you know what they say, 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'....

I like to think of it this way - the more germs I am exposed to (and no, I don't run through other people's sneezes like they're lawn sprinklers on a hot day - I am talking about the stuff I can't avoid) the more resistance I build up. It's like homeopathic medicine - little doses make you more immune. OK - odd, but it keeps me from worrying so much!

lisaz... I feel the same way about the taco truck.

I eat off the taco truck or from a downtown hotdog vendor at least once a month to keep my immune system strong. It keeps the bacteria levels at stasis. In my mind. Because I am a freak.

Hehe, another Lori posting!
I'm a massage therapist, and it really bothers me when people, who KNOW they're sick, come in anyways for a massage and sneeze and cough all over me for an hour. STAY HOME!
Thanks, I feel better now....

I used to be fine ... but ever since I've worked at the building I'm in now ... ya know, the one where you can't help but overhear the number of people who DO NOT WASH THEIR HANDS AFTER USING THE LOO and then touch the series of doorknobs I need to use to get from said bathroom back into the sanctity of my office ....I find myself turning into a hand washing freak.

Hello OCD, here I come!

You must have listened to the same newscast I was listening to this morning on my way into work. Kind of freaky, but I'm not in panic mode yet.

Was wondering how you felt about Lost this week? I've been waiting for your recap.

Mary! I thought LOST was good... but I wish we knew more about what was going on in the other side of the island. Guess we learn more about that next week? But I love Hurley, and I loved his backstory (some of the other backstory episodes are... feh. Not so interesting to me.)

Ana Lucia is a butt-kicker!!

Be glad you don't sort mail for a living. When I think about how many people have touched the mail I deliver... and add on to that they use _spit_ to seal the envelopes... and when I wash my hands I see how filthy they get just from sorting two tubs or so of mail a day... I shudder.

You can avoid the whole kleenix-barrier-elevator-button-pushing thing by doing what I do: push the buttons with your elbow. Unless you're one of those contortionists that can lick her own elbow. And you would have the need to lick your elbow.

Hahahaha! My friends are now so used to my OCD quirks it doesn't even phase them anymore. They are a good "public bathroom testing mechanism." They'll actually come out and tell me, "Yeah, there is NO way you can use that one. Let's find somewhere else." People at work are slowly catching on. Perhaps it's the Purell that hangs from my purse? Maybe it's the bottle of disinfectant on my desk (in case on of the techies handles my computer).

Dammit! I will not change to fit their mold. I will make them submit to my will. But auto-flushing toilets? Annoying! Does nobody else know the way of the kick flush?

I have a hand washing problem too. Whenever I come in from outside - even I just went to get the mail - I have to wash my hands. I'm a freelancer so my resistance to germs isn't very good (she says to defend her obsessive hand washing) because I'm not around that many (any) people every day. I do go to Target frequently to keep up my immunity! Oh, and what about The Gilmore Girls!?! How about that Emily giving it to the gold digging Mrs. Huntsberger?

I had a friend who used to carry extra underpants so she could put fresh ones on after she went to the bathroom....
hmm....

Sad thing is, all those antibacterial products actually reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics. So after slathering the hand gels and soaps all over yourself, if you do get a bacterial infection, it's less likely that the antibiotics will work to treat it. The only people who should actually use those things are health care workers or people who have compromised immune systems.

I spritz handsanitizer on our office computer keyboard and mouse, then wipe it down with several kleenexes before use. Those things are GROSS.

Maybe knitting is the cure to germaphobia? Because as you point out, if we're all going to die, at least it means we can buy lots of yarn.

You are so funny! My OCDness...incessant hand washer. It's a miracle I still have skin.

Oddly enough, I don't think I qualify for OCD. However, while driving to work yesterday listening to NPR, I started forming a Bird Flu kit inventory....

-Purell and lots of it
-those white mask thingy's for my kids and me
-Lysol disinfectant wipes
-Dried food and extra water (Enough to allow all of us to live inside our house until the majority of the infecting is over)

Sorry, but I blame (thank?) you and all of your previous emergency kits posts.

Oh, yeah. I also have tons of yarn to help me through....

SHARI!!!! Why didn't I think of that??? An Evian Flu kit!! I could have yarn, and DVDs, and wine, and fun size snickers. If you eat ten in a row, they become fun.

A prep kit!! I love to have disaster kits. They're so much fun to shop for.

I think I am getting more OCD the older I get with respect to sick people and those who don't wash after using the restroom. I now REFUSE to touch ANY surface in a public restroom with out a barrier of some sort. You are not alone!

ocd is stress related. my ocd is not the germ based kind (although i will not touch restroom doorknobs
w/out a tissue and i keep wet wipes in my car at all times) i'm not affraid of getting sick. cant explain it, but when the stress is gone, the ocd is almost gone.
does bird flu = $$ for the pharmiceutical industry? (insert chicken little reference here) i guess we will find out soon enough.

