Hyst in thee weeks - hubby in Mexico two of them

Every time I settle down a fear a new one pops up! My hubby has to leave (for work) tonight to go to Mexico. He will be there four day, then home and then goes back the Mother's Day and returns home the day before my surgery. I was okay with this because I am feeling lousy, very moody and I thought it would be a really good break for him (he loves his job, very interesting, works with great people). Then the swine flu pandemic! I am so scared for his safety! He is right, he will be safe- he's an accountant so not walking the streets of Mexico City but still I feel like he's going to "ground zero." Nothing anyone can do about this but pray, and I'm doing that as much as I can. Thanks for letting me voice my fear - hopefully I can be rational and trust that he will take care of himself.

Hi sharpie

I would be worried, too--not necessarily because there's anything to worry about but because I'm just so good at worrying that I do it a lot. Has your husband packed lots of surgical masks and hand sanitizer? I would call my doctor and ask what kinds of precautions to take while your husband is home, just so you feel like you have the right kind of knowledge to tackle it if it does happen. CNN had some information on how to protect yourself, and maybe that would give you some guidance.

I hope your husband stays wonderfully healthy so he can pamper you when your surgery is over.

I'm sending you big

I can totally identify with going through fear after fear! About every hour, I think of something else that freaks me out.

I can certainly understand why your situation would be very stressful! Something I do to calm myself down is to remind myself there is nothing constructive about worrying about something you can't change. The more you can focus on things you have control over, the less time you have to stress and worry.

Then again, easier said than done! I have gotten a lot of good advice about focusing on things around the house and getting ready for my trip to the castle...three days to go!...but honestly one of the best stress releases I have found is coming to this site! Asking questions, getting answers and support, and trying to help reassure and comfort those who are suffering the same fears and stresses - it is astounding how much calmer I feel after spending a half hour at the computer.

Best wishes and take care of yourself.

Thank you both for your kind words and sensible advice. He does have hand-sanitizer, but masks are a no no because he would offend his hosts. Crazy I know, but not acceptable.

I know he will be careful, but it's just not fair that right now we have to worry about travel related illness!

I can understand your concerns too. Waiting for a hysterectomy is stressful without anything extra to worry about.
Be as careful as possible and try not to worry too much ( easier said than done, I know ).

I will add my prayers and good wishes that everything will go well for you and your DH.

thank you. Your prayers mean so much to me. I will try and worry less. DH is safely on the ground in Texas, and plans on crossing the border sometime around lunch today. All I can do is trust that he will be sensible and take care of himself.

I will work on not obsessing about things I cannot change...I will try working on not obsessing about things I cannot change!

My DH is returning home as we speak. Because the WHO changed the pandemic level to a 5, my employer announced guidelines for anyone who has been to Mexico. Because I live with someone who has been in Mexico, I am forbidden to come to work for 5 days once he gets home. That means I cannot work tomorrow, Monday or Tuesday. They recommend I don't visit the elderly (my MIL has an apartment in my home) nor the immune compromised (I am my son's homecare nurse for a primary immune deficiency). So, my MIL cannot come into our part of the home until Wednesday, and we cannot visit her. My immune compromised son is due for his therapy tomorrow. Luckily he lives out of town so he is not exposed, but I cannot give him his life-supporting med until Wednesday when we are sure that my hubby doesn't have the flu. I cannot visit my granddaughter. I cannot go to church and risk infecting anyone there. I feel like we will be totally cut off from all our support and everything positive in our life. The worst part still, IF he develops the flu, it will certainly delay my surgery.

This must be a test of my patience. I have nothing left in me, I'm beyond stressed. Please keep me in your prayers.

Thanks for listening - I can't stress DH about my worries, he feels so bad about all of this - especially the quarantine from work/family. It's not his fault, so I don't want to add to his burden.

Thanks for the update, sharpie, although I wish you were feeling more positive. I've been thinking about you as I hear the news about the virus. Maybe you'll spend more time online with us and that will cheer you up. We have a couple forums (including one for games) that help occupy women who are in recovery. Maybe you can get familiar with those now.

I hope you and your husband stay perfectly healthy and flu-free!