Is it really that bad?

[dlhawk123]

This is my first time using this site - and since my son had a sv and v*d off and on for 18 hours this past weekend, my anxiety level is pretty high. My question is, what's the opinion of people who haven't v*d for a long period of time, and then do? I go to such great lengths not to v* when I come down with a sv, but sometimes I just wish I would, and maybe it wouldn't be nearly as bad as I'm anticipating. I haven't v*d since I was 10, and I'm 38 now. Any thoughts? I just have it in my mind that if I do it once, I might not be able to stop -

[aar13]

I know exactly how you are feeling right now. My 5 year old had an sv* back in November and she also had it for about 18 hours which consisted of v*ing every 1/2 hour or so. I was a wreck . . . the anxiety was killing me, notbecause she was sickbecause I've been able to take care of her much better each time she gets sick - I'm just so scared to death of catching it myself! I'm 28 and I think the last time I v*ed (besides from a hangover about 7 years ago) was when I was 18 years old. I do everything in my power not to v* and I get myself into a full blown panic attack when I feel n*. I also just wish that I could just do it and it wouldn't be so bad - but my BIGGEST fear is that I won't be able to stop or that I'll have v*ing and d* at the same time. I feel your pain, your not at all alone!





How is your son feeling now? And how are you? I hope you stay healthy!

[samara's on tv]

I haven't V*ed in about 5 years *Knock on wood* but I read some other posts about other people on here who have V*ed after a long period of time and they say it isn't as bad as they remember. I don't have kids but I really admire you guys for being able to take care of them when they have a sv.


~Monica

[kutekim1217]

Hi DHawk. I am 48 and I also havent v'd since I was 10. My family members are pretty much the same way. Maybe between good immunity systems, genes, cleanliness, eating right plays a role. I just don't know. Have you gone to extremems like washing your hands all the time, avoiding sick people, parties in the winter months etc. to keep frome catching things> I surely so. I hope we keep our records for many, many years to come. Kim

[lgood22573]

Wow this is serious deja vu. I am 38 and in the same boat. I have
been an emet since I was about 10, but have lived fairly well with it
staying as far away from v* as possible until my toddler caught a sv*
last year and I just haven't been the same since. It is going around
again this year, and I am just "holding on" till it sweeps it's way
through and is gone. But this time I pulled her out of her Mother's
Day out program for a couple of weeks, I just can't go through it
again.

[dlhawk123]

Yes, I do absolutely wash my hands many, many times a day. I work from home, which helps with keeping my exposure to things like a sv lower. I'm very careful to keep my hands away from my eyes, nose, and mouth after I've been out running errands or wherever until I can get home and wash them. Thank goodness I've never been one to catches the sv when it goes around, my son is usually the one who brings it home and exposes the rest of us to it!


This past Christmas my family went to my mother-in-law's house to open presents, and my husband's 7-year-old niece had been up all night v*ing and was still v*ing when we got there. I was so upset that nobody called to say gee, Madison is sick, let's move this to someone else's house. Nobody else seemed bothered by it except for me. I think I held my breath for half of the day there so that I didn't breathe in those germs. Nobody else got it, but boy that was a long week after Christmas of anticipating who in my family would end up with that sv.

[slingshot]

<DIV>A few yrs ago the same type of scenario happen to me. I get to my parents how with my wife for Christmas and find out my father had been v*ing the entire night before. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>My thought: WHY IS X-MAS DINNER HERE!!!!! At that point I would have settled for McD's....anything other than sitting in a house that had been violated the entire night before with the sv!!!!!!</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>CJ</DIV>

[thestruggle]

"My question is, what's the opinion of people who haven't v*d for a long period of time, and then do? I go to such great lengths not to v* when I come down with a sv, but sometimes I just wish I would, and maybe it wouldn't be nearly as bad as I'm anticipating. I haven't v*d since I was 10, and I'm 38 now. Any thoughts? I just have it in my mind that if I do it once, I might not be able to stop"


