I am still in the Mother and Baby Unit for my Post Natal Depression. As it turns out this place is a little bit of a ‘buy one get one free’ of mental health problems for me.
There is a winter vomiting bug rife in the country at the moment. Some of you may be vomiting as you read this in fact (though don’t because you will get puke on your iPad). Anyway it has struck the ward, big time. To date we have had three babies and around nine members of staff down with this bug.
Now this situation is kinda my own personal paranoid hell. Firstly I hate sickness bugs-more than your average person. You might even say I am slightly phobic of them. Secondly, generally speaking if there is a sickness bug to be caught, I will catch it (it’s like the germs are attracted to purple or something). I have had six separate virus/food poisoning incidents in this year alone.
So back to my new mental health problem (because I don’t quiet have enough issues), I have developed a bit of an obsession with hand washing. Probably sensible given the current climate. I have also developed a slight obsession with anti-bac foam for that post hand washing, squeaky clean feeling. My foam is in a rather natty orange canister and I whip it out with the sense of authority that a surgeon might feel with his scalpel.
Now just this afternoon a staff member went down with this nasty bug whilst on shift. No sooner was she out of the door than the orange canister come into play. I cleaned door handles, sofas, tables, I even cleaned the remote control. The nurse sent to cover the sick nurse (and not familiar with the unit) asked me if I worked here. When I replied no, that I was simply cleansing the ward, she gave me the same look that I reserve for Robo Boy when he tells me that when he grows up he is ‘going to be a robot.’
So perhaps in fairness I am being a little over the top. Also, perhaps I should be concerned that the actual OCD patient here has started looking at me as if I’m bonkers, when I start cleaning. But I have to do all in my power to prevent me and little Wonder Girl from contracting this nasty germ. I really need to get well and get home to my family. I’m pretty sure that vomiting isn’t going to make this happen any faster. Heck, I can always get treatment for OCD later…
I am like this too. on airplanes for example I can get really messed up feeling like I am breathing in bugs and peoples farts. I have to have a stern word with myself and go have some glamourous time out in the loo just to escape people.
I often have stern words with myself.
Normal is such a subjective term and the more interesting, creative fun and out of the box you are the more you push the boundies of normal.
As a rule of thumb I comfort myself with this: If I am worrying about being insane. I am most likely not.
If on the other hand you are merrily skipping along feeling totally sane and reasonable you might just be utterly bonkers 🙂
Another reasoning I use is the following. Is my reaction at all in-line with the circumstances I find myself? and I think its fair to say in this case yes is the answer. actually I might have checked out and buggered off home myself but I am prone to doing that sort of thing 🙂
Thanks , I did consider checking out but my mental health is really too wobbly for this at the moment. I’m now hiding in my room with my own stash of food and my trusty antibacterial spray as another patient went down with it this afternoon.
Oh dear Ella, as much as this isn’t really a funny situation, your words did make me smile, especially you cleans the ward so well that a nurse mistakes you fr a member of staff! Bless you. I hope you don’t catch the bug, because you just want out and to be back to your family. Fingers crossed you are reunited soon xx
Thanks , I am trying to make my hospital experience funny. Heck if I can make this funny I can make anything funny right. Good writing practise and thanks.
Sounds more like sensible behaviour to me. I’ve just had the bug (you really don’t want it) and cleaners in hospitals appear to be rubbish, so I would take cleaning matters into your own hands.
Thanks , my thoughts exactly.
Be careful with that. My SIL does that and her hands are in a horrible state. She’s hiding them from everyone and hardly ever touches anything around the house. Cash mashine is used with car key etc…
Gosh sounds like your sister might have an actual case of OCD, perhaps a docs visit is in order ? I will be careful.
Oh Ella, it all sounds quite awful for you at the moment. I am glad you can sort of see the funny side too in your writing, but do hope you are back home with all the family and well soon
That doesn’t sound that weird to me at all! Perhaps OCD is rife in our house too, but Mummy always has hand gel in her bag, apparently since Daddy freaked out about the potential bugs on the Tube when she was pregnant.
Oh, I think it is very easy to slip into a bit of OCD when you’re in hospital! Especially when you are there with a young baby. Especially when you have PND! Been there too! You are my new blog read for day 13 of Christmas – I have put your link on my blog if that’s ok:
http://www.actuallymummy.co.uk/2011/12/14/tots-100-christmas-party-butlins-vs-x-factor-live-final-wembley/
Thanks for the link up. Nice to meet you , have checked out your blog too.