Norovirus in daughters school freaking out

[twigandfuzz]

So norovirus is rampant in my daughters school at the moment. Its a matter of time - when not if....

Last year was the worst years since she was born. An epidemic in January where she got ill and one by one everyone did within a week - it was unbearable. I felt like a trapped animal being tortured, in all honesty I was doing 'better' with my phobia before then, and since I have not been the same again. Again in August, in an on / off pattern for 6 WEEKS. I left like a coward and have hated myself even more as a result. I think its worse because it never spread before, being super careful seemed to stop anyone else getting it, but in January last year no matter how careful, it just got everyone. I had D no V, despite having virtually no contact for days. Still to this day I can't think how I got it.

I am freaking out its going to be the same as last Jan and just spiralling. I don't know what to do.

Another thing that freaks me out is how everyone describes the V as being with no notice, i.e. it just comes out of the blue with no warning. Freaks me out so much. Like at any second it could happen


Bit of a nervous wreck right now :-(

[mdgirl1977]

I'm so sorry that sounds like a tough situation. I know how it feels having a school age kid. My son is in 2nd grade. I am in panic mode 9 months of the year. I wish I had advice but the main thing to stress to your daughter is to wash her hands A LOT and not put her fingers in her mouth or nose. A year is a lot of change in maturity so hopefully she has absorbed more about cleanliness than last year. I see a huge different in my son between 5 and 7 years old. He actually KNOWS why he needs to wash his hands versus thinking I am just trying to annoy him

[twigandfuzz]

Thanks :-) I wish she didn't put her fingers in her mouth AND nose all the time lol but she does... she knows why not to, but its like she can't help herself :-( I swear thats why she gets so many of these bugs....And yes she is annoyed by me telling her not too ;-)

[pemmie]

I'm in the same boat as you- I got an email from my 4 year olds preschool saying its all over the school and I'm just laying in dread, waiting for it to hit us. He had a sv at Christmas and I bleached, washed like crazy, used germstar noro constantly and still got it (just d, no v) and I also can't figure out why. It sucks. I'm so tired of it overshadowing everything I do or my kids do. I'm so sick of being terrified and unable to enjoy life like everyone else. I just feel doomed all the time when it's noro season . I know there are far worse things to worry about (like my friend's newborn just had heart surgery) and it's so stupid that I have this much fear of a virus!!

Hang in there- hoping we both get through this winter and get over this fear at some point!

[CMM811]

One thing I have noticed is that non-emets always say it comes out of the blue but realistically it doesn't it starts with feeling off(and normal people don't pay attention to it) and sometimes a stomach ache (again most people don't pay attention to that)...that being said I know it seems scary but just because others are getting it does NOT mean your daughter will. Seriously last year my neices class had a outbreak of it, something loke10 kids were out in one day, all the other kids never got it and not did it spread around the rest of the school, my son is in the same grade and I helped in the school and it didn't spread. And Norovirus is ALWAYS around winter, spring, summer & fall it never goes away and there is always a kid out sick. I would take normal precautions wash hands when getting home, make sure she is eating healthy, getting plenty of rest and good supplements! Try really hard to think positively in this situation!

P.s. My son went through 2.5 years of public school and only caught 1 stomach virus in that time period, and he was in preschool for nearly 3 years before that and NEVER caught a virus from there either!

[Dairyfreelife]

It gets better the older they get. I can count on my fingers the number of times I was ill in my lifetime. Age 5, 6, 9, 9 (twice at age 9, but almost a year apart. One soon after turning 9 and one just a couple months shy of age 10), almost 12, 14, 16, and 25. My younger brother probably can as well. He rarely ever got stomach bugs. I only recall one in detail. He had rotavirus. He was very sick for about three days vomiting and having diarrhea poor kid. No one caught it from him. My sister got ill the most as a kid. She was sick a lot in elementary school, though not all were from stomach bugs. She had issues with drainage and it would make her sick to her stomach when she was about 6. By the time she hit middle school she went a few years without being ill. In high school it was once or twice and now she's a nurse and seems to be developing a rock immunity.

Point is to not worry too much. The immune system is tough. Just because it is going around does not mean she will get sick. I went through so many stomach virus breakouts when I was in school and came through almost all unscathed. Teachers are usually pretty good about having children wash their hands after using the toilet or before eating lunch. They have them line-up to wash up to encourage good habits.

[Fllover]

Just make sure that you stress hand washing . I know she's young, but if they hear it over and over again it starts sticking in their brains. Hugs and love to you

[sdfl]

This bug is going through my children's school at the moment too. We all had it terribly last March. All I can think to do is keep feeding them healthy food, vitamins, water, and making sure they get plenty of rest and love. It's a frightening situation, but do what you can do, and don't worry for what is not in your control to begin with.

I think back to my childhood, and all the times I was sick. I'm still here to talk about it, and I still have happy days. You will too, and so will your girl.

Much love <3

[twigandfuzz]

Bless you all! I know I'm being irrational but it's just taken a hold of me. I don't think I've ever been this freaked out without it actually happening.. My daughter has had at least one v bug a year since she was born some years several.. She just seems to be the one that gets it even when only few others do... Talk about ironic...

I just feel so guilty as I'm a terrible mother when I'm like this, I just struggle to even be near here. It could happen any time / any place and that just never leaves me.

She was again complaining of a tummy ache tonight.. Sent me into meltdown. It's 130am here so far she's ok but the nights are long just waiting and listening 😞

I just want to feel safe. And I don't

[Kelly44]

Kids get things all the time that really aren't contagious to adults. That's why pediatricians rarely get what their patients have You are not a terrible mother, so hang in there!!

[mdgirl1977]

you are not a terrible mom! no one wants to have their child feel ill with anything. I know how it feels and it's ok to admit it's hard. (((hugs)))

[kaiilyn_23]

You're not a terrible mother. Emetophobia does not mean that you don't care about them when they're sick or that you love them any less; it's a struggle and we have to fight hard to get through it! All you can do is enforce good hygiene, and of course keeps yours up as well. As mentioned, it definitely gets better when we get older. I'm in high school now and it's rare that the stomach bug makes a scene. A few kids come down with it every once in awhile but it's nowhere near as prevalent as it was when I was in elementary school, and thank God for that.

Hang in there - this too shall pass!