my Christmastime emet experience!

[pianolover]

Hi all!

I have been home over Christmas break at my parents' house, and while there I couldn't post on the forums for some reason. I could log in, just not post! But I have kept up mostly in reading what has been going on. I know a lot of you have had very stressful holidays and I have been thinking of you all. I hope things are only improving.

I want to share something that happened to me on only the second full day I was at home. I'm always slightly more anxious around Christmastime, because my sister has always been a bit prone to picking up stomach (and other) bugs, and she is still living with my parents (she's 18).

Warning: slightly graphic.

One evening I agreed to drive my sister's friend to the Skytrain station from our house. My sister came along for the ride. Her friend ("Jen") had a bad headache but had to take the Skytrain and then bus home because she lives a few municipalities away from us in the Vancouver suburbs. She could have taken a bus to the Skytrain, but I agreed to drive her because of her head and I hadn't been out all day anyway.

We put on some music, and chatted as we drove, but Jen (in the passenger seat beside me) got quieter and quieter. She had declined any of our Tylenol etc. because she's allergic to codeine - she said she'd wait until she got home. It was dark and pouring rain out, so traffic was a little slower than usual. We drove and I started to get nervous for some reason. What if her headache means a virus? was of course what I was wondering. Anyway, we got to the top of a big hill and my sister asked, "How you feeling, Jen?"

"A little n*," she answered, and with only that for warning she leaned her head over and v*d. In my car! So many things seemed to happen at once then. I had to keep driving down the hill, but I plugged my right ear because it was gross to hear. But she only heaved that once and caught most of it in her purse, poor girl. I, feeling panicky of course but not as bad as I expected, asked my sister to hand me the garbage can from the backseat and I gave it to Jen just in case. When we got to the bottom of the hill I pulled over to the side of the road and we all got out of the car. Jen was trying to clean out her purse, but I didn't have any tissues or anything. I was shaking and felt a bit useless. My sister called Jen's mom on her cell but couldn't get ahold of her, so she called our dad and said we were coming back to our house with Jen.

All the way back I was nervous she might do it again. Jen and I both had our windows down despite the rain, because we could smell it. I told her I was sorry if I was acting a bit weird but I had a v* phobia, and I even thanked her for the exposure therapy!

But then, when I mentioned the phobia, my sister said, "Hey, I have that too!"

I was so surprised. I had even told her about the phobia a while ago, in passing, and she hadn't told me she was the same. I think she's a bit better than I am with it, but still, when we got home she didn't want to eat dinner, and she took a Gravol "just in case," and just did a lot of the things that I am always tempted to do as well! It was so nice to be able to talk to her about it later and have someone kind of understand what I was talking about!

As for me, I went straight upstairs and had a shower. I felt so germy from being in the same car with her, even though I didn't know if it was contagious or not! I ate dinner as usual, because I have finally learned that I just feel worse if I don't eat. Then of course I had the usual few days of waiting until me and my sister were fine so I could sigh with relief and know we were in the clear. We were fine - I think it was just that she had a migraine and it was so bad it made her v* a bit. Her mom came and picked her up, and I called my boyfriend and my psychologist long distance and told them both how proud I was and how excited that that had happened and I had got through it quite well! I am so excited because I think the work I have been doing with my psychologist, the expos

[jennyleigh1975]

I think that you handled everything beautifully!!!!

I would have been freaking out too. That is one of my biggest fears with this phobia ........... being trapped in a vehicle with someone that is sick.

I'm glad that you and your sister were able to talk about this phobia, thats great!!!! You have someone close to you that understands ........ to some extent anyway, and knows how you feel.

Outside of that incident, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!!!!

[wing]

Congrats! That is so brave. Had I been in your position, I think I would have had a crash. You did very well. :]

[reese]

I had a similar experience in Japan, although I knew that my friend was
getting sick from a hangover, and I wasn't at risk for catching anything... but
he v*ed all over the place!! It was still really scary... and I think that you
handled it amazingly. I don't know that I could have gotten back in the car
with her... I don't know what I would have done... but getting back in the car
might not have been an option!

[violet]

pianolover I think you handled that Very well..


Well done for controlling the situation and getting on with it.


If I were you I would have been alot worse and well,not have rected as well as you did.


heres a *hug* for you x


xVioletx

[tanyarn]

EEk.. I know firsthand what it is like to be a driver in the car and someone v* in the backsit. It was funny too because my friend, Angie, v* quietly. I didn't even know she v* until I turned around and seen it. She was drinking one night and we were on our way to Taco Bell. She kept saying she was sleepy and nauseous. A couple mins. later she became real quiet and I thought she had just fallen asleep. As I turned around to ask her what she wanted, thats when I noticed the v* all over the back seat of my car. I didn't really freak I guess because 1. I didn't hear it and 2. because I knew why she had v* and that I couldn't catch a hangover from her. She proceeded to v* in the bathroom sink at my house. I told her sober or not she was going to clean my sink AND my backseat out.


Its always refreshing to know exactly why someone had v*ed and know that it wasnt a s/v, isn't it?

[hollyjean]

Wow that is so brave of you! I seriously would have stopped the car and walked home alone!I think she probably v* from the headache. I get very bad migranes and i have come close to v* from them myself because it causes your stomach to all shut down so food kinda just sits in your stomach, its a wierd feeling and really horrible. I take my migrane meds at the first sign i might be getting one because they contain an antiemetic and i want to make sure its digested before my stomach goes all crazy! So if a migrane/severe headache can make myself and emet close to v*, think what it could do to a non emet! Also depending on where abouts the headache is and the severity, it can mess with your balance, it could have caused her to have motion sickness. I can feel motion sick from just lying in bed when i have an attack. I dont think you have to worry about catching anything, well done!

[tcsarah]

Wow, you did really well and deserve a big pat on the back [img]smileys/smilies_39.gif[/img] I would have been so disturbed had it happened to me and would have to have been physically forced to get back in the car and drive home! I dread being trapped in a car with somebody v*ing, it's bad enough when it happens on a coach and they are many seats away [img]smileys/smilies_11.gif[/img]

[angel13]

Good work, pianolover, you did well! Its so good also that you took that step and admitted to them why you were acting a bit strange - that's always been a big deal with me, when I'm panicking while out with friends...I usually don't have the nerve to say anything. But it definitely worked in your favour, and now you know your sister is the same. God, I'd do anything for an understanding sister!


You were very brave, and should be proud of yourself for handling it all so well [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[pianolover]

Hi guys! Thank you so much for your responses. I feel very encouraged by you all


And welcome to the boards, violet!

[jesskali]

I would say that this was a definite emet triumph for you!

You handled it much better than I ever could have!


Jess

[crazybeautiful]

Good for you!!! Well done!


I remember being very very nauseous with a migraine once, not fun at all!

[purpleteacher]

I agree with what you said above -- If I know the reason for the v*, then I'm okay... just a little grossed out. I hate the not knowing why the person is sick and if I can catch it. If I know why they are sick, no biggie at all.

[violet]

yup I agree with purple,if we know why its easier than having your brain ponder over why?


xVx

[kellybean]

Wow, if that was me driving, I would have been in an accident. You did awesome!!!! Very inspirational!! It's good to hear that exposure therapy is working for you. I should probably look into that!

[bexcelica]

thats so awesome!!! I think its even more awesome that you found out your sister is an emet too! Now you guys can go around lysoling the house together haha thats so awesome how you dealt with that! im proud.