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!

This is a screen shot of the new document - really hardly any information at all! Just 'as you were' pretty much!

doesnt say anything much then. way to make us feel useless and forgotten :(

Oh... found a bit more... saying how wonderfully they have supported us this far! Personally I didn't get notification until end of April, Tesco's prority slots all seem to be gone whenever I log on and I've had no food box, texts or phone calls!

I have posted a lot on various shielding threads, but hadn’t spotted this one.

I’ve been shielding since the off (strict social distancing by choice from March, text the first Monday, letter the following day). I haven’t had any subsequent letters, and my last text was 3/04 so if I wasn’t on social media I would still be expecting the renewal point to be mid June,

Nice depressing stats linked earlier today - I have leukaemia and those of us with blood cancer do stem to end up in ICU rather a lot. So I expect I’ll be asked to be behind my shield for some time to come,

Though of course ‘blood cancer’ covers an awful lot of conditions, and my haematologist told me my kind of the sort they are least worried about, which is reassuring in its way.

And they OKed me going out for (extremely rigidly socially distanced, try early morning) exercise. But I’ve only done that very few times

I have the DC here with me behind the shield. Goodness only knows what will happen when schools/universities go back

And yes, I feel pretty damned overlooked in the latest Boris speak. Also I’ve on a mission to conquer the last thinking that sometimes creeps in to other MN threads (assuming the shielded are elderly/terminal)

Vellichor I hope your ok and your treatment is going ok. This isnt a reset letter, just a follow up so dont worry too much.

Hello iVAmpire. We are definitely not old and decrepit!

I am mightily depressed by all this. All the "the Govt acknowledges...." next bit of the sentence should read "but doesn't actually care".
I don't want charity help because I'm a bit lonely (wrote "lovely" there is error...that would be better) - I want to see my family, get my hair cut, have my kitchen refurbished, go bodyboarding...you know, act normally!

@Methtones Thank you, I hope you are keeping well and coping ok. I have not really been worried about it, more confused and trying to figure out what to let my work know. I have wondered if everyone who needs to shield will all have to shield until the same date or if they might assign different end dates so as to stagger when people begin going out again. I need to read up a bit more really, I haven’t really been keeping up with all the information. However, I have been able to get a weekly supermarket delivery set up now and that has been a big help.

I for one have had absolutely fuck all support offered I have registered three times on the gov website and contacted two supermarkets myself to get slots.

Not had one other word from anyone other than three copies of the shielding letter and now they say nothing else but we may have to continue to shield for longer and haven't they been supporting us really well?

Nothing concrete, nothing of any use, no mention whatsoever of the employment and financial situations we are dealing with, and our households too.

Their slogan may as well be stay at home and shut the fuck up

I am really really pissed off now.

ive had nothing in terms of support. I was told by my GP to shield but my letter never came, dont know if it got lost in the post or what. No food boxes, no delivery slots no phone calls, nothing. If i hadnt been told by my gp, i wouldnt even know. I mean, I dont need the food boxes but to be acknowledged would be something i suppose

In case anyone hasn't seen the latest "update" (I can sum it up for you..more
Guidance to follow on anything anyone needs to know about, this is completely useless....)

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/884171/FINALL6.6637COOHMGC199RecoveryFINALL110520v22WEB11.pdf

@OneNightTimeMenaceStrikesBack

Did you register on the gov website? That will help you get slots and deliveries/support as needed x

Vellichor my MSP basically said nothing has been decided yet.

Are you getting support ok? My work is quite wee so they're being great. I do worry how long they can put up with having me working from home. However, I'm taking it as positive that I'm one of the only people not being furloughed for any time at all. I've moved in with my parents but will go home soon as I'm scunnerer and want my own space for a bit!

What does “some time yet” mean? They wouldn’t get away with telling the rest of the population something so open ended - it’s always “3 weeks then review”. I need to know whether to cancel work bookings for July.

