Aa
Might as well quit my job
So today, the day after i saw dried blood on money at work, I go in.
As I am working, i notice red spots on a roll of paper towels at the end of the counter.
So I was lookin at it, and it sorta had that look like maybe somethin sprayed alittle on there, like juice. Because the blood wasnt a brownish color like blood usually gets when it dries on paper towels. so i picked it up from the side I saw no red stuff on, and it was on the other side as well. So I chucked the paper towels. But then noticed little drops of something on the counter where they had been. So I got a paper towel and wiped it, and was expecting it to be sticky like dried juice. But it soaked right into the paper towel. And looked like when you get a fresh drop of blood on a paper towel. It wasnt that watery, clear/red like most juices and syrups are when you wipe them up.
So I wiped the rest up(without gloves since we had none). I tried to make sure I had a paper towel rolled once or twice to make sure nothin soaked through onto me.
We had no bleach so I then wiped it down with some hand sanitizer.
Then I spent the rest of the day worrying, and still am worrying. The "What if I was exposed?" thing. Also worrying what if I do get exposed later this week since hep can live so long outta the body?
I asked everyone else if anyone bled during their shift. Everyone said no, except for the youngest, dumbest kid on staff who said "Oh, I really dont remember. Maybe I popped a pimple and bled everywhere but I really dont know."
Anyway, I am just paranoid because I am proposing to my girlfriend really soon, and I dont want any distractions, like getting Hep. Or anything that could affect our life together.
So does it sound like I was exposed and should be concerned? Or am I just overreacting due to my obsession with wanting a happy distraction free future with the love of my life? I am really scared.
As I am working, i notice red spots on a roll of paper towels at the end of the counter.
So I was lookin at it, and it sorta had that look like maybe somethin sprayed alittle on there, like juice. Because the blood wasnt a brownish color like blood usually gets when it dries on paper towels. so i picked it up from the side I saw no red stuff on, and it was on the other side as well. So I chucked the paper towels. But then noticed little drops of something on the counter where they had been. So I got a paper towel and wiped it, and was expecting it to be sticky like dried juice. But it soaked right into the paper towel. And looked like when you get a fresh drop of blood on a paper towel. It wasnt that watery, clear/red like most juices and syrups are when you wipe them up.
So I wiped the rest up(without gloves since we had none). I tried to make sure I had a paper towel rolled once or twice to make sure nothin soaked through onto me.
We had no bleach so I then wiped it down with some hand sanitizer.
Then I spent the rest of the day worrying, and still am worrying. The "What if I was exposed?" thing. Also worrying what if I do get exposed later this week since hep can live so long outta the body?
I asked everyone else if anyone bled during their shift. Everyone said no, except for the youngest, dumbest kid on staff who said "Oh, I really dont remember. Maybe I popped a pimple and bled everywhere but I really dont know."
Anyway, I am just paranoid because I am proposing to my girlfriend really soon, and I dont want any distractions, like getting Hep. Or anything that could affect our life together.
So does it sound like I was exposed and should be concerned? Or am I just overreacting due to my obsession with wanting a happy distraction free future with the love of my life? I am really scared.
Fearful:
This will sound harsh and I don't mean it to. My big question is what are you doing about your:
Anxiety problems
Unrealistic expectations about life in general?
I think some writer said...."Life is what happens when you are making other plans" or something like that.
I think it's wonderful that you are going to propose and to hope for a distraction free life.
However, it hardly ever works that way. Life is full of bumps in the road - money troubles, kids who get the flu, dirty diapers, family squabbles, job troubles.
This sounds negative but it's realistic and true. Sheeot happens. It's normal and it's life.
You are starting to cycle into an anxiety spiral that can cause you a lot of problems. Do not obsess about the job thing....quitting won't help your future plans.....but you are getting in trouble with your anxiety; a therapist asks questions like....is your anxiety getting in the way of your life...
and that's definitely true for you.
get some help for your anxiety.
kindly,
deb
This will sound harsh and I don't mean it to. My big question is what are you doing about your:
Anxiety problems
Unrealistic expectations about life in general?
