Germophobe

Jas and I lived in NYC for a few years. While there, I had the opportunity to become better acquainted with the germophobe in me! So my first month back east I was SICK all the time: cold, flu, a combo meal of both… you name it, I had it. When I finally got better I became paranoid because I realized I'll probably get sick again, SOON. I became very germophobic.

If I touched anything in the subway it would make me crazy and I wouldn't use that same hand again until I washed it. I started wearing my scarf over my mouth (even in warm months) so I didn't have to breath all the germs. I considered wearing a surgical mask but after the SARs epidemic I decided it wouldn't be a good idea.

I refused to hold the handrails while going up or down stairs, but that added to the paranoia that I'll fall down the stairs and lose all of my teeth. In order to resolve that problem I started protecting my teeth with my lips and tongue -so if I did fall I'd cut my lips but not lose my teeth- logical solution right?

I'm sure I was quite a sight in NYC restrooms: squatting to avoid touching the toilet seat; trying to rig my bag so it didn't touch the floor; and doing a dance in the stall to avoid any water splashing on me when I flushed.

Restaurants were interesting… I was paranoid to drink out of the glass just in case the waitress touched the rim of the glass after throwing raw meat around in the back. I also wouldn't use silverware if it touched the table – I can only imagine the things that have happened on that table. Besides, even if the worst possible things didn't happen on that table, women who weren't as restroom cautious as I was put their purses on the table.

It is a modern miracle that I didn't contract something too severe. I did a lot of preventative maintenance though- I carried 3 hand sanitizers and hand-wipes all me the time. I also had back-up sets at work, home and in the car. My hands suffered but I wasn't sick.

Now that we've moved back to SLC I like to think that I've gotten better - but it's probably wishful thinking.