shaking hands

[Eli6596]

Hi everyone,

A lot of us have worsening of our dysautonomia with infection. I certainly do. I don't even want to shake hands anymore for fear of catching a virus or bacteria. I cannot always wash my hands immediately after shaking hands. Some people don't realize that hand shaking spreads germs, and don't volunteer that they have a cold or flu. I feel guilty about avoiding shaking hands.

Does anyone else have the same aversion to hand shaking? This sounds silly, I know.

Karyn

[briarrose]

Karyn

LOL, I'm the same way. I won't read magazines in doctor's offices anymore. I don't use other peoples pens at the store to write checks. I usually won't even let my boyfriend lay down in my bed because he works in a chemical plant and I'm worried about the transfer of anything he might have on his clothes that might make me itchy.

My job makes me nervous and I avoid going into some patients rooms if we suspect that they might have flu, meningitis, high fever, etc. If their call light is on I always hunt someone down to go in instead of me, it's really not my job anyway, I usually just do it to be nice.

I even go as far as spraying my work area down before I start handling the phone as many of my co-workers are forever sick. The ER is a bad place for germs.

So I completely understand what your saying and where you're coming from and it's perfectly normal

[geneva]

Hi Karyn, you are definitely not the only one. My family thinks I go a bit overboard but they support my quirkiness about (not) spreading germs. I give everyone their own individual bottles of Purrell in the cold and flu season and ask them to use when they are out in their daily activities so they don't bring germs home to me.

Even at church where we are expected to shake hands, I take out my Purrell and clean my hands (while my husband rolls his eyes lovingly!!). Also, when a delivery comes, I always make sure I sign with MY pen.

I am also the Lysol-Queen spraying down everything in the house when I see a need. Bordering OCD --yes, I think maybe so!!! But, it WORKS so can't argue with success.

[sally]

Hi,

we use the purex hand sanitizer lotion...you can get it at most walmarts. It has a small amount of lotion within the purex. And we try to never touch the face.

[Ernie]

Hi,

I am lucky enough to have a good immune system. I have been a massage therapist for over 10 years and don't remember catching someone else's virus. I touched my clients almost everywhere (you know which part I did not touch!!!). During the Winter many of them had the flu and even after spending 90 minutes touching them and in a small room I was doing OK.

I catch the flu when I am exhausted or when I get cold. Otherwise I am fine.

Ernie

P.S.: My husband catches a cold or virus whenever he gets close to someone sick. Funny thing he does not have dysautonomia.

[DancingLight]

i am like ernie...

not sure why, but i had infection all of the time before POTS and now rarely get anything...POTS seems to trump them all.

but, i am also really careful and since i don't get out much, or at all, i can't really say what would happen if i was out in the world more.

but, even with other people coming to the house with colds and such i don't usually get them.

maybe you could become more lilke geneva?

emily

[DSM3KIDZ]

Trust me, your not alone. I don't even kiss my cuties on the lips unless I know they are completely healthy. I know that probally sounds mean but I have to stay as healthy as possible to take care of them (6,3,&1).

Even though since I had pots, I haven't caught any colds or flu bugs. Which I used to get everything my kids got before. Maybe because I always feel crappy I just don't realize the difference between a virus or pots.

Dayna

[morgan617]

I take purell or something with me every where, although I can't remember the last time I had a cold. It's the stomach thing that really sets me off, but I'm not fond of anyone's bugs. I just seem to have a pretty hardy respiratory system. Of course it's the only healthy think I have anymore.....morgan

[LisaColumbus]

I guess I'm either fearless or stupid but I don't worry much about germs. I figure there are so many germs out there they will catch me one way or another.