I think some writer said...."Life is what happens when you are making other plans" or something like that.
I think it's wonderful that you are going to propose and to hope for a distraction free life.
However, it hardly ever works that way. Life is full of bumps in the road - money troubles, kids who get the flu, dirty diapers, family squabbles, job troubles.
This sounds negative but it's realistic and true. Sheeot happens. It's normal and it's life.
You are starting to cycle into an anxiety spiral that can cause you a lot of problems. Do not obsess about the job thing....quitting won't help your future plans.....but you are getting in trouble with your anxiety; a therapist asks questions like....is your anxiety getting in the way of your life...
and that's definitely true for you.
get some help for your anxiety.
kindly,
deb
Or you could step off a curb and get hit by a bus. Life's realities are all around us. Sometimes it's a slpash of grenadine sometimes it's a drop of blood. Depends on what you let life do to you. Reminds me of an old joke that has the punchline 'gald I didn't step in it'. And belive me 'a happy distraction free future with the love of your life' ain't all it's cracked up to be.
Please don't take this wrong - but you might want to consider seeing someone who specializes in obsessive/compulsive disorders.
Trust me, I know my anxiety is a problem. I have had anxiety issues in the past. I have been to therapy for other anxiety issues. But I guess until I get medical isnurance and can afford therapy again, I am on my own. And my reply on other more knowledgable about hepatitis for assistance.
However does my situation sound high risk? Low risk?
Like I said, im sorta stuck in my paranoia state until I can get assistance with my anxiety. And I like to know what my risk levels are when I hit situations like this, which for some reason have come more often recently.
However does my situation sound high risk? Low risk?
Like I said, im sorta stuck in my paranoia state until I can get assistance with my anxiety. And I like to know what my risk levels are when I hit situations like this, which for some reason have come more often recently.
I had a blood transfusion in 1977 but didn't know I had hepatitis C until 20 years later in 1997. I had no symptoms at all until 3 or 4 years later when the exhaustion kicked in. It is a very slow progressing blood borne disease (blood to blood contact).
I'm glad you have a nice fiance. Please don't quit your job. You need it. Patients on INF/RIBA often overreact, but there is no need for you to. You are not on tx. Take magnesium and calcium - it will help you calm down.
I'm glad you have a nice fiance. Please don't quit your job. You need it. Patients on INF/RIBA often overreact, but there is no need for you to. You are not on tx. Take magnesium and calcium - it will help you calm down.
you could always just stay at home and hope no home invaders break into your house or some of that yellow ice falls off a plane and crashes through you roof! get it, already?!
Like I said, I know i have fears. And I can be irrational. Im paranoid, and likely have OCD.
However I have no insurance and cant see a therapist till I can either afford it, or get health insurance. Until then, the only thing I can do is ask you kind people what my risk level is with certain situations.
Because I basically see the smallest little things as risk factors, and its hard for me to make rational observations as to if its a no or low risk situation.
However I have no insurance and cant see a therapist till I can either afford it, or get health insurance. Until then, the only thing I can do is ask you kind people what my risk level is with certain situations.
Because I basically see the smallest little things as risk factors, and its hard for me to make rational observations as to if its a no or low risk situation.
Yesterday you posted you touched money that had blood on it - today you touched a paper towel that had red spots on it - either wear gloves, quit your job, or go get tested for HEP C!!!
Well, cant wear gloves at my job, and I was just tested for hepatitis last month.
Would take 6 months for me to get tested and know its fairy accurate
Would take 6 months for me to get tested and know its fairy accurate
Deb.....It was John Lennon!
Fearful-
Where are you working that there is blood all over the place? If infected blood came in contact with an open, bleeding wound on your body.....then you might get infected. I agree with some of the good advice on this post- If you are having anxiety issues...it might be worth the out-of pocket expense to go get a prescription and see if you can get some relief- there is always Medicare which you might qualify for- or go to an emergency room.
