s/o my own thread...what do you do when you absolutely can't get sick...

[ProudGrandma]

...and the stomach flu is in your house?? There is NEVER a good time to get the stomach flu, but for me right now, I simply can't sick...and 2 of my 3 kids had the flu yesterday...so what do you do to protect yourself...even if you are the main care giver....

 

I have been washing my hands like crazy, using Lysol on everything my sick have been near...but that is now hard becasue they are starting to feel better and are roaming more...taking extra vit c, and garlic pills....plus taking extra of the vitamins I usually take...

 

is there ANYTHING else I can do or take that might help...I know there isn't a 100% tactic...just looking to help wherever I can.

 

thanks.

[MiniBlondes]

I posted some suggestions in your other thread. Hope you manage to avoid it!

[Momof3littles]

I posted on the other thread. Here's a weird one, but cut your nails if you don't already keep them trimmed really short. Consider not wearing your rings either if you wear them daily. I know they've cultured under healthcare workers' rings before, and there can be nasty stuff that lives under there. I usually have some nail growth, but I have cut them off to make handwashing more effective when the kids are sick. Sounds weird, but small thing you can possibly do.

 

My kids seem to always come down with a stomach virus when DH is traveling for work. Like clockwork!

 

We also do probiotics. Sometimes we slack on them but I definitely try to get them in everyone if I know we've been exposed or it is going through the house.

 

I added bleach and lysol 3 in the other thread. With bleach you have to make sure you are using an appropriate concentration for disinfecting, and it has to sit for at least 10 mins IIRC. A quick wipe down isn't enough to kill virus particles. Before DH goes on a work trip I make sure I have bleach, Lysol 3, and BioKleen Bac Out on hand!

[Dandelion]

I give my immune system a boost and try to take extra good care of myself (get as much sleep as I can, etc.).

 

For immune boosting, I take mega-doses of Vitamin C (up to 10,000 mg a day), zinc (no more than 50 mg a day), elderberry syrup, and I add extra garlic to everything I'm eating (for a total of about 4-6 cloves of garlic a day).

 

Specifically for stomach flu, you could also take activated charcoal capsules as a preventative measure. The charcoal soaks up toxins in your gut, and can be very beneficial in preventing or at least lessening the symptoms of stomach flu (you could try giving it to your kids too). Don't take the charcoal within an hour of taking other supplements or medications, as it can interfere with their absorption.

 

Also, I would load up on probiotics, either via a good probiotic supplement with several billion live organisms, or by eating lots of plain yogurt.

 

Hope everyone feels better soon, and that you're able to stay healthy!

[Lisa R.]

Always keep the sick person quarantined in their own room. No one else uses the bathroom they use no matter how inconvenient this is. (Hopefully you have more than one bathroom in the house.)

[freeindeed]

It sounds like you're doing all that can be done. I hope you stay well!

[MFA323]

We quarantine the sick. I use whatever bribe is necessary to keep them in their rooms. Normally we don't allow any TV, but sick kids get to sit in bed with movies. It keeps them from wanting to roam as they feel better. Of course DH and I have to go in to take care of them, but we wash our hands and sometimes change our clothes when we come out. There's only so much you can do. Just relax and take care of yourself so that your body can defend itself. If you end up sick, it will be shorter and less severe if you're well nourished and well rested.

[walkermamaof4]

Have you heard about using baking soda:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/12/15/baking-soda-used-to-treat-swine-flu-85-years-ago.aspx

and chew raw garlic.

[unsinkable]

What everyone else said and...

 

I prayed like crazy and said Thank you, God! for every hour I didn't get sick. It helped me stay positive, look on the bright side, etc.

[Julie Smith]

Always keep the sick person quarantined in their own room. No one else uses the bathroom they use no matter how inconvenient this is. (Hopefully you have more than one bathroom in the house.)

 

I got a chuckle out of this one since we have only one bathroom.

 

A month or so ago I was in the bath, someone else was on the toilet. (I have a super hero ability - if I get in a bathtub someone HAS to have a bowel movement right away!) So my Youngest decided to go pee outside. It was cold out and he didn't want to walk to the backyard, so he stood on the front patio right beside the front door and peed under the mail box. :glare:

 

"But Mom, I checked first to see that no one was around."

 

We live in the suburbs near the core of our city. Our street is used all the time by people walking to the bus stop, town, the university. We might have over 400 people walk past our house every day.

 

So Youngest got the lecture, "I don't care how inconvenient it is, you don't go to the bathroom in the front yard, or the side yard."

[G5052]

We periodically go through this because one family member is permanently immune-compromised. If a germ goes through the family, it is highly likely that the chronically ill member will get sick, and that is BAD.

 

I isolate the one who is sick, and depending on the bug, get out the flu masks. And I clean and wash constantly, which isn't easy in a house that is in the middle of renovation. And usually we get through it. My oldest had a really bad cold two weeks ago, and no one else got sick. We all take zinc, probiotics, and D3 on an ongoing basis as well.

 

I hope that you escape!