HELP please

[tangelofo12]

Hi guys,

I'm in need of some advice. My sister got sick on saturday night around 8 PM. She V* and had some D*. My mom took her to the hospital and they said they thought it was most likely food poisoning from a restaurant she had eaten at earlier that day but they said it could be noro too....I've been hiding in my room ever since and I have some questions...

OK first of all, I only have one working toilet in my house so you just imagine the stress i've been under. My mom cleaned the entire bathroom with bleach and lysol but I still don't want to use it... I've been using the bathroom at our neighborhood pool restrooms, but my parents told me to stop going up there to use the bathroom and to just use the one at home.... So my question is, am I safe to use the bathroom at my house? I feel like I should wait a few more days.... I'm still so paranoid about the fact that idk what my sister really has, noro or stomach poisoning.

Another question I have is are norovirus and stomach poisoning the same? And are they both contagious? I'm so paranoid right now, my parents are starting to yell at me because I won't come out of my room... Also, how many days/hours until it is safe to come out of my room so I can start living normally again.....

[Valen*]

Food Poisoning is NOT contagious. The bacterias from the contaminated food are though. I think, if your mom cleaned the bathroom like u say, then u will be okay to use it. Just wash your hands right after. If it makes u feel better, maybe u could go clean it again, the way that U feel like it's safe enough for u.

[KTodd]

She is right. Food poisoning ,NO but Noro, definitely yes. I know the anxiety you are feeling and it's horrible! But you need to keep in mind that just bc she got sick that bad also doesn't mean you will. I had a HUGE scare last year. My 4 year old woke up at 3am and was getting deathly sick and I mean in about 6 hours probably v* around 20 times and had d* at the same time! I was HORRIFIED! But you know what? I did catch it but I never v* and neither did my husband. See getting a sv* isn't just about picking up a germ, it's about how many germs you ingest. My gastro doc taught me that. So one person may be deathly ill, while someone who is more cautious may only be nauseated for a couple of days. I will be praying for all of you and I pray it's passed and no one gets it. Just scub your hands thoroughly! My doc says, say the alphabet twice and that's how long it takes to properly wash hands. Also it's about friction to remove the germs so scub hard and fast( Remember you are washing the germs down the drain, not actually killing them) . As long as you are doing that then you should be just fine sweetie. We are always here. If you feel like you are about to freak out, NEVER worry about posting here! I hope I helped a little also. xoxo

[tangelofo12]

She is right. Food poisoning ,NO but Noro, definitely yes. I know the anxiety you are feeling and it's horrible! But you need to keep in mind that just bc she got sick that bad also doesn't mean you will. I had a HUGE scare last year. My 4 year old woke up at 3am and was getting deathly sick and I mean in about 6 hours probably v* around 20 times and had d* at the same time! I was HORRIFIED! But you know what? I did catch it but I never v* and neither did my husband. See getting a sv* isn't just about picking up a germ, it's about how many germs you ingest. My gastro doc taught me that. So one person may be deathly ill, while someone who is more cautious may only be nauseated for a couple of days. I will be praying for all of you and I pray it's passed and no one gets it. Just scub your hands thoroughly! My doc says, say the alphabet twice and that's how long it takes to properly wash hands. Also it's about friction to remove the germs so scub hard and fast( Remember you are washing the germs down the drain, not actually killing them) . As long as you are doing that then you should be just fine sweetie. We are always here. If you feel like you are about to freak out, NEVER worry about posting here! I hope I helped a little also. xoxo

Thank you so much!! Thank you for your prayers and kind thoughts! I think the worst part about things like this is not knowing what exactly caused the person to get sick... If I knew for sure that she had food poisoning then I wouldn't be as anxious as I am... Also I thought you were only supposed to sing the alphabet once when washing your hands, thanks for the tip! I'll wash them extra good until this passes! Thank you so much for your kindness, it means a lot to me!

[tangelofo12]

Food Poisoning is NOT contagious. The bacterias from the contaminated food are though. I think, if your mom cleaned the bathroom like u say, then u will be okay to use it. Just wash your hands right after. If it makes u feel better, maybe u could go clean it again, the way that U feel like it's safe enough for u.

Thanks for the information!! I'm going to disinfect the house today I think lol I don't want anyone else to get sick. Thank you for responding

[fivefeetshort]

When my roommate at the time got noro in December, I was freaked out like you are, because we lived in a tiny apartment with one small bathroom! I was terrified. But, I didn't really have other options so I wore moccasins and used my foot to flush, used a paper towel to turn the faucet on/off, use soap dispenser, turn light on/off, open the door, etc. Also I made sure to scrub my hands really good with nice hot water and always used paper towels instead of the shared hand towel to dry them off. I didn't end up getting it. So, those are options if you want to be extra-cautious (if it was noro, she's still carrying it in her #2), but as long as bleach has been used to clean the surfaces and no one's been sick in there since, I'd say you should be fine.