luck with that too, and hopefully your success at the potluck will give you some more courage for this event!!!

[Mowilson]

That seems really rough, but I wouldn't worry about catching whatever she has!! Breathe through your nose, the hair in your nose help catch germs. I learned about it in bio!

Good luck!

[coolpk2003]

I feel okay this morning but on my way to work I got in a car accident. Someone rear ended me and messed up my bumper but I'm just thankful I am okay. I got to work and I was still feeling okay. My stomach hurts al ittle but i was chalking that up to just getting in the accident shaking me up a bit although I feel pretty calm about it all. Then... the girl that sits in the very next cubicle starts saying how her stomach hurts and she's freezing and then she up and decides to go home becuase she's sick. I'm scared that I'll get it. I'm glad she went home before she actually got sick that makes me feel a little better but i'm hating how much sickness is lingering around here right now. It's so disgusting and it unnerves me big time.

[Mowilson]

I'm happy to hear everything was okay after the accident. You won't catch whatever your co-worker had. Most of the time other people get stomach aches, it is some sort of ache from needing to go number two, or maybe even cramps from her period. Also, she wasn't there very long, and she never even got s* around you!

[katherines6]

It's good you got through the car accident! I don't think you are going to get sick, but if it makes you feel more at ease just carry a bottle of hand sanitizer around with you! Then you can disinfect your hands after touching things that others touch so when you think about it later, you can go "I won't get sick, I was careful and there is no way any germs could have gotten to me."