I am 44 years old and just started teaching second grade 2 years ago. Prior to teaching, I was a Cardiac RN. I have always feared v*ing, but never let it control my life. After teaching for only 1 month, I caught an SV and v*ed for the first time in 21 years. At first it didn't affect me, but now my fears are out of control. I now have a strong fear of contracting a SV from one of my students. My husband and I have no children, so I have never really had to worry about catching an SV. It has gotten worse over the last 5 months and I have lost 10 lbs. because I am afraid to eat very much. I scrub my hands at school so much that they crack and bleed. I hold my breath around my students, because I am afraid each one of them is contagious. I lay awake every night in a sweat with the fear that maybe I caught something that day at school. To make matters worse, the universal excuse for students being out of school is a SV. I have at least 2 children per day tell me they feel sick at their stomach. It is driving me crazy! I can't escape from it! The only time I feel normal is when we have more than 3 days off from school. Most SV's have a 12-48 hour incubation period, so I feel safe after 2 days. I won't touch door knobs at school or anything else the kids have touched. Worse thing of all; I will have my Master's degree in Elementary Education in 3 months. How can I continue teaching when it is driving me crazy? I am not the type to take anti-anxiety medication and I certainly do not want to try desensitation. My family does not understand this phobia. Except for my identical twin, who is also a teacher and caught the same SV that I did. She is also having the same exact problems. Any other teachers out there with this problem? I need help!