New and driving myself crazy

[JulieKohler]

Hi, I just found this place and I am happy that I did. I have been suffering with this for years and I am finally trying to get some help. Anyway, my 5 year old daughter has been sick with v and d since Friday night. We originally thought food poisoning because she was completely fine until like 2 hours after we ate. She was seen in the ER on Saturday and Sunday and they keep saying virus. Since this has started, the emet has been so crazy. I am constantly obsessing and stressing and worrying then crying and thinking I am completely nuts. I have 2 other kids, a 7 year old special needs son that chews on everything and a 7 month old son who spent 4 weeks in the NICU after birth because he was premature and his lungs were not mature enough yet. Someone in this household has been sick pretty much constantly since November, all head/chest colds which don't bother me. My infant had RSV and I am so worried about him getting sick. Well I am so worried about everyone else getting sick.

So now it is Tuesday morning and no one else has gotten sick but I have been googling incubation periods and how long a person is contagious and just about anything else. I have read mostly that the incubation period is 1-2 days but my sister the RN said 3-7 days from when she was exposed which could have been like wednesday last week so I am obsessing that we could all get sick still. I have also read that children are usually contagious for like up to 3 weeks after they are better. I am going to drive myself mad constantly cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, wiping things down, using hand sanitizer and washing my hands. I am driving my family crazy. I keep asking my 7 year old if he is feeling okay and when he says yes I say are you sure or would you tell me if you didnt. I feel like an awful mother because I can't even be around my daughter right now. My husband has taken her to the ER both times and she asks for me the whole time. She comes home and wants to cuddle with me and I can't. I know I am hurting her and I don't know what to do. She sees me upset and thinks she is the cause of it because she is sick and I can't stand for her to think I am like mad at her or upset with her. She came in and hugged me last night and I am driving myself nuts that I should have immidiatly taken a shower and changed my clothes but I didn't so now I am going to get sick.

I have been having some on and off nausea but I feel like I am just making myself feel sick. I try to have hope that we havent gotten sick yet so we wont but I think I am just trying to make myself feel better instead of being realistic. I have eaten like 2 applesauce pouches and some saltines since Friday night and most of the time my stomach is growling and feeling like it is going to eat itself but i am so afraid to eat. I went to the family practice doctor yesterday and he gave me a rx for zofran just in case and some names for psych referrals. I need help. I am still breastfeeding my 7 month old so I feel like there isn't going to be much that I could take if they wanted to put me on meds. I don't know if anyone else feels this way or if it is just me. I feel like nothing is normal now. My house feels "weird," my room feels weird, my favorite tv show feels off to me and I have been trying to watch that to calm and distract myself. I haven't slept much at all and I know I need to get sleep but every time I feel really sleepy and tired, I am convinced I am getting sick. UGH, THIS SUCKS!!!

My husband has been pretty good but he doesn't understand this. He just thinks that I need to get over it, to train my head to think differently. He is at work and she is still sleeping and I don't know how to deal right now. I am so miserable and I just want this feeling to end.

I am sorry to ramble on. This was mostly a please reassure me and listen to me, understand me because you know what I am going through post. I appreciate any responses and if anyone has actually read this far.

[Sam Schroeder]

I am so sorry about what you are going through right now. But to me, this isn't noro, it sounds like a rotavirus. My mom has told me stories about how I caught the rotavirus when I was about 3 years old and I was sick for a week. I had to go to the ER twice as well. I can't imagine the pain you must be feeling, both from your emet and seeing your child in pain. But, like I said, if you ask me, it sounds like a rotavirus. If she had noro, she would have gotten over it by now. It's great that you're keeping up your hygiene though. Keep strong! I'm praying for you!

[Murder-my-soul]

I am nearly postitive you won't get sick. As adults, we have a higher and stronger immune system. Kids, do not. Yes, the other kids may get ill but once it leaves the person who just had it, it kind of "mutates" when coming from another person therefore affecting differently. Someone may catch it yet only have d*. I am sure you will be fine, be a strong mommy (: I know you can do it, and we definieltey understand here (: Oh and I am also new! Welcome.

[JulieKohler]

Oh and I have been looking at that website stopthestomachflu.com and OMG I can't go there anymore it is making the obsessing that all the sanitizing that I have been doing is not enough so much worse. I thought lysol spray, hand sanitizer, clorox wipes, washing clothes on sanitize setting, and hand washing were going to be enough but then I realized I needed to be using a bleach solution and I really need to be spraying the couch and carpet with something as well. I spent a couple hours this morning frantically cleaning more and then touching up after my daughter touches something. They must think I am a crazy!

[Murder-my-soul]

No, just tell them that you don't want others to get sick. People are pretty understanding about that. It's a smart precaution. Hopefully you guys are doing better now (:

[JulieKohler]

So she is definitely feeling better but still some very loose bm. My 7 month old spit up a little when I was feeding him earlier so I was then convinced he was getting sick as well. I just hate this feeling. I feel so out of control. I am normally not this bad. I definitely avoid situations and places and wash my hands/use sanitizer a lot but this episode with my daughter has definitely triggered something in me. When I went to the doc on Monday and he gave me the rx for zofran he also gave me a list of names for psych referrals. I am thinking I need to get in REALLY soon. I find myself breaking down in certain situations and just crying uncontrollably. I don't want my kids to see me like this. My mother is bi-polar and suffers from anxiety and depression and I always remember her being in and out of hospitals and being depressed when I was growing up. My sis and I long for a different childhood all the time and I don't want my kids to feel that way. I just want to look forward and have everyone well again.

Thanks for the responses!

[JulieKohler]

My daughter is on the mend, just slowly. She will likely be out of school for the rest of the week. No one else has gotten sick but now I am just reading that she is still contagious for like 2 weeks or more from now which means all this obsessing won't end for a while. My sister is an RN and says she really doesn't think anyone is contagious for that long after but she may just be trying to make me feel better. I think it is time I start looking into those psychology referrals. Thanks for the reassurance!

[Murder-my-soul]

Your welcome. But, I don't think she would be contagious that long? Just keep up your VitaminC intake and try giving everyone in the house mroe vitamin C. Juice is 100% Vitamin C therefore every sip you take your ingesting 100%! Which will boost your immune system and everyone else's. If you try giving your daughter juice or something with alot of Vitamin C, she might get over this quicker. I would call a doctor and ask how long she would be contagious. Also Spinach will boost the immune system. I hardly even catch a cold because I always overload on Vitamin C :P. Good Luck to you and your family!

[Missa_Mae]

I've seen that website stopthestomachflu.org - it's written by a lady with a Ph.D apparently but she doesn't say anything medically relevant. She tells her stories and experiences, which is what we do here but she also goes overboard with stuff (IMO) like cleaning and bleaching. Yes, you have to clean everything after ANY illness to stop the spread of germs. Cleaning with something is better than not cleaning at all right?

[jbay]

Julie- I completely understand the feeling of everything suddenly seeming weird and untouchable. A few years back, I declined a three day trip to Disney World with my school's marching band an hour before they left because my mom and her boyfriend had the stomach flu. I was so scared I'd already contracted it and didn't want to be in public or in an unfamiliar place if I started showing symptoms. But then I was left in the same household as ill people. I ended up washing my hands and taking showers like a maniac, and only stayed in my room eating teddy grahams I had bought for the bus ride. I didn't even talk to them for 4 days. I felt so hopeless and isolated.
But you know what? I never did get that bug.

It will be okay.