I've been unfortunate enough to v* twice in the past 5 years. I had been on a 12 yr. streak of being v* free. That was until I ran into the Norwalk virus 5 years ago. That put a quick end to my streak. And then again last year I got pinched.I will probably be in the minority on this one but I can honestly say for me that I found the worst part to it is everything that leads up to it. The terrible n* and anxiety really overshadowed the actual act of v* itself. I was surprised in a way. I too had the same question of how was it going to be when it finally happened.For all of the years of suspense and wondering, it really wasn't that bad.Now I'm still afraid, don't get mewrong. I just realized that mypersonal fear was more about the n* and feeling like I was going to v* than it was actually v*. The long periods of terrible n* were way worse than actuallyv*. Like I said I'm probably alone on this one. I use to do everything I could to keep my self from v*. Now that I lookback on it all I really did was make the part I hate the most, even worse.

[aar13]

From what I remember from vomiting - which was about 10 years ago I think, the worst part for me too is also the n* and anxiety and feeling in the body before actually v*ing. I hate it and wish that part I could just avoid altogether!


I too wish I could just do it and get it over with - but I only feel that way when I'm not n* and scared that I'm going to v*. Like I said above, my worst fear is that I won't be able to stop v*ing or that I'll have v* and d* at the same time.

[aguerra29]

I think the actual act of V*ing probably isn't that bad. I wouldn't know as it has been over 20 years for me. My panic sets in as soon as there is uneasiness in my stomach. The panic is what I can't stand. It's like being super nervous to give a presentation or speech. The nerves don't go away until you are done with the presentation. When my stomach does something i consider weird - I go into nervous mode. Then I can't ever get rid of the nerves - you know what I mean? You know that after you give the presentation - it never was as bad as you made it out to be in your mind. V*ing is the same thing. Us emets build it into this catastrophic event. I can sit here with a fine stomach and talk about how v*ing is no big deal and I shouldn't be afraid of it and I can conquer this. But the nanosecond I feel "something" in my stomach all logic goes out the window and I am all in a panic. I think my biggest fear is v*ing multiple times over a long period. I think I could handle once - maybe (my brave not feeling ill self talking). THen of course the question is, am i less prone to get sick than other people? My mom was an emet (never knew when she was alive - but with hindsight have figured it out) and only got sick like once or twice in the 23 years I was alive before she died. My dad rarely got sick either. I think most of his illnesses were food poisoning or alcohol related. Anyway, my parents just weren't sickly. I have only been sick 2 times in my life. Once when I was 4 - I was up what I thought was all night and once when I was 9 - at a friends sleep over birthday party. During college I dry- heaved a few times from drinking to much - but nothing ever came out.

So I can't answer the question - I guess it's the same questions I have.

[aar13]

Aquerra29 - I ditto EVERYTHING you said above! I am the same way. I thought of it lastnight on my way, like hey, if I get sick it's no big deal I'll be fine. The second something weird happens in my stomach I'm in a full blown panic attack and ready to climb the walls.


Why do we do this to ourselves????

[liz001]

You have no idea how great it is for me to know that there are other people that feel this way!!!! I dont know how I became this way. I know that when I was little, I didnt like it, but it never bothered me like it does now. There are times when I'm alright and think to myself, "you're not going to seriously die if this happens" but the second I feel a little uneasy, I just instantly panic, and then wish I would die instead of it happening, ya know? I made an appointment w/ a therapist next week to try and get a grip on this thing. Wish me luck!!!!

[thestruggle]

Absolutely with you on this one. The best laid plans go completely out the window when the $%&amp;* hits the fan. There are times when I'm feeling great that I really downplay the fear I have. It's easy to tell yourself it's no big deal when you feel o.k. But wake up at 3 am with terrible n* and you'll take all that back real quick. One of the big problems with this specificphobia is that the threat itself is not so much external or environmental, it is our own personal bodies. We can try to avoid certain foods or sick people that we think might make us v*but we can't avoid ourselves. I can control whether or not I allow myself to be inconfined spacesor near crowds of people, but it's hard to distance your mind from your body. It just doesn't allowus a break to prepare ourselves mentally for facing something undesirable like v*. Not to mention what I consider the biggest problem with this phobia, which is thatour fear triggers thesymptoms that terrify us. It's a constant cycle of fear, avoidance, andsymptoms of stomach illness. We are caught in a trap that has tobe overcomephysically and mentally.

