Shielding chat continues - thread 2

[AuntieSocia1]

Shiny new thread for anyone shielding.

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

@RhubarbJelly

What fantastic biscuits!

Had hard week with work. Those not shielding just don.t get what it is like and I just could not manage how I needed to this week. Will be increasingly more difficult as most colleagues start more normal working routines and I am working from home.

Has anyone shielding got a partner who leaves the house for work? Or children at school?

My DH goes out to work and my DC will be returning to school at the end of the month. But I moved out of the house and into a friend's flat in March when I got the shielding letter for exactly this reason. I only see them twice a week, for a socially distanced visit in the garden at the weekend and when they deliver my shopping to the doorstep midweek. It isn't great, and another 10 weeks of this is a depressing prospect. But DH can't work from home, and our house isn't big enough that we can sleep in separate rooms or have separate bathrooms. So this is the safest way, albeit really difficult.

I just wrote a great big long post and the internet ate it. Twice. I give up.
Viola, I also have a DH in remission from blood cancer. I can't imagine having that sort of work difficulties at the same time. Cancer makes you poor anyway, and especially a long term one.
Marie, excellent biscuity round up.
Posting quickly before the hungry internet strikes again.

@UnholyStramash I'm really sorry my thread upset you. I was so hoping that it would help people think again about some of the ableist language they've been using in all of this but sadly we did get a lot of examples proving that I wasn't BU :( there were a load of people agreeing though, more than not, and a lot of supportive posts. If it's educated one person I guess it's worth it. But totally understand why people don't feel they can read it - some of it really hurt me on what was already a crap week, my own fault for posting but really wanted to bring it out into the open after reading so much of this bilge about the vulnerable being expendable and / or at fault for all the suffering of everyone else :(

@RhubarbJelly yes my dh has to go out to work and comes into contact with a lot of people through it but is still very careful to social distance. We are in seperate rooms though thinking seriously about packing that in depending on what's said on Monday. Had enough and just very low with it all.

Sorry so many of you are struggling

Thanks @MarieVanGoethem for the biscuits and being kind enough to respond to so many of us 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

@RhubarbJelly I have a dd in year 6 but we were told that if they, or someone they live with is clinically vulnerable, they weren’t allowed to go back to school. Whether that is government guidance or from the LA, I just don’t know.

Come September, DH and both DDs should be going back to school. I’ve no idea what we’ll do then.

MarieVanGoethem hope you managed some more sleep.

Those with child shielders, I hope you hear from their consultants soon. It isn’t right to leave children without medical support.

@MarieVanGoethem Your fabulous posts make me giggle. Thank you for that. My enchanted zorb (love that!) totally deflated yesterday afternoon but I have sealed the leaky bit and pumped it back up this morning. It’s fragile, but holding.
@OneNightTimeMenaceStrikesBack I feel your pred pain. This damp warm pollen-y weather is making my lungs all rough and crackly too.
@Nanajanesmith I hope you’re ok. I too love my house best when it’s full of people and laughter. And good food. And on that note I am planning in my head the feast I shall prepare for the day we are all here. All healthy, all together. It’s going to be glorious. We will get there.
@BeyondDreamsOfBeyondFourWalls yes, there’s a lot of weasly words around at the moment. I’m staying alert for them.
@RhubarbJelly work has been trickier here this week too, what with most of my colleagues now being back in the classroom. Feeling more and more like a leper who everyone’s a bit too busy to deal with. Yet another thing to worry about.

Those of you who are having to live away from your family because they have to go out - this is my greatest fear and the thing that would finish me off I think. I have the utmost respect for you. You are beyond resilient.

Only a few days away from our big announcement now. Anyone else starting to get the fear?

Not content with first go at my earlier post & one of @FuzzyPuffling’s just now, MN has eaten what I wanted to say. And am too sleepy to try again for now. Because I’ve managed an awesome total of about 45 min sleep. Probably less. And all of it nightmares. If the writers of The Simpsons ever need any “Treehouse of Horror” ideas I could probably adapt some; equally I have some plot starters for (gritty) crime &/or psychological dramas across a range of locales (don’t even watch the sodding things) &, of, course, stuff with a hospital setting thank you brain. I also, at the time of writing, have a strawberry blond cat squeaking plaintively at me. Not for breakfast. They desire Cuddles & Reassurance; & are having a sudden panic I might not be exactly where they left me, so are doing a spot of echolocation while coming to check. Silly kitten.

