Shielding chat continues - thread 2

[AuntieSocia1]

Shiny new thread for anyone shielding.

You can vent/moan/cry/chat/lurk whatever you need.

@Redcherries this thread was vile from the start - including the frothing and abusive title. It was created at 9.09 this AM and thankfully was gone within an hour, but my god did it garner some support in the meantime (with a fee notable posters calling out the vitroil) Probably best you didnt see it tbh. Hope your DH (and all of you) enjoy his birthday.

Thanks for these threads, as a long term lurker am very grateful for the sanity here. I made the mistake of grumping about BBC "allowing" nonsense earlier, it was ignored then dogwhistled by the looks of things. I know I have to ignore the bile but it is wearing.

I've got a 14 year old with brittle asthma, it's been a drama his whole life. We've been shielding - and I'm concerned about school. We're in Scotland, so he's not due to go back til August anyway - but, even then, it's a big high school and so social distancing has big challenges.

Anyone got insight into what the plan for shielders will be? He's supposed to be doing exams this year. Anyone looking at home schooling?

I can't make up my mind whether I am neurotic to even consider keeping him off. He has a younger brother who is really missing school, it would't be in his best interests to stay home, but, what is the point in sending the younger one to school if keeping the vulnerable one off?

Bit worried about it all.

Answering this post:
"rugbymummy Thu 28-May-20 21:53:33
The ‘frequent steroids’ thing is confusing isn’t it. I’m on DuoResp 320 3puffs x 2, Montelukast and Tiotropium. I generally need Pred over the winter months - so last year I was on it from late November til mid February (you can imagine how thrilled I am at the prospect of this winter!) but during the Spring/Summer don’t tend to need it at all. I got the shielding letter and my GP has confirmed I definitely should be. I’d check with your GP if you’re concerned or unsure."

I am supposed to be shielding since take a similar medications but I take oral steroids Prenis several times a year and decided to stop shielding. It was odd at first venturing out of the house but the benefits out way the risks in that I felt in control again of MY LIFE. I got fed up with being told you can't do ......

My respiratory clinic said that asthmatics are not as at risk as initially thought and looking at the stats available older/male/overweight/diabetic was higher than asthma in female/overweight under 60 so I took control of me and found it liberating.

Not for everyone and we are all different but hated being locked away.

Those who are being asked/pressured about returning to work, I wonder if your employer has checked the insurance situation?

My disability means I don’t work but I volunteer for a national charity. We’re beginning to look at opening again. But insurance have said no one (paid or volunteer) who is on the vulnerable list, shielding or over 70 (regardless of health) is to be allowed in the building.

I have no idea about the legality of that but maybe worth looking into?

@FuckThisWind oh, I’m glad I missed that one, the one I saw last night was upset enough.

Hi everyone- I've been doing ok ...been out for the odd walk & haven't seen anyone (which is great ) but today have fallen to pieces slightly. Had a work teams meeting & it just made me miss everything- my life, my health, my work, my friends.
My occ health dept is taking everything very seriously & at this point I can't see a return to my workplace ( Childrens ITU) - if & when I am allowed out it will probably be in a different role.
I just want to know now - I cope much better knowing what I have to deal with- regardless of how shitty it is.
Hope you are all having better days

I think I was on this thread previously. I had a week off mumsnet for half term so am very behind. It may not even be the right thread!

My week off Mumsnet was actually really helpful. I love the support but I can’t help but be dragged down by the vitriol in some threads. I understand people are upset and finding it hard to home educate, I have children too, but is it necessary for thread after thread of people ‘debating’ why we’re locked down? Most threads assume the shielded are all on the edge of death. It’s incredibly depressing. The attitude towards teachers is horrendous too. My DH is working longer days than ever trying to support children, it’s not an extended holiday.

I’d love some clarity on what is going to happen at the end of June. As other have said, we need to plan!

I’ve done a U-turn on my not listening to Boris Johnson and staying at home stance and been in my second walk of the week. Social distancing was all but impossible - passed hundreds of people - but wore a mask and washed when I got in. It does feel good to walk properly rather than pace up and down my kitchen.

The vitriol towards us makes no sense. We are stuck in our homes and not going to catch the virus while shielding irrespective of what other people do. They can all have a giant snogathon in Hyde Park for all it affects us. It’s not us curtailing their behaviour and the limits on them are not to protect us.

Hello! Hope it's ok to join in. For some reason I'd missed that there is a shielding chat thread and it looks great, so nice to be able to talk to others who get it. I saw that thread too @FuckThisWind and it really upset me, particularly as I posted this thread the other day:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3930551-To-think-the-Covid-19-crisis-has-revealed-a-scourge-of-ableism-and-ageism-in-our-society

And even after laying it all out on there people were still using the same kind of language about the vulnerable. Thankfully more were supportive than not though. Good to have a safe place here.

I'm so done with shielding. I've been doing it very carefully, dh in spare room etc but thinking we might relax it a little soon if the R rate stays down, ie move back in together and eat together with the kids etc. I miss hugs and my mental health is definitely suffering. Don't know what to do for the best... To hold on as I've stayed the course this long or to balance risk and grab a little of life back. What are others thinking around now?

