Thread 3 shielding chat

[AuntieSocia1]

I hope this unimaginative thread title doesn't put off all the amazing posters from this group!

As we transition into this new phase things could get interesting....

Waves to lurkers

Evening all it's been a while but I've been thinking about you!

You have to laugh I just got the text saying you do not need to shield but you may wish to reduce contact.....

I'll catch up with the thread properly but a little update from me my dc have started school this year and I have been a bit unwell due to my condition. Been to hospital a few times which was nerve wracking but no signs of covid.

Besides the occasional trip to a shop lockdown life has pretty much continued with just a bit more family visits from a selfish perspective the new restrictions won't really impact me too much but I feel for others.

Well that was a pile of meaningless nonsense from Boris in the 8 minutes he gave us!

I've got my date for mastectomy: 14th October. They've lost funding towards evening up chests so I'd have to go private if I want the other one off, but I have better things to spend £8000 on! Anyway I called up my gp and asked her about shielding. I go on leave on 1st October. Glad I didn't cancel it. She gave me a sick note to tide me over so I don't have to go to work as they won't let me wfh now. The pain is getting quite bad now though so I'm not skiving. My whole boob is visibly collapsed in.

And it's 4-6 week recovery time so I won't have to go in until the end of November. Phew.

Bit vague Boris and not helpful to shielded people. The only measures I can glean from his very brief statement are closing pubs / hospitality venues at 10pm and the rule of six. Not what you would call robust.

I'm on course 2 of antibiotics and 2 of steroids now with an increase in my combo inhaler giving me the shaking hands and fast heart rate. All this after ds was back in school 3 bloody days! GP has told me not to risk taking him to school as too risky for me in terms of catching covid or anything else until I'm better. So I'm stuck isolating due to fever with a 5 yo who I'd like to be in school but having to educationally entertain him as best I can from my horizontal position on the sofa 😩 Boris needs to step up regarding the shielded. Give us a choice and protection from school fines at least.

That’s awful @Bercows. Get well soon

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/23/shielding-pub-disabled-people-covid

Sorry to hear that @Bercows hope you are all well soon.

Hope your surgery goes well @Babysharkdoodoodood and encouraging you are not in work before the procedure.

Hope school goes as well as anything is right now @AuntieSocia1

Well as an ECV secondary teacher I was told on my risk assessment no child was allowed within 1m of me, ha ha ha!!

I hope primary schools can continue to run. However the two activities my children do and helps us all are basically not going to happen due to Boris’ announcement. Not told them yet. They have had a few weeks of getting back into it. One child is particularly going to be upset as they do this activity at a high level. I know it is not important but as 50 odd people can be in a large place of worship for a regular weekly service, and a similar number in a pub or a restaurant it is so sad for these children. Mine had to shield in the house for months, had no contact with anyone until September basically when we let them to return to two activities.

Boris is expecting us to make our own decisions about staying safe. Disappointed that Rishi didn't even touch on it yesterday even when asked. unless they have a seperate plan

For the people who cannot work
From home it's rubbish.

Hi everyone. Sorry it has been a while. I have been thinking of you all. We got a text yesterday to confirm a case of covid in dc2 special school. Thankfully he is not a close contact but it is very worrying. Where I live cases are unbelievably high. Todays figures show the worst number of cases ever. Several schools have had to close completely and others have entire classes off.

Borris' speech was awful. Just lots of fluff with no substance. And of course shielders not mentioned again. I am fed up. I feel like i am swimming in treacle. Its exhausting enough with poor physical and mental health and school runs to two different schools without the added stress of not sure what to do for the best. I mean the rules change so often I cannot keep up. Where I live we are in a worse situation now than we were in march when we went into lockdown yet they opened the pubs this week?! And mask wearing is at an all time low and at the supermarket recently as DH and I were putting on our masks and gloves and cleaning the trolley and our hands the number if people who sailed past doing none of these things was particularly alarming.

