Hawkeye,I know exactly how you feel. All someone has to say is stomach flu and I am immediately nervous. I've gone without eating because someone around me had the stomach flu. And youre right, no matter what the symtoms are... sore throat... for whatever reason stomach flu is the first thing that I start freaking out about. I wonder why any of this is! I never used to be like this... ever! I've always worked with kids and was never such a germ-a-phobe. I dont know what changed in me. Maybe its the IBS? Did the anxiety come from having IBS? I dont understand any of it.
I am also really sorry to hear about your friend and your accident. And like you said and LMo said... when we worry like this the quality of life just sucks. I dont want to be like this anymore, but its hard to change. Maybe I should see someone. Its just good to know that I am not the only one who feels like this. I also try to remember that serenity prayer- accepting the things we cannot change. There is nothing we can do about it... if we get a stomach bug.. we get one. We can only wash and sanitize our hands so much (mine bleed because I do it so much!). And like LMo and Aly said... we know it will be over and in about a day we will feel much better, but for some reason our minds dont work like that. Argh. Hope youre both feeling better!