Fearful-
Where are you working that there is blood all over the place? If infected blood came in contact with an open, bleeding wound on your body.....then you might get infected. I agree with some of the good advice on this post- If you are having anxiety issues...it might be worth the out-of pocket expense to go get a prescription and see if you can get some relief- there is always Medicare which you might qualify for- or go to an emergency room.
hi, I can be a kinda fearful kind of gal, and through a lot of therapy, studying, etc...I've found that a lot of this stuff is generated by "self-talk"
these long, rambling conversations we have with ourselves, sometimes there's a whole committee up there! lol....It's our subconscious working behind the scenes, getting mixed up with our conscious thoughts...
what's helpful for me, is when these "thoughts" start getting rambling and irrational, it's hard to pin down sometimes because you lose perspective, and think these are serious and rational thoughts youre having and that youre merely "problem solving" and asking valid questions of yourself or others...
I mean almost everyone does this, to varying degrees...what's helpful to me, is to stop and ask myself is this really helpful? Am I being really rational here, or perhaps a bit paranoid? What real evidence to I have?, etc etc...
Like today in the doctors, I hate going to the doctor and getting tested for this and that, blood draws, etc etc...not being sure what's going to happen with the test, and my mind tends to race and I start thinking all kinds of not very constructive, maybe a lot of paranoid thoughts based on nothing really, just because I've been given a bad deal with hepatitis, doesn't mean I've contracted every other disease that's out there...Even if the doc does want to do more heart tests....
but I guess since that scare with Hepatitis, I can immediately go into overdrive as far as "catastrophic" thinking, reasoning out to myself, well, this happened, so maybe this is gonna happen too! BULLDINGY! I can't read the future, though the way my mind works at these times, you'd think I thought I could....it's the way we think when we are anxious...
so what I try to do is turn my self-talk around, and ask myself, hey, what if the opposite is true? And I have a clean bill of health in these other areas? And I'm getting all worked up for nothing? Just stressing myself out? why not just try "to be here now" not in the past or in the future, just here....as the Buddhists refer to it, and let the experts do their thing, and just not try to project to much that I don't even know...
I do that along with some 7/11 breathing exercises to relax me (a relaxed person usually is more of a rational thinking person) I breathe in through my nose to the count of 7, then slowly, slowly breathe out through my mouth for a count of 11 and just keep doing that till I start to relax....boy, does it ever work...
Case in point, when I first went to the doctor today, (new doctor, etc etc) they took my blood pressure and it was 145 / 85, my bp is never that high, in fact it's usually on the low side, the doc asked me about the high bp and I told him, that's when I first got here and I was a bit freaked...I've just been doing breathing exercises while I've been waiting for you, take it again...
he did and it was completely normal.....we can really work ourselves up....not saying that what youre saying about your work is valid or not, I couldn't possibly know, but you do sound like your anxious, etc....and also, something helpful would be not to but Fear in your name, to validate for your fears, I'd try to think more positive....but this is only my take, course, take what you need and leave the rest behind...
these long, rambling conversations we have with ourselves, sometimes there's a whole committee up there! lol....It's our subconscious working behind the scenes, getting mixed up with our conscious thoughts...
what's helpful for me, is when these "thoughts" start getting rambling and irrational, it's hard to pin down sometimes because you lose perspective, and think these are serious and rational thoughts youre having and that youre merely "problem solving" and asking valid questions of yourself or others...
I mean almost everyone does this, to varying degrees...what's helpful to me, is to stop and ask myself is this really helpful? Am I being really rational here, or perhaps a bit paranoid? What real evidence to I have?, etc etc...