Nice to meet you all

Hi @Madhairday!

Nice to meet you too Madhairday!

Hello Egghead and Plus :) Hope you're having a good day - as good as it gets at the moment, anyway!

We went for a walk. A proper, pre-lockdown sort of walk! Ok, we are lucky to live near the coast, but we went to our favourite bit of coast path and did a couple of miles, ate a picnic and had a flask of coffee and then walked back. We saw probably half a dozen people and the majority were very good at standing out of the way (Or we stood out of the way!) Feel much better for it. We are lucky to live where we do.

Hi @Madhairday 👋😊

@DoingMyOwnThing - Based on the advice I’ve been given by the Resp Clinic and my GP (which is totally contrary to what you’ve been told) I am more confident than ever that shielding is the right thing for me. Even although it’s pants. And after hearing a good friend with very mild asthma who caught it a fortnight ago struggling to breathe, I’m in for the long run. I’d rather be stuck in for a year than catch it and risk the consequences.

Has anyone else noticed that the mention of ‘shielding’ often switches perfectly normal conversations off like a tap? I’m finding that people don’t seem to know what to say when they find out. Like on a ‘Come to our child’s party’ message I was sent. Everyone else saying ‘how lovely, need normality, we need to move on blah blah’, then I say “Sorry we can’t come, shielding” (but obviously nicer than that) and it’s like tumbleweed becomes visible on the group chat. Just me??

Hi @Madhairday

I replied to a positive thread earlier saying it had made me feel better and how there is a fear we might be isolated until a vaccine is found. The second bloody post after mine stated that the shielders really really must stay home until one is found! I asked how they were qualified to make that judgement and what they thought should happen to 2.2 million people if a vaccine isn't found, radio silence so far.

Its really weird isn't it, we've been shielded for months and yet they seem to find us the reason lockdown is happening, do they not see over 40,000 deaths have occurred much of which have happened whilst we are shielded? Its so short sighted and odd.

My daughter has baked my husbands favourite cake and I've added a bottle of posh champagne to the food shop coming in the morning. My husband has been out sweeping the patio so I think he might be hoping for good weather. We've organised his favourite pub meal (took some gammon out of the freezer for lunch) and I put together a cheese plate on the shopping for the evening.

On one of the FB shielding groups there was a lovely thread today about the positive moves with vaccines and treatments. Hopefully we will be able to slowly, at our own pace, start getting our lives back soon.

@rugbymummy I had a catch up on the phone with someone I've worked with over email for 8 years, I was letting him know I'm furloughed so my husband would be supporting that side of the business and we had a good catch up. I mentioned at the very start I was shielded and about 10 minutes in he made the lovely, often spouted comment that the vulnerable should just stay home and let the rest of 'us' get on with it. I had to explain what shielding was (it was before the press picked up on us the other week). never heard such a waffled U-turn!

@RedCherries that sounds so lovely! Cheese plate. Yes please 😁
Yes! There was some really positive news yesterday from the AstraZeneca study (I think 🤔) which said they felt they were on the verge of a breakthrough!
It will happen!

@rugbymummy that’s the one, it’s a double antibody injection which is hugely expensive apparently but it’s looking really hopeful. If they give the vaccine to all the shielded first does that mean we all can go out and everyone who thought we should just stay home and shut up about the damage it’s causing us can take our places in shielding to limit the spread whilst it’s rolled out 😮😂 wonder if they would be so up for swapping places. I bet we’d hear how it’s in place to protect ‘us’ for our own good, ignoring the reality shielding is the protect the nhs and the general population, economy in the long run.

Oh dear. I was a bit rude to the young woman from the “national shielding helpline” who phoned up to see whether I still needed my “care package” (I.e. blatantly can we stop sending you the corned beef and dented tin boxes we are not sending you anyhow). I feel bad. This situation is not her fault. She was actually very well-meaning and kept telling me I should seek “mental health support from the council”. I have turned into a bitter old hag!

@Redcherries I went to a talk on vaccines this lunchtime. They are likely to be giving it to health and social care workers first, not people shielding. There was someone there from GSK and someone from I think Imperial but could have been Oxford. They don’t think there will be a vaccine before the first half of next year at the very earliest.

P.s. your DH’s birthday celebrations sound lovely! Have a great time!

@Egghead68, absolutely expect health and social care workers to receive the first vaccinations, but would expect us to be one of the first groups called in after that if that makes sense?

That’s a bit disheartening though for timelines, I’m trying to be more positive today 😂 so I’m going to ignore you 😉. Just joking, thank you for the information. Is that through your job?

I'm (like a lot of you) starting to make reasoned, individual judgements. I've been going for walks (not every day but tbh I wouldn't go for a walk every day anyway :-)) I've had my dad and a friend to come visit in the garden. We got a dominos delivered last week which I wouldn't have done before. Just little things which make me feel a bit more normal. I don't know, it's all so difficult.