Yeah, I love Hurley/Hugo too, and his backstory is always worthwhile. DJ Qualls was awesome as his friend!

I love Rose too, but I'm so afraid that Bernard isn't really Bernard or something.

And I kind of hate Ana-Lucia right now.

oh, and purell freaks me out. i feel like i've *sealed in* whatever was on my hands.

Laurie, you should see my disease disaster kit, which has is an associated Excel spreadsheet! You would be so proud!!

I'm very bad about yelling at my friends in public "don't touch your eyes, don't touch your eyes"!! Because you know that's where the germs actually get inside and begin to slowly take over your very being.

I also have a bit of a taco truck philosophy; living in New York City and riding the subway must somehow strengthen me against the airborne nasties. Still, I cant wait for winter when I can wear gloves everywhere.

How funny... I'm on my way to the exact opposite stance on bird flu. I don't usually worry about the flu since I only seem to get it every couple of years. But bird flu scares me (oh, not enough that I'm truely worried yet) but as one of those terrible things that could happen and could kill me and perhaps I should think of being prepared for it. I think it's in the same category as The Big One at the moment.

I like to fret to a point of anxiety that I would ask my doctor for Xanax if one of the side effects wasn't heightened anxiety.

All you OCD people don't bug me too much... just don't use products with Triclosan please. Purell is good... it's alcohol-based. :)

I'm with Stacy - those antibacterial things? Chemicals! And chemicals are bad for you too! I'm all about the toliet seat covers and hand washing, but you have to build up your immunity to the ubergerms! And the other side of the island? I think they are eating people.

Laurie! Laurie!!!! I was at Walmart the other day and they had piles of discounted books in the entrance isle. I thought of you the second I saw the LOST Companion Guide! (Not that you really need it being the expert and all...just thought you might be interested.) Anyway, if you DO want it and can't brave Wally World, or find it there, let me know and I'll see what I can pull off. Have a great weekend.

I've got some shares of Purell I'd like to sell you.... ;-)

Seriously, though - I don't think I'm an OCD-er, but I do a lot of work in hospitals, so when I've just taken a tour of the Microbiology laboratory or the ICU where they've got several isolated cases of Methocillin-resistant Staph aureus or Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, I'm gonna be washin' my hands after I leave those places! I had a nurse look at me like I was nuts when I started washing my hands after leaving the ICU, and I'm thinking.... just don't treat ME if I'm ever a patient in your ward and you're footloose and fancy-free with the hygiene!

i am not afraid of the evian flu.

now if there's a problem with aquafina someone should let me know.

I think perhaps it is in fact the knitting that is helping you through this. You might be less OCD, but if not, lets think of it as you just redirecting it to a more appropriate outlet. Which is fantastic for the people that recieve your superbly knitted scarves, hats, kitty pis and so on.
Maybe there's a certain amount of OCD a person has to go thru each day and you just use all yours up on knitting so there's no more for anything else.

I found your blog today ( am also obsessed with reading knitting (mostly knitting) blogs. I've been having a struggle with depression. Wierd cuz i'm an optimist 8-). Thank you for inspiring me to start my own blog...going to find one.
Really. I read your 'about me' and it helped me to have hope yanno?
thanks
another
Llaurie

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OCD-Support/messages

THIS JUST IN: CRITICAL NEWS FROM MY OFFICE ELEVATOR!!

The actor who plays Sawyer (they had his real name, but who cares what he's like in real life) and his wife were robbed at gunpoint in their Honolulu home.

I'll bet if he wasn't suffering from that bullet wound in his shoulder from the Gorton's fishermen, he'd have kicked that robber's ass.

Raise your hand if you got all teary when Rose saved the candy bar for Bernard! And when we met Bernard (but you knew that one was coming).

**raises hand**

i bet you don't touch the public bathroom door handle! (i don't!) ooooh! soooo funny :)
maybe i should start packing wipes in my bag ;)
thanks for the giggles today!
... but, i still live by the 5 second rule for food dropped on the floor, at least MY floor.

Have I shown you my portable soap sheets yet? They're like those freaky LIsterine tabs, but soap! The best part is then you can always wash your hands, even if you're just standing in a parking lot with a bottle of water. Not that I have done that recently or anything.

Dear Crazy, (I read you every day, so I feel like we might be on a first name basis)

Thank you for making me smile and think. You are a wonderful diversion for me when I need to get away for a minute each day from the craziness of my life. Somehow the craziness of *your* life is entertaining, not stressful, and so for that I freely acknowledge your skill as a writer and humorist, as I imagine from the inside you might be as neurotic as the rest of us, just a damn sight more clever about it. So, in a winding way, Ms. Purl, thank you and blessings.

Signed,
Ms. Neurotic, who knits and reads (good) knitting blogs for stress relief.

Hee hee - you guys know it's the Avian Flu, right? Evian is the bottled water.

or I am missing the joke here - I'm such a dork, I never know.