Like today in the doctors, I hate going to the doctor and getting tested for this and that, blood draws, etc etc...not being sure what's going to happen with the test, and my mind tends to race and I start thinking all kinds of not very constructive, maybe a lot of paranoid thoughts based on nothing really, just because I've been given a bad deal with hepatitis, doesn't mean I've contracted every other disease that's out there...Even if the doc does want to do more heart tests....
but I guess since that scare with Hepatitis, I can immediately go into overdrive as far as "catastrophic" thinking, reasoning out to myself, well, this happened, so maybe this is gonna happen too! BULLDINGY! I can't read the future, though the way my mind works at these times, you'd think I thought I could....it's the way we think when we are anxious...
so what I try to do is turn my self-talk around, and ask myself, hey, what if the opposite is true? And I have a clean bill of health in these other areas? And I'm getting all worked up for nothing? Just stressing myself out? why not just try "to be here now" not in the past or in the future, just here....as the Buddhists refer to it, and let the experts do their thing, and just not try to project to much that I don't even know...
I do that along with some 7/11 breathing exercises to relax me (a relaxed person usually is more of a rational thinking person) I breathe in through my nose to the count of 7, then slowly, slowly breathe out through my mouth for a count of 11 and just keep doing that till I start to relax....boy, does it ever work...
Case in point, when I first went to the doctor today, (new doctor, etc etc) they took my blood pressure and it was 145 / 85, my bp is never that high, in fact it's usually on the low side, the doc asked me about the high bp and I told him, that's when I first got here and I was a bit freaked...I've just been doing breathing exercises while I've been waiting for you, take it again...
he did and it was completely normal.....we can really work ourselves up....not saying that what youre saying about your work is valid or not, I couldn't possibly know, but you do sound like your anxious, etc....and also, something helpful would be not to but Fear in your name, to validate for your fears, I'd try to think more positive....but this is only my take, course, take what you need and leave the rest behind...
I realize that starting tx has been a process for you and I admire your approach. One suggestion I have for you when you start, write down those 7/11 breathing exercise directions for easy access. Somedays there are times where I would lose track of the count somewhere around 5 or 6. Be well, Foresee. You're gonna do great.
I have OCD. If you have OCD, asking questions like this is not going to help you. It might calm you for a brief time, but afterwards your anxiety will be even greater, forcing you to ask new questions. I have heard there are OCD forums, go there, the people there can support you. They will know that you are best helped by not receiving answers to questions like these. It is part of the disease of OCD to seek assurance outside of yourself. Zazza
I think I know a little something about what youre saying, and I agree completely, for what little I know, and I only know a little...a mildly obsessive personality is different than Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder...I hope she heeds your advice...
Flguy: so glad youre nearing the finish line! I hope your wife sends you to some great golf course with a spa?
Flguy: so glad youre nearing the finish line! I hope your wife sends you to some great golf course with a spa?
I see that many have already discussed the anxiety part.
The only other thing I can suggest is that if you still have some concerns, get a bottle of Purell or some other hand sanitizer and use it a couple of times a day. this will help to kill any germs that may be on money ie: cold and flu. this is the most common that can be transferred with handling money mainly if you are frequently touching your face, nose. eyes. For hep C you would actually have to have a blood to blood contact which is not likely at all. even then it would be very rare to happen. We have patients here that have been married for years with regular sexual relations and their partners have not contracted the disease.
The only other thing I can suggest is that if you still have some concerns, get a bottle of Purell or some other hand sanitizer and use it a couple of times a day. this will help to kill any germs that may be on money ie: cold and flu. this is the most common that can be transferred with handling money mainly if you are frequently touching your face, nose. eyes. For hep C you would actually have to have a blood to blood contact which is not likely at all. even then it would be very rare to happen. We have patients here that have been married for years with regular sexual relations and their partners have not contracted the disease.
Do you worry about mosquitos and question their ability to carry disease? I mean they carry and pass malaria...what if one were to bite someone infected with something (HCV, HIV) and then bite you?
Seriously - it's about the craziest question. You can't worry about every little thing - especially number one I doubt the person was infected with anything and number two unless you rubbed the blood into an open cut or something the chance is 000.000 that you got anything at all.
