What do we do about nonemets...

[princessmel]

who don't really care about catching the stomach bug, washing their hands, keeping their hands away from their faces, etc. I guess this post is for my husband. I asked him, doesn't it scare you that those nasty viruses go around and you can get it? He said yes b/c he's had a couple nasty ones where he was eventually vomitting blood b/c he ruptured his esphogus (sp?) He was miserable. You would think that people in general would just take precautions to at least try to avoid it. After reading some of these posts, I'm now asking my hubby if he washed his hands and so on. I tell him not to touch his face and so on. There's only so much I can do, and it's scary. The people who carry the viruses and pass it along, but show no symptoms scares the crap out of me. So, what can we do with our hubbies/boyfriends?

[nicki]

My boyfriend is the same, he NEVER washes his hands when he eats and is always touching his face. But i am lucky because he does understand my emet and he will wash his hands if he were to make something for me or if he was to touch my face. He is quite hygienic, he always washes his hands after using the toilet and if he has handled raw meat. he is just not bothered about stomach bugs and his attitude is, if he gets sick, he gets sick its just one of those things. So far since we have been together (2 anda half years) he hasnt had a stomach bug so I dont know how i would react. He is quite good in that he doesnt tell me if he has a stomach ache, or if any of his friends have a stomach bug, also he is good at calming me down if we go out and someone gets drunk and is feeling very sick. I try not to worry about catching something from him unless he actually says he feels ill, even though i know people can carry things and not pass them on. I often say to him I dont feel well and think I have caught a stomach bug and he makes me sit and tell him out of everyone I know, who actually has it that I could have caught it from and so far 100% of the time he has been right, noone i know has been ill. He sits with me too when i feel bad and often leaves me his key so i can go to his flat if i feel bad in the middle of the night. I guess I'm really lucky because although he says he doesn't understand why i am so scared he is sensitive to it.

[2jo2]

I have wondered this so many times. My husband is sympathetic as well and he will do hygenic things if reminded, but alot of the times he goes back to his old ways. He washes his hands if I say have you washed your hands, doesn't get upset or angry that I'm "nagging" or anything. In fact just last night at dinner he went and got me my own knife to put butter on my potatoe so I didn't have to share. It's hit and miss tho, because he shares everything with his sister and mother, they take bites off each others' food, share drinks, etc. and it bugs me to no end. I usually glare at him so he gets the hint but alot of times it doesn't work. I don't think he understands the extent of this phobia. Absolutely everything has to do with v*ing for me. I tried to tell him the other night and he was surprised that just about everything thought I have during a day is about my emet. It doesn't just stop at being around someone who's sick, it's how I can keep anything sick related from getting into my space. It takes planning and thought and consumes my days. I wish he could step inside my head for one hour, and then maybe he wouldn't be so careless about stuff like that at times.

[Kazzia]

To most non emets, they don't like getting the bug, but they don't do much to avoid it. If there's a cold going round, or even a kind of flu which is non stomach related, I do nothing to avoid it myself...so it's that way for them. However, non emets are a pain in the backside when they get slovenly over food hygiene and hand washing etc. As far as relatives and boyfriends etc go then they should be considerate and it's not much to ask them to be clean and stuff. Friends are harder to deal with in my experience, but some of my better friends are a little more considerate at times.