August 2012 Moms

Please be honest if I am being an overly paranoid germophobe

My best friend of over 30 years lives in Europe with her husband and daughter, who is 3 months older than Kate. They come home to visit for a few months once a year. They got home last week and we were supposed to see them last weekend, but her whole family was sick with a vomit inducing stomach bug for days. She wants me to come to a Christmas dance for kids this weekend, but I am worried about Kate being around so many kids during cold and flu season. She had the flu shot, and is getting the booster Friday, and the dance is Saturday. Not only was my friend, her husband and her daughter ill, but so was her extended family, and they will all be there. I'm worried it's still making it's way through. The main issue is that my friend stays up north with her mom, 4 hours away, so the times that she's back in our area are limited. And with it being winter in Michigan, travel 4 hours isn't always easy, so I feel bad skipping out on this thing. I know I am an overly paranoid germophobe. Should I just get over it and take Kate to the dance or skip it?

Re: Please be honest if I am being an overly paranoid germophobe

  • If it was just general not wanting to be out in the winter because of cold/flu, I would think it's a bit overboard because you can't just stay holed up the entire winter. But we had a stomach bug and after we thought only me and DD had gotten it, my husband got it like 4 days later. So I don't think concern about the stomach bug is paranoid. Good luck deciding!
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  • Is the dance at their house? If so, then I might not go, but if it's elsewhere, I would take her.
  • You're contagious with stomach virus like four days AFTER symptoms are gone. I agree that general cold and flu season is one thing but actual known germs are another. I would avoid that.
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  • My opinion would not be a popular one I am assuming, but if I were you I would take her.  Kids get sick.  They aren't newborns anymore.  Germs build an immune system.  I wouldn't PURPOSELY get her sick, but I wouldn't miss out on great people and a great experience out of fear.  They can get sick going to the grocery store or being in a mall too.  Its a sucky, but expected part of life.  I say go!
    I agree with this. I do also agree with Amaite.

    I wouldn't bring DD if I new someone was actively sick with the flu or a stomach bug.

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  • You're contagious with stomach virus like four days AFTER symptoms are gone. I agree that general cold and flu season is one thing but actual known germs are another. I would avoid that.
    I did not know this. A visit to the Mayo Clinic website confirmed this. We are not going.
  • I'm really torn in my advice here - before getting the stomach bug recently, I would have said to take her to the dance.  BUT, we visited our in-laws for our nieces baptism one weekend and SIL's husbands family was there.  They had had the stomach bug the weekend prior....and guess what?  We ALL ended up getting different variations of the stomach bug.  It sucked big time.  You can be contagious for a long time after symptoms are gone.

    So with that being said...I wouldn't go and knowingly expose my kid to that.

     

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  • I am right there with you. 

    My sister and her family had gotten a stomach bug...I got it at the same time, just from being in the elevator with them. I never gave it to my ds and dh, but we went over to her house like a week later and ds was throwing up the next day...then dh was the following night. 

    I went crazy cleaning with bleach/water mixture. I am guessing it was the same thing I had, but they didn't get it from me. 

    I still have not gone back to her house because I am freaked out about getting sick again. I have a major phobia about vomiting, so if I can avoid being exposed to it, then I will. @Becc77
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  • I'm very non-germaphobic (is that a word?) and even I wouldn't go.
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