Seriously - it's about the craziest question. You can't worry about every little thing - especially number one I doubt the person was infected with anything and number two unless you rubbed the blood into an open cut or something the chance is 000.000 that you got anything at all.
Okay, you don't have insurance and can't see a doctor.What can you do? You can go to a library and for FREE take out a book on meditation. You can learn yoga. You can learn other stress-reducing techniques. There are simple ways to control anxiety with breathing exercises. Once you learn how to calm yourself with your breath, you have a tool with you always.
The biggest thing to help me, years ago, was the book Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe. The first rule was don't panic. This became my mantra every time, I couldn't find my keys or.started to stress over anything. Don't panic.
Now, I breath deep and slowly relaxing on the exhale. Ahhhhhhh.
Good luck
The biggest thing to help me, years ago, was the book Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe. The first rule was don't panic. This became my mantra every time, I couldn't find my keys or.started to stress over anything. Don't panic.
Now, I breath deep and slowly relaxing on the exhale. Ahhhhhhh.
Good luck
Here have some of my PROZAC lol....thank you i dont feel as crazy now, hehehe just kidding.
Don't panic!!
First --- Wash your hands a regular amount --- don't obsess with it... Just a normal wash every couple of hours --- or after touching something bizarre....
Take your normal vitamins or meds...
Inhale and Exhale appropriately....
Cover all wounds with bandaids until your body has successfully covered the area with a scab - or it has healed...
Keep your skin healthy and moisturized (your skin is your first defense against most diseases.)
Don't put your hands in your face (don't put fingers in mouth - up nose, in eyes, etc.)
(hands carry germs --- eyes, mouth, nose, vaginal and anal areas are entry points for germs.... so take care when in those areas.... EVEN IF BY YOURSELF! LOL!)
Now... go clean your room --- have a nice dinner.... and enjoy the world.
Deep breaths...
Good Music...
Chilling on the beach --- or at the park --- or something with a guitar and friends... Throw a frisbee for a dog... Go chase icecream trucks --- and actually get an icecream...
Go live your life and stop freaking out...
Cause --- the truth of the matter is:
NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU FREAK OUT OR OBSESS OVER ANYTHING +++++LIFE IS STILL GOING TO HAPPEN+++++ AND IF YOU DON'T CHILL YOU ARE GOING TO MISS OUT ON LIFE!
Laugh - love and enjoy it all! Even the bad days - relish your time --- as if you were a tasty hot dog waiting to be eaten!
Live!
Meki
Ps. Or hang out with us Hitchhikers and Quit Panicking!
First --- Wash your hands a regular amount --- don't obsess with it... Just a normal wash every couple of hours --- or after touching something bizarre....
Take your normal vitamins or meds...
Inhale and Exhale appropriately....
Cover all wounds with bandaids until your body has successfully covered the area with a scab - or it has healed...
Keep your skin healthy and moisturized (your skin is your first defense against most diseases.)
Don't put your hands in your face (don't put fingers in mouth - up nose, in eyes, etc.)
(hands carry germs --- eyes, mouth, nose, vaginal and anal areas are entry points for germs.... so take care when in those areas.... EVEN IF BY YOURSELF! LOL!)
Now... go clean your room --- have a nice dinner.... and enjoy the world.
Deep breaths...
Good Music...
Chilling on the beach --- or at the park --- or something with a guitar and friends... Throw a frisbee for a dog... Go chase icecream trucks --- and actually get an icecream...
Go live your life and stop freaking out...
Cause --- the truth of the matter is:
NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU FREAK OUT OR OBSESS OVER ANYTHING +++++LIFE IS STILL GOING TO HAPPEN+++++ AND IF YOU DON'T CHILL YOU ARE GOING TO MISS OUT ON LIFE!
Laugh - love and enjoy it all! Even the bad days - relish your time --- as if you were a tasty hot dog waiting to be eaten!
Live!
Meki
Ps. Or hang out with us Hitchhikers and Quit Panicking!
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