Please have Drew link us to his Excel based Disease Disaster Kit. I've been using your Excel budgets (bless your little heart for sharing that) and would appreciate a Disease Disaster Kit. Going back to my wine now - wine's a disinfectant :)

I am having a tough time getting all worked up over the avian flu, too, because I rememeber about 10 years ago we were all going to die from ebola. And every other month we are all going to die because of terrorists.

Besides I live out in the boonies, and no self respecting terrorist would target us.

you know, when i leave a public bathroom, i use my paper towel to open the door. i HATE bathrooms with air dryers. of course, this stems back to my foodservice days, when it was de rigeur to do so. my son is ocd, but he does icky things like pick his nails to . . . well, nevermind.

Of course you can't touch the door handles. There are people who never wash their hands using the doors ahead of you. I have to admit that it always gets a laugh when I hear someone leaving the bathroom without even turning on the tap: "Hey! get back in here and wash your hands." Yes, I really do that.

Add lavender essential oil to your Evian flu Emergency Kit. It is supposedly anti-microbial. I don't know if it really works but it is great fun to spray the sickos when they foolishly enter my cube at work.

Did you possibly slip your OCD germs to me through the internet? Can people do that? Because, since the EU started to worry about the Evian Flu (luckily, on CNN International, they appear to be able to pronounce it correctly), I've been wondering if we need to get rid of our chickens. That stuff's too creepy, and don't usually go all OCD on people.

Did you possibly slip your OCD germs to me through the internet? Can people do that? Because, since the EU started to worry about the Evian Flu (luckily, on CNN International, they appear to be able to pronounce it correctly), I've been wondering if we need to get rid of our chickens. That stuff's too creepy, and I don't usually go all OCD on people.

Afghans don't use toilet paper...its a wonder I'm not DEAD yet.....what a yucky place

I can't add anything to the whole poultrypox conversation, however I will say, in reference to your reference to "fun sized Halloween candy"... what is it about teeny candy bars that makes them fun?

I just don't know. One? Not fun. Fifteen? A veritable fun sized candy party.

Bird Flu

Chicken Little, Chicken Little, the Sky is Falling.

There have been what, 60 cases of cross over to people. And those people live with the infected birds. And no cases of people to people transmission. Now just what doesn't our government want us to think about while they distract us with Bird Flu?
My grandparents survived the 1918 flu, and they were impoverished immigrants in Little Italy. I have them hardly peasant genes.

Ditto on the screaming children. Why on earth should I suffer in public places for someone else having sex?
Being gay is definitely God's way of making sure the truly gifted aren't burdened with children. Now if the rest of the population would realize it and get a sitter....

Ain't worried about Evian flu, would worry if it was Badoit flu, mind you. Still can't drink Perrier because, oh, umpteen years ago they had some thing aboutt their water being contaminated, possibly, in a country far away. OCD, much?

Not bothered about the bird flu, I mean, did we get Spanish flu in the seventies? nope. Or Asian flu in the eighties, or the last lot of bird flu, and Sars, whenever that was? And I ain't gettting any common or garden flu this winter, cos I just got my flu jab, and now have a welt on my arm the size of a figgin' beer mat, because I am allergy girl!

Actually its called H5N1 and you had better pray it doesnt mutate to make human to human transmission easier. It has a close to 70% death rate as it is. The problem with this virus is humans have no immunity to it. If you get this virus you wont be making such jokes I think. Its hit Europe already. The flu pandemic of 1918 actually started in the trenches of WW1 in 1916. Think about that before you make jokes about it. If it mutates your laughter now will be very hollow. And flu virus's mutate very easily.

My OCD is growing much more intense as I get older. At this rate, I'll resemble Howard Hughes.

just one look at this, and any sane person would be wise to be a bit wary of the wet sneezers of the world:
http://www.filterair.info/images/Sneeze_290x200.gif
door handles, banisters, especially if there are kids around, ugh. people are dirty, kids are filth with legs.
and dude, don't even get me started on parents who can't hear their kids screaming in public! What IS that!?

How come is it that someone so OCD and germophobic as you can wait weeks + to wash dishes or vacuum?

Sometimes you *can* overcome a germophobe situation, but usually not! My friends and I are having a laugh over one of my latest posts when I 'saved' the first pair of mittens I knit. It's clear there are a lot more germophobe, OCD knitters out there than is immediately apparent out in the 'real world'.

Regarding 'imaginary maggie's' post, those are *friendly* germs, that's how you can handle them!

*Um* Last time it morphed over into the people-felling variety, the avian flu killed (in just a single year) more people than have thus far died of AIDS, in the last 25 years, worldwide. It took the black plague 100 years to kill as many folks as the bird flu did in a single year. (I'm quoting John M. Barry's "The Great Influenza" [Viking,2004] for those "just the facts, ma'am" persnicketeers among us). People who catch a bad case of the stuff don't need rest and recuperation, they typically need the ICU. Get your flu shot early, wash your hands often, and stockpile soup and bottled water. Oh, and don't handle dead wild birds, like that'd ever happen . . .