Chat for those who are shielding

[AuntieSocia1]

Apologies for the very unsnazzy title but as it suggests a place to chat for those who have to shield at the moment. A few of us have been talking on the the Shielding after lockdown thread in the coronavirus topic.

Thought I'd put this in chat as some days I'm guessing we'll want to chat about anything other than coronavirus!

I know all of our circumstances are quite different as well as the reason we need to shield but it's a pretty big thing to have in common. Despite my username I look forward to interacting with you and as my username suggests I might also slink off from time to time!

I had this text @Egghead68
NHS Coronavirus Service: We know staying home until the end of June may be frustrating. Having some structure to your day may help.
Try reading, watching films, learning something new or sudoku. Make a plan for each day in the morning and each week on a Monday.

This is an automated message. Please do not reply, other than to STOP receiving texts from us

Plus my second letter said from 12 weeks and also said until 30th June.

It's also on the government info re shielding now. Dont think scotland has updated yet though.

I'd like to join. I had a solid organ transplant in 2016 and only been out for bloods tests. I've had 6 letters in total.

Taking the rubbish to the recycle bin is the highlight of my days out now.

Stay safe everyone 🌈

Hi. I'm shielding too. Wales is still 12 weeks from date of letter. 17th June for me.

Thanks everyone. I do wish they would communicate changes to all of us. I wonder if they are ever going to announce the change formally or whether they are just hoping we can’t calculate 12 weeks from March 23.

Yes www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19#staying-at-home-and-shielding

says that we are advised to stay home until the end of June.

I do wish they would be upfront and not try to sneak things in.

I wish that they would be both upfront to us ( I saw the 30th June thing on the govt website, but no further letter) and also create and talk about govt plans for the shielding group. I'd also like to see much more acknowledgement of the particular issues this is causing ..."do sudoku" is absolutely not good enough.
We're finding that the practical issues are relatively easily sorted out, but the mental pressures of being "othered", lack of physical fitness and lack of information are blooming awful.

I said on other thread currently running that obviously advice is generic. It has to be: they can't send individual recommendations to every single shielder. Everyone has a unique set of circumstances. Of course if you have a large garden you can go in it; but they have to assume/be cognisant of the fact that another person may be on the 14th floor of a tower block hence the opening a window instruction.

My circs are that I have older dcs. I can't home ed and barricade the door for... possibly ever. That wouldn't be fair on the dcs. Dh will at some point have to go into the office (he is currently wfh). I work part time zero hours contract and have acknowledged that that's the end of that.

I really don't know what people expect. The taxpayer can't pay for people - or even their partners - to be furloughed for what may be years or for ever. What if your dh is, say, a train driver (ie cannot work from home)? Should he be paid until he retires because you are shielding? What about your dcs? Sitting staring you in the face until they're 45 because there's no vaccine?

It's all a bugger to say the least but as a shielded person living with others I can appreciate there are just no answers at the moment.

What do you mean by "up front"? So if shielding is stopped now, or is not extended beyond 30 June, and there is no more advice to stay in above and beyond anyone else, does that suddenly make you less susceptible to virus?

It's important information that you are more likely to suffer ill effects from covid, but after that I think every individual has to perform their own risk assessment/damage limitation assessment on their particular life and circumstances. What other option is there?

I'm going from the date of my letter rather than the website, unless I receive some written confirmation via letter or text.

@IrmaFayLear how funny. I'm shielding as currently having chemo and radiotherapy.

My DH is a train driver! He still has to work obviously. He can't work from work. He's lucky that they've been amazing and let him have days off to ferry me around. But some days he'll have to go in. I don't want him to use all his annual leave etc on me.

Work from home - stupid phone

Hope you're doing well, Chesneyhawkes1. Some people don't seem to get it, though, and think they should be financed to stay at home until there is a vaccine (who knows when?).

Also it's all very well for people to state that they'll be staying in their bubble for years when they have small dcs. Try telling teens/young adults that you expect them to live with you forever and never see their friends again. Reminds me of those daft threads where people brag that they spend 30p on their dcs for Christmas and buy them one old book from a charity shop... and then reveal their dc is 2 years old. Try presenting a 15-year-old with a 30p Christmas present. Abuse!!!!

IrmaFayLear I think most people who are shielding are hopeful that the government, devolved or otherwise, is going to come up with a plan for shielded. Or at least mention them in their briefing.

No, there's no hope of partners being paid for, but hopefully there will be some sort of employment rights for us or a right to claim ESA at the very least.

It isnt unreasonable to discuss any of this or hope for something! Come on, new mums are petitioning the government for 3 months extra paid mat leave for goodness sake!

