I get sick a lot. It was then the doctor explained that washing my hands would help me avoid some of the sicknesses that I used to pick up. I have not had the flu (cannot get the shot because of an allergic reaction) since I started washing my hands a lot. I also keep alcohol hand sanitizers in every room of the house. I have a bottle at the door so people coming into the house can use it to sanitize the germs off their hands that they are bringing in to me. My husband never uses the one at the door, but he does wash and sanitize his hands when helping me with pressure sores or other wounds that I have. He is fearful of my ability to land an infection faster than anything. We have dogs and cats so he tries to help keep the pets clean, but you won't get the dogs or cats to wash their paws every few hours. I also know that the dogs and cats will lick me and I know they often lick their fur and bodies with the same tongue so we just try to keep our home as clean as possible because you cannot sterilize any life form to prevent germs. So with me, it is kind of the opposit. I wish people were more likely to wash their hands, but it is because of problems with infection (MRSA, UTIs, flu and colds, plus other bacterial infections) that I have had in the past. My first days back home after my immediate stay in the hospital because of my SCI, I had gotten the flu so badly that I actually requested going back to the hospital. I could not move without pain, even fell with my walker trying to get to the bathroom, and ran a fever so high that at one point, I was grew confused. The doctor at that time said he could not readmit me just because I had the flu. Another doctor since then said that I should have been told to go to E.R. for an exam to determine if medical assistance was necessary. Instead, my husband had taken time off work for a few days to take care of me. Then after he returned to work, he saved up all his time for lunch and breaks so he could come home to check on me. Finally, I was to a point that I was strong enough to move without all the shaking and trembling. My husband would call home and check on me. If he felt that I sounded bad, he would run home to make sure I was okay. I'm sure people may think that I am weird or too concerned about germs, but I know what can happen to me when I get a "simple" virus. I don't get offended like people are afraid to touch me. If I felt that, I would say something to them because that is horrible. I wonder if you helper had someone like me where they had to be careful about germs and are not careful with everyone.
Candle "Scars remind of us where we’ve been, they don’t have to dictate where we are going." ~David Rossi of Criminal Minds *********************************************************************** ________________________________ From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 5:36 PM Subject: [QUAD-L] germaphobes Does anyone here live with a germaphobe - or are you one? My son, whom I love to death, is living with us for a few years now and washes his hands incessantly. After he touches me, a paper, the dog, a dirty dish...... he washes his hands. When he cooks, he spends nearly half his time (ok maybe a third) washing his hands. I know that cleanliness is next to godliness, but sometimes he makes me feel like a rolling germ-bomb. He's a great kid, and I know this is better than the opposite but...... is it just me? AZDAVE What some call health, if purchased by perpetual anxiety about diet, isn't much better than tedious disease.George Dennison Prentice