[slingshot]

<DIV>I think I have to agree with much of what has been said here.....now, I have only done the dirty deed two times in the last 20+ yrs of my life (31 now), however, I will tell you this, from the moment my stomach starts doing flip flops I get worried, anxious, feeling of uncertainity comes over me that I do not understand. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>I pace back and forth like a crazy man, burning holes in the carpet. Last time I had a SV I was in the bathroom as the d* hit. I was like thank god! Then, the n*....I was like OMG, not both ways! It never happened, but I sweat enough that day for many of us on this board.</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>I was thinking about finding this site (what a relief) and additionally about things that bother me most about v*ing.....</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>What really gets me is not knowing when, and when I say knowing when, I truly mean the next time my stomach will turn on me and make me revisit my last meal. I am afraid to have it happen in public, like not making the bathroom...that happen to me in 1982, (3rd Grade)....I had travelled down three flights of stairs...almost made it!</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>I am 31 yrs old and have never made it to the bathroom...at 19 I sat straight up, and thought, I don't feel good, and there it came...all over my bed! That was horrible, but, I felt great afterward. I think the bigger issue truly is WHEN and WHERE!!!!!!</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Thoughts?</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>[img]smileys/smilies_12.gif[/img]</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Regards,</DIV>
<DIV>CJ</DIV>

[aar13]

So well said by everyone. This fear takes control of our minds and the smallest feeling of normal digesting to us is cause for people. Non-emets think we are crazy. And the best remark was said just above by the struggle . (ps-is that avatar a pic of you?) "Not to mention what I consider the biggest problem with this phobia, which is thatour fear triggers thesymptoms that terrify us. It's a constant cycle of fear, avoidance, andsymptoms of stomach illness. We are caught in a trap that has tobe overcomephysically and mentally."


That's the entire truth right theren- you hit the nail on the head!!

[liz28]

the only two times that i've*v'd in my 23 years occurred at the expense of the carpet. one time was an sv i think(but my parents never got it).. and the other was foodpoisoning(i ate eggsalad and it was sour..iwas like "mom this tastes funny" and she tasted it and spit it out.. but it was TOO LATE FOR LITTLE LIZ!)

...
i dont know.
i wish the entire mechanism inside the body for v*'ing could be taken out.
i told my boyfriend that i wished they could knot up something inside there to make anything from my stomach stay inside or come out the other way!
i'd much rather deal with d*!

[aar13]

Me too, I'd much rather have d* even though it puts me into a panic attack because I associate d* with v* and then think I'm going to have both at the same time - which again, is my worst fear. It never ends!

[thestruggle]

That is me in the avatar pic.I think it may bereassuring to some tobe able to put a face with the advice or discussion. I really consider my illness a very personal part of my life. I wantpeople to see that there is a real person on the other end of the computer.

[aar13]

I agree with you thestruggle, I too feel that it's personal and I want people on this site to know that I am really a normal person and live an ordinary life but this fear just takes over whenever it feels like it and it sucks!


I think everyone on this site is VERY normal just like me, but non-emets usually think that we are strange because of this terrible fear that they just don't understand.

[liz001]

I live a pretty normal life too......but when this phobia takes ahold of me it makes me feel like I'm not normal. It makes me feel like I'm crazy b/c I can't get a grib on it. But it does help to talk to you guys. Everyone here is so supportive.


A big thanks to everyone!!!! [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[Girlygirl1980s]

I have found that the worst part is the anticipation. When I get a stomach virus, I know. For me it always starts with watery diarrhea. This will happen a couple of times before I actualy do throw up. I got a stomach virus in Jaunary 2005, and I threw up on 3 separate occasions, all within about 3 hours, and then I felt much better. The same thing happened in February 2005. Exept the first 2 times I went to throw up, nothing came out. The third time,I did actually vomit. Again, the anticipation is the worst. Both times after I had the stomach virus, I almost felt empowered, like, "Wow, that wasn't so bad!" I was very proud for having survived it! Then, unfortunately, the fear comes back.