Marie DS1 has oatly chocolate fudge ice cream, he likes the strawberry one too. Although apparently the salted caramel one is disgusting. I'm going to look at the posh custard creams.

Thanks for posting the link Oaksideboard. DS' fall into group B. It will be interesting to see how that group is split. I suspect our advice (when it comes!) will be DS2 won't need to shield. DS1 probably will need to still, and it will depend on where the line is drawn for DS3. The thought of not having to shield anymore fills me with dread. I'm not sure I will be comfortable. That makes me sound mad. I promise I'm not really!

I have a dd in year 6 but we were told that if they, or someone they live with is clinically vulnerable, they weren’t allowed to go back to school. Whether that is government guidance or from the LA, I just don’t know.
@OrganTransplant123 it’s in the government guidance for schools. I imagine they are worried about litigation.

@MarieVanGoethem Ugh. Hate the not sleeping thing. I was up and down until about 4.30 this morning- had maxed out on profen and cocadamol, but still hurting and having to pee (razor blades).

Had to dnd my phone as my team are on nights and the WhatsApp was busy as someone had their last night. I'm so out of the loop I didn't even know he was leaving.

All this talk of biscuits is making me hungry but I'm fasting until 2.00. 20 minutes to go until boiled egg time.

So sorry, I haven't had time to rtft but wondered if anyone has any up to date info on what's supposed to happen after 30th June? I feel like after the initial 'you must not go out' letters and phone calls there's been absolutely nothing since.

I don't even know why I've been asked to shield either to be honest and I can't seem to get an answer other than 'it's for the best' from HCPs. I had breast cancer last year - finished chemo last August and have bilateral MX in September too. No radio. I feel fine. I went back to work at the start of the year and felt like I was starting to get back to normal then this utter shit show started. When I see what other people are having to deal with on here, what conditions they deal with every day I totally see why they are shielding. I'm just not sure I need to be.

Sorry, that turned out to be a bit of a rant!

Hi everyone, we’ve been taken off shielding by our GP.

This is an interesting one though. My husband’s just opened the door to a fire officer who asked to speak to me. I went to the door and he handed me a letter re shielding and said that he’d been sent to pass this on to me. I told him that I wasn’t now shielding so it wasn’t needed. He insisted that he had to leave it with me as I’m still on the list supplied to them by the government. I refused to take it.
Being told to shield really messed with my head but I’ve had a really good week or so since speaking with my GP and felt so much more positive and then this immediately set me back and caused a huge argument with my husband because according to him I was being rude by not accepting the letter.

The thing is though, this fire officer has obviously been sent around the homes of people shielding, he wasn’t wearing any form of PPE - no gloves, no mask - and was asking to speak to people who are shielding when face to face contact is to be avoided, and was also handing over a letter.

Wondering why a fire officer is needed for shielding people?

Is2020 - thanks for sharing. Sadly I have nowhere to move to, and my husband could not work and have young children at home who are not eligible for a school place or no childminder working. Sounds hard to make that move too.

Madhair - it is hard . My DH is not yet leaving home, nor the children, but he may have to. But we are sleeping separately and thankfully have a bathroom and tiny en-suite so I am using separate facilities. The poor children really need to go out on scooters etc but I still don’t know what to do. Poor weather this week has made that decision less pressing.

rugby ditto. Nothing like being made to do training on back to work when cannot go back and difficult managers to say the least. No understanding of not being able to meet deadlines due to quarantining equipment etc.

And I cannot have my children at home of most are at school when it is me shielding. That would be so unfair. And already massive lack of interest in those not in now - staff apparently too busy to reply to kids who upload work as they are back teaching. Zero marking since lockdown, so how do I know if they are doing what is expected level etc? My little one is not going to learn phonics and numbers at home in the way school teaches it ( they do no recorded lessons and will not) - so worry about that too.