Finally found you all. I was on the other shielding Post but couldn’t find you until someone posted a link.
Been shielding from the start and have had letters and texts.
I’m struggling thinking it will be extended by a further 12 weeks, thought a few weeks but 12 is awful. My primary age children would need to be back at school before then so I’d need to do school runs, very worrying.
@LapsedVeganAcademic so, so sorry to hear what you’ve had to go through. I’ve been through the same so know partly how you feel. It’s such an awful time and worse that your support group will have to comfort you from afar. Take your time to rest and grieve. My thoughts are with you xx

But, Onmyown1, it doesn't make any difference whether you have to shield for 50 weeks or none, does it? The virus is still there, liable to affect you adversely. If they don't extend the shielding, are you happy to return to work/do the school run?

Irma, this thread is meant to be supportive.

On subject of length of sentence how long shielding’s to last, government!text t’other day said until 30th June. But like others I think extension is inevitable. I’m lucky well I mean in a way, if we leave out it not being by choice I’ve no children to consider, nor work to be worrying about. Also seems likely my brother will be working from home for the foreseeable. He’s also being a helpful creature to point of emptying bins so I don’t have to go out at all. Well, bar my current situation with having to go up to the hospital once a month because somehow District Nurses in my Trust have managed to get away with being “notorious” for refusing to do any kind of line care & have now refused to learn how to use/manage portacaths & declined to help find any kind of situation. I CAN’T be the only person in the Trust with a portacath needing it flushing & heplocking while all this is going on & entire situation is completely mad. Have actually complained to CEO of the Trust. Did debate doing it because, well, coronavirus - but given this is clearly set to go on for a long time & more than one HCP has helpfully pointed out my chances of surviving the sodding thing if I get it are really not great... (yes I know, entire tiny string section of the orchestra etc blah & eye rolls - but it’s a bit difficult to get out of my head ) But yes, rather hoping it’ll get sorted & I won’t have to keep traipsing up & down to hospital that manage my care & putting myself at risk. (And also just think people generally shouldn’t be able to get away with refusing to do stuff that falls within remit of their job. CPD is very much a thing; training in different sorts of line care ought to happen. Gah.)

The bit in the advice text about making sure you talk to someone on the phone every day made me giggle earlier because obviously I know they mean friends/family (or possibly the volunteers they’ve got?) but I had a sudden vision of the shielding group randomly ringing complete strangers for the craic. (I need to get out more, yes. Or indeed just out. )

@Cornishmendoitdrekkly - if it’s any help you might be a shielded-in-error? Unless you’re pregnant? That’s not meant as random question, but because women with [certain] cardiac issues need to shield during pregnancy; but you can have any number of comirbid conditions that make you vulnerable to COVID-19 & still not be placed in the extremely vulnerable group. If your asthma is mild & only treated with fostair (& presumably a reliever inhaler of some species) I’d contact your GP to discuss what the why of it is. Because if you don’t need to separate yourself completely from everyone & you can safely leave your house those are awesome things to be embraced & while clearly distanced & non-weirdy metaphorical embracing of you if you need to join our merry () throng, if you can in fact go skipping freely about (within limitations etc; not sure what Rules are on Frolicking Joyously & General Gambolling) ye gods & little fishes you want to be doing so.

@LapsedVeganAcademic
I’m so very sorry for your loss

@FuzzyPuffling
I know I’m deconditioning really badly. Was dragging myself back to vaguely functioning & just... splot... (for want of a better word). I’ve not space in my room to exercise & I’m not up to cleaning the sitting room in order to do some exercise in there. Am sure lots of us are similarly stuck for exercise - & of course lots will have conditions where exercise is really important in helping manage them. As you say, it’s really frustrating.

@IrmaFayLear you caused distress to posters on the other thread. Please don’t do the same here. This thread is meant to be a supportive thread.

Thank you all for the condolences. I left the house for the first time (other than for the hospital) yesterday. I found the whole experience so surreal, and surprisingly terrifying. Needed a glass of wine at home afterwards.

@LapsedVeganAcademic I missed your post. I'm so sorry for your loss. Sorry I missed it too.

But I am being supportive in pointing out some inconsistencies in people's thinking. It's a poor atmosphere if it's all "Oh, yes, how dreadful it all is for us and everyone's out to get us..." . We can all acknowledge it's crap and some people's situation is worse than that of others but there's also some less than sensible people on here wanting on the one hand support for ever and on the other hand moaning about the shielding period being extended

@IrmaFayLear No it’s not supportive to