Meningitis fear

[Jem27]

Hiya,

Hope you are all ok, Im not too bad really, doing very well lately but this fear is lingering over me and im desperate to get some advice and help on getting a perspective on it.

Basically for 8 yrs now ive had a HUGE meningitis fear, I was run down ill with flu when I read about a boy dying in my village, it freaked me out, id never heard of it before. Since that day everytime i get a slight temp or headache i freak out thinking im getting meningitis, which is most days with having 3 kids:D also with havingn 3 kids as soon as they get a temp or abit off colour I go to pieces thinking its meningitis and its awful, I should be able to tell the difference.

My daughter is 16 mths and on sunday had a very high temp and had a convulsion, it scared me to death, she had a rash, went to hospital and thankfully its viral and she is getting better but it really set me back. I have been doing so well but now im anxious about meningitis. This fear will never go but i had learnt to deal with it abit but now im worrying abit more again.

My dr once said to me its very rare, he said only 2 out of his 9000 patients had it last year. He also said the rash is the last symptom, they would be very out of it and its VERY rare in adults etc..... but the fear is still there.

Can anyone help with this fear? its the only thing I have lingering over me and I think I will for the rest of my life.

[ceecee]

hi jem
please don,t be sooo hard on yourself!like you said you,ve been doing soooo well these last few months so try not to fuel your anxiety again.
i know that its your fear that seems exaggerated but then again many mums worry about their childrens health and with so much in the media etc its always at the back of peoples mind when our children have viruses.i think its just part and parcel of being a mum!!!!!!
take care
rach x

[Jem27]

THanks Rach,
I just wish I didnt let it rule my life, everytime i feel abit ill i panic and the same with my kids, why can;t it just be a headache or an ache:-(

[cattttt]

Why not get your kids immunised? I suffer from HA and work in a hospital, about the only place I feel safe and relaxed by the way, we see far more meningitis here in NZ than in Britain (where I came from) and it's still not very common, especially in adults, you just hear about it all the time in the media.

[carly123]

Hi Jem,

Sorry to hear you're not feeling great. I've had a bit of a setback today and yesterday too, there must be something in the air!
You're not the only one to have these fears, remember that, and it is only natural that now and then you'll find the old fears resurfacing.
I've been trying to deal with things by blocking it out - not what any 'normal' person would advise, but it does work if you can learn to stop yourself when you start thinking what , deep down, you know are irrational thoughts.
But, that said, I know when you are ACTUALLY ill or the kids are then it's near on impossible not to start thinking the worst.
Just remind yourself of all the times you've thought ' oh god, this is it, I/he/she has got meningitis (or some other nasty)' and it HASN'T been!

Take care.xxx

[Jem27]

Thanks Carly.

Cat, my children are immunised as am I against 1 strain but there are so many strains that there is no vaccine for.

[nachx3]

I can sympathise with you so much.
Every time my children are ill I panic and always think the worst and watch them like a hawk. My eldest has been ill for 7 days now and we have visited the doctors twice.
My youngest has been taken into hospital 3 times - 2 with viral and convulsion and the 3rd time with pneumonia so I know hospitals can really shake you up and set you back.

Try and think positive.