I wonder what conditions are being taken off shielding? Or when decisions are made nationally to review what conditions are on shielding?

Rhubarb I’m assuming that volunteers will be returning to work so the fire service will be helping out in the community with food box deliveries, prescription collections etc.
Not that we actually had any contact or assistance re supermarket slots, food boxes etc when we were actually supposed to be shielding!

@RhubarbJelly it is hard, but my DC are 14, 16 and almost 18 which makes it easier than if they were little. The eldest drives and runs errands for me! We chat online and message each other loads, but I can't wait to be home and give them a big cuddle.

I understand how you feel @RhubarbJelly my dd has seen most of her friends go back to school this week and it’s hard for me that it is my fault that she can’t join them. That said, school say they are following the same work that they are setting for home schooling and so far her teacher is responding to her etc.

For your dd, do you know what phonics system the school use. It’s been a while since my dds did them but we had some jolly phonics resources that we were really good.

I really want to know what the plan is post the end of June and what will happen in September. Dd starts year 7.

Good morning, and a happy weekend to you all!

I’ve been looking at the guidance about removing the shield from some DC, to see if I can find any clues to my likely future. Which I have

First - I’d urge people to read the linked documents from the specialist panels - only somebody cancers from the original shielding list were mentioned on the executive summary in group A, then none at all in group B. Mine being one of those missing.

So I went hunting in the source documents, and found a longer list which included the -nib family of drugs (continue to shield in group A if taking or have taken in last 6 months)

So if I were a child, I’d be group A shielding. I can’t see they’d rate risk to an adult as lower than risk to child, so that’s me still banged up.

The broken foot has however stopped hurting (no painkillers yesterday) and the swelling has gone down enormously. This is probably my danger zone, where I must be really careful not to overdo things for another week!

*iVampire, DH had his cancer review yesterday ( different sort from you, but same sort of positioning re shielding) and the consultant asked if he was shielding and agreed with that position. Because of the high dose chemo he had, he's treated as having no spleen, which may be a factor. Hope the foot continues its improvement.

Fuzzy glad there are no new embuggerations for your DH.

I have (phone) outpatients next week, so a chance to talk about how I am and what level of precautions I need. My guess is that I’ll continue with (rigidly distanced) open air exercise, but not to go into buildings other than my home and for necessary medical stuff

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend

That's what we're doing. Daily walk in our thankfully rural area, and no going in to any buildings.

Keep off that foot!

Second shielding letter arrived this morning. I already knew they were extending it until August, but it was still sad to see it in black and white. The letter also contained advice on how not to get too depressed...

Have been for a socially distanced walk in the woods with DH and the DC this afternoon which made me feel slightly better. Also had a veg box, bread and some soup and salads delivered from a nice independent local cafe. Plan to have a nice selection of salads, fresh bread and a large glass of wine this evening.

@Is2020OverYet have they specified a date in August?

Hi everyone. Just checking in with you all. I got another letter in the post today to tell me i am now allowed out once a day for a walk at a safe distance of course!

Pollen levels have been unbelievably high here today and it is driving me mad. Montelukast isnt enough anymore and my asthma is being triggered badly. Wheezing a lot! Think I am going to call the GP on Monday and see about an extra antihistamine. Have been supplementing with chlorphenamine and citirizine but not helping either. Can any of you asthmatics suggest a different POM antihistamine that might be worth trying? If i had something to ask for by name would probably help the telephone consultation go a bit better.

Yes, August 16th. They announced it a couple of weeks ago, the letter is just a formality really. At least they've got the letters out in time before the first period of shielding ends tomorrow. I guess that means we're halfway now, unless they extend it again.

@Is2020OverYet ah you must be in Scotland. Glad you’ve had some clarity on dates and a follow up letter.

Have to admit, I much prefer listening to Nichola Sturgeon, she seems to have a no nonsense approach but absolutely love the Jayne Godley‘s voiceover videos of her, which she’s apparently seen they have us in stitches.