hi, new here, terrified of the V...

[RosieRoo]

I'm new here, for starters, so I don't know if I'm doing anything right but I am in desperate need of some help here.
I'm absolutely petrified of getting a bug or doing it and have managed to avoid the grossness since Christmas of 2009 by some miracle. I'm terrible with panic attacks, and whenever I have a panic attack, I think I have a stomach bug, and I just fall apart. The attacks have been under control for the last few weeks. But here I am now, in complete terror because of my job. I'm a nanny, and so far, I have had absolutely no problem with the kids getting sick. They've had colds, but a stuffy nose and cough don't scare me any. Yesterday at 3:30pm the oldest of the two boys I watch came home saying he had a terrible headache and was very tired, so I gave him some tylenol and let him take a nap. I left three hours later, and around 9pm got a phone call from the Mom saying that Charlie, the boy, woke up shortly after I left and had been violently v-ing for the last several hours. I had just spent three hours playing with this boy, in close proximity with him, and was thrown into a whirlwind panic attack, so badly I couldn't catch my breath and I was crying. (Normally I get terrified and horrible things happen but I have never cried when having a panic attack before.) I had washed my hands a couple times while at their house because I've got a natural aversion to germs and not knowing who's touched things before I have. This whole ordeal was 30 hours ago, and I still haven't done the V, although my high anxiety makes me feel like I'm going to. I know these things take between 12-48 hours to get worked into the system, so am I in the clear or not?
Another thing, since I'm the nanny, I have to go over tomorrow morning and put both boys on the bus for school, and get them off the bus in the afternoon. I'm petrified, because now these germs are ALL OVER the house, on every flat surface, in the air, on everything imaginable, and there's no getting out of it. Going to this house tomorrow is a death wish, right? I'm terrified. Is there any way for me to go to this house tomorrow and NOT get sick? I already plan on washing my hands every time I touch something, and I'm wearing a scarf that puffs up and covers my mouth some, in hopes to keep the germs out of my airway.

Long story short, I was exposed 30 hours ago, am I safe?
and
I have to go into the battle zone tomorrow, how can I keep myself safe?
​
thankyou, I'm already very grateful for this website

[ewilkins]

If you were exposed over 30 hours ago and not showing any symptoms, you should be fine. One thing to keep in mind...if he came home complaining of a bad headache, he may have had a migraine. Many people vomit with migraines. Either way, I'd say you're in the clear given the amount of time it's been.

[tsos82]

I know what you are going through. My niece lives with me and shes in the 6th grade. She came home last week and she usually has a snack then takes the dogs for a walk after school but she came home and just went and laid down in her room. When it came to dinnertime she didnt seem to have an appetite and I asked her if she was ok, she said yeah but after she ate she went to the bathroom and was in there awhile. I went to check on her, I asked if she was ok she said "i dont know" I said what do you mean? She said I feel like pukey and my stomach feels weird and like I'm going to have diarrhea. Soon as she said that I started freaking out inside at this point I didn't want to scare her. So She went to bed and all night I kept thinking oh great! stomach flu! we are all going to get it! I was crying and on the verge of a panic attack... I went into my room closed to door and tried to keep myself busy. A few hours later I went into the bathroom with my mask & gloves, scrubbed the bathroom down and put bleach into the toilet to let it sit for awhile. She woke up the next morning feeling fine, she was eating cereal and watching tv and back to herself. I freaked out for nothing but I couldn't help it.

If it were a stomach bug the little boy had it would have most likely hit you within 24hrs. Here is a great site I found when I was worried about the stomach flu, hope it helps... it gives some great information and tips about avoiding it.
stopthestomachflu.com

[SamiMichelle08]

Hello, so question is did you catch it?! I'm dying to know!! I was in a similar predicament last week also. I would pretty much cry myself to sleep the first three nights. Til I finally realized on day 4 I was out of the clear!! Instead of me being exposed by a child it was a co worker that of course didnt see the reason to call in when she was *v and had *d. So instantly I went into panic mode. BLEACH Water was my best friend. And no one else caught it!! I also used to be a daycare teacher and the kids would always be sick. Every day before and after the kids left i would wash ALL the toys with bleach water.. My class was the only class that never had the flu. Not one child. So, if your kids ever come down with it, clean the house with bleach while they're at school!! It helps and it eases the mind!!!