Why, why, why can I not rid this stomach bug from our house. I have three children with disabilities and watching them be sick continuously is awful. I just had it and I cannot function to look after them when I am sick.

So first week DS1 had it
2nd week DS 2 and then DS1 again
3rd week DD and me
and now end of 3rd week DS1 for the third time.

I wanted to shoot myself yesterday and I cannot go through it again.

So what suggestions can you give me. I am seriously considering having them all stay in seperate acccomodation for a week and my going to stay with my folks.

****!

Please tell me how you rid your home of an illness like this.

Hand washing and hand sanitiser and we are religious with using disposable gloves with anything the slightest bit iffy.

Probiotics to help build up the gut flora so they can fight it off better.

Good luck.

remind them to practice personal hygiene? it seems like the bug is just passed from one child to another

It's not that simple in a household with disabilities though. It takes a lot of policing and a lot of following routines.

Thanks ladies, I am a nut bag hand cleaner. I have bleached all the sheets, constantly cleaning the bath room and bleaching floors for three weeks.

As the kids have disabilities and always need personal care, we always use gloves and have antibacterial wash in every second room. I just don't get it.

I will get on to the probiotics tomorrow. Thanks for that, great idea. I am willing to try anything.

They do seem to share drink bottles constantly if you are not looking. That most certainly is doing it. My oldest has no comprehension of ownership with things like that and if anyone puts a drink down she will just pick it up and drink it.

I am still thinking of somehow keeping them apart. My oldest is away for two days and I am hoping that minimises her risk of getting it again.

Sounds like what we had it just kept coming back

I open the house right up whenever possible. Even if it meant all of us sitting in one room to keep warm while the rest aired out etc

Burn eucalyptus oil to kill airborne germs.

Spray every surface that's germy (eg toilet seat, door handle, light switch, bathroom taps etc) with glen20 or eucalyptus spray.

Use towels once. Swap hand towels for paper towel just til you're better.

No sharing cups, plates, cutlery. Perhaps using them once, or switch to disposable.

Use gloves & wash well after cleaning up vomit, nappies etc (& try not to breath in the air while you're cleaning lol)

Take pro biotics, multi vitamins, vitC & D and garlic tablets.

Eat lots of fruit & veg, garlic etc

And rest rest rest. Keep doing the above for a week after everyone seems better, JIC. Hang in there, it was horrible

When we have a sickness like that in the house, we always keep a can of Glen 20 handy and whenever someone uses the toilet or turns on taps to wash their hands, we spray whatever they've touched afterwards.

Thanks for the few handy tips I will be right on to it tomorrow. I guess I should prepare for another shocking night.

I use this spray on all surfaces to keep things clean if either DP or I have a bug or a cold.

http://www.fgb.com.au/product/bosistos/bos...ucalyptus-spray

Use the toilet, spray
Use the taps, spray
Touch a door knob, spray

Bleach or dettol used to clean the bathroom and shared areas daily.
Daily airing of the house.

If its a tummy bug the person who is sick is assigned one set of cutlery, plate, bowl and cup.
Separate sponge is used to clean it from everything else until the bug as passed. We sleep in separate rooms and all sheets are to be washed in hot water and go through the dyer or out in the sun.

I hope you feel better soon and the bug leaves your home.

Toothbrushes.

I had 2 bouts of gastro in 8 days and someone suggested ditching the families toothbrushes and buying new ones. I also bought a can of glen 20 and sprayed all the door knobs, light switches ect - things that dont get a regular clean

I think some of the bugs are actually long lasting ones, I had one where I vomited for 2 days but then couldn't eat properly for over a week, any time I ate I was sick again.

If they have had decent diarrhoea, don't forget that lactose intolerance can occur for 6-8 weeks afterwards until the bowel heals. That will give further diarhhoea if they have lactose.

For older children, Phenergan can help with vomiting and you can use things to reduce the diarrhoea - may be worth seeing the GP for some relief!

Sue

I think most stuff has been said so I just wanted to say I hope you can kick it soon. Good luck.

Oh I just went mental cleaning and I am already imagining symptoms of getting sick again myself. I pray I am imagining it, as I only had the 24 hrs from hell Thursday.

I have a list for shopping tomorrow, glen 20, eucalyptus oil and new toothbrushes.

I swear those bloody ipads and laptops that they constantly share and play with don't help so I have wiped them over and put them away.

I have labelled their names on drink bottles and will be banning any "social events" and school for all of them for the next week, as I am starting to wonder if DS1 is sharing this with the class he is in, its an 8 child class and DS 2 is in the next class and they share some lessons and breaks.

I just can't risk this ongoing. I usually can nip it in the butt, not this time.

Our local chemist said they have had lots of people in last week.

Sounds like you've got heaps of ideas now. I was going to say probiotics as well, if your kids will take medicines.

GOod luck and hope you all feel better.