@bookish83, ive tried registering but because i dont have a physical letter i keep being told im not allowed to. i dont know if i should ring the gp and ask themt o send it out again as i never got it

@Methtones I am managing quite well. I have family nearby who can get me bits and I am easily getting supermarket deliveries now that I am on the priority list. I’m working from home too but not sure how long my work will want me to be doing that for. I think they will allow me to continue doing it for as long as I am officially meant to be shielding. I’m quite enjoying the time at home! I was offered the weekly box of groceries but I didn’t text to request it as didn’t think I would really use a lot of it, plus I am still getting paid my normal wage so don’t really need it.
The amount of support people get seems to vary, I feel for the ones who are struggling to access things. My first letter came later than some others, including other patients I speak to at hospital, and it didn’t feel good to not be acknowledged as well as not being able to get the same help others were getting. There are local community groups in my town offering to help out with getting shopping and prescriptions and that is nice of them but I didn’t want to have to rely on others like that.

I am sat here crying apart from the initial text message and a letter I have had nothing else , I feel we have just been put in this category and keep being told stay in . But we have families we want to see especially our children and grandchildren, we have jobs that can be kept for us indefinitely and I for one am not getting paid and now my husband is going back to work this week so don’t know how that’s going affect us in the home . I starting to think what’s the point in this shielding do I want to sit on my own indefinitely or take my chances and go out and go back to work even though it is in a supermarket I just don’t know what to do 😢

Latest BBC article:

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/health-51997151

Sorry you are having a bad day @nanajanesmith. It is rubbish, isn’t it?

@Nanajanesmith I really sympathise and agree with you, I think I will be taking my chances at some point. It's horrible and it has just ripped apart everything I am doing/everything I want to do this year.

@Nanajanesmith it’s really rubbish isn’t it. We’re all here if you want to rant anytime.

It took an agonising three weeks or do at the start to get through to Ocado. But then they finally put me on a priority list and I have been able to get weekly deliveries of the stuff of my choice. When you can’t go out, being able to shop for yourself becomes disproportionately important, and I really feel for people who are still having difficulties.

I have no idea what the extra support could possibly be, other than ordering online supermarkets to keep
our priority in perpetuity (because if this damned thing keeps peaking, or another one comes trotting along in a couple of years) we really could do without all that chaos again. Full refund of the unused parts of my bus pass would be nice too.

Also proper announcements on the educational future of both shielded DC and also DC from a household where someone is shielding

And eligibility for prompt testing for any cohabitants if they become symptomatic, as not all fall into the currently permitted categories

Personally I’d also like a decision on whether the London Marathon can be run in October. Ideally before I start trying to work out how to resume training with a shield

@OneNightTimeMenaceStrikesBack

Yes ring the GP for sure x

Hi all. Can I join?

Single parent of two young DC. All having to shield for my youngest who has CF. I am finding it so difficult especially with talk of schools reopening. Both my DC are at primary school and desperately missing their friends 😥

@kirstinm Same here. I’m already going out for walks and my husband has to return to the office soon, not all of his job can be done from home, and our older son will be teaching from September so regardless of how much we can isolate away from them within the home there’ll still be a risk so it’ll be no different to being very careful outside of the home.
I had so much planned for this year! We’re getting a great niece or nephew next month who will probably be at school by the time we can visit, we have an annual pass for our favourite museum, I was seeing my favourite band in June, other concerts were booked too, we should’ve been flying to LA next week...now there’s nothing.

@Sorryoo yes there’s no help of any use except the supermarket delivery slots (and until recently we had to queue at midnight to get those, in my area).

@MadisonAvenue that's exactly what I think. When my partner starts to go back out then surely the risk of me getting it from him negates the point of me staying in completely? I would obviously try and be sensible but I just think I can't stay in indefinitely. All this distancing in your own home - staying apart..we can't really do it due to a small house and to be honest I don't want to do it anyway..surely it wouldn't completely remove the risk of picking it up? I'm sorry you are missing out on so much. It's rotten, it really is. I was meant to start a PhD this year, we were meant to be going to Cornwall, planned a US trip for next year..now I wonder if that will even happen?!