I had my first in person hospital appointment last week. I was made.to stand outside until my appointment time and i was in for less than 2 minutes. Basically they can do nothing else for me and are going to refer me back to another department. Basically being passed from one to the other and not getting any further. I read something a few months ago about why does life have to be so hard? I know exactly how that feels! Its a never ending hurdle race.

Morning all.

I'm sorry @Outnumberedwoman, some people sail through life whereas for others it's a permanent uphill battle.

We've still only had telephone appointments so that's a relief.

I've been back in school for nearly 4 weeks now, my bubble of 30 has been 90 different children each week as I've covered for staff absence. We've had so many children and staff off having tests, it's just a matter of time before we get a positive result. Our area is on the watch list so cases high.

I'm not worried about me but I'm petrified of bringing it home to our son. The local hospital have agreed that whilst he's now an adult, due to his disability and lack of cognition and communication one of us would be allowed to stay at his bedside 24/7 should he be admitted. That won't be any good if I have it or pass it on.

Middle son has now gone back to Uni. The news isn't exactly reassuring when you hear some Universities on lockdown. Guessing we won't see him again till christmas, if they're allowed back then.

Hope everyone else is coping ok.

Afternoon everyone.
Hope you are all safe and well. Things feel difficult at the moment. Lots of anxiety. I cant help that feel that shielders have been brushed aside by the government. Their expectation that we all just get back to normal is unrealistic. Hugs to all of us having a hard time at the moment. I'm trying to be as careful as possible. Absolutely strict about social distancing and hand hygiene. I and Mum are going to start taking vitamin d drops. Anything to try and boost immunity. Its hard not to feel anxious at the moment.

Well, just spoken to my supervisor and it looks like I'm going to be wfh for the next 6 months after my operation. My inspector's just put in the referral to OH and it looks like I'm getting my equipment back.

Thank f**cking god.

Great news @Babysharkdoodoodood. You must be so relieved.

Vit D good. Also the BCG and Shingrix vaccines are good for boosting general immunity.

I am so pleased for you @Babysharkdoodoodood that is great news. One less worry for you.

Hey everyone, I'm back! Finally had my consultant phone appt today (that I mentioned being cancelled way back in June) and they're not happy with my progress. So possibly pissing about with my meds, but at the very minimum they recommended a steroid jab "but you must be extra careful about distancing on top of your other meds". To which I told her I'm back shielding anyway, not taking any chances!!

On top of that I'm having trouble with my blood pressure and pain in my kidney. Had the results back for catecholamines in my urine - clear, so now waiting for a scan. Possibly gonna need a/b's before then as I'm prone to kidney infections anyway. Keeping an eye on my wee, but on my period atm so it's difficult to judge if there is hematuria.

Anywho, I'm in Newport, back shielding (despite local gov advice specifically saying I don't need to ...), and homeschooling the DCs. Their dad has now moved to the area, so I will finally get a break from being mum 24/7.

Hiya. How is everyone? Another 2 cases have been confirmed in DC2 special school today and nearly 1000 cases confirmed here in NI. I am absolutely floored. I honestly dont know if taking the kids to school every day is a wise decision. I don't know what is for the best. Where I live is now the 2nd highest rate of infection in the whole of the UK and Ireland. And its rising. I don't know what to do for the best. The cases are very worrying. And if I hear one more person say we dont need to worry because deaths arent rising so we should open up and let it run wild cos you know no one is dying then I am going to explode!

Are you able to take them out? I'm assuming that if they're in a special school they have an EHCP which makes it more difficult? I'm lucky in one sense that being in wales means that the schools can't fine us until half term at the earliest as the welsh gov have told them so, and then being at home anyway (and with older primary age children who are generally pretty good at doing schoolwork) means I'm able to home educate easily. But I'm in a low socioeconomic area too, which manifests as a large chunk of the population not having any idea how dangerous it can be - either they believe it's just like flu, or it's all a huge conspiracy. So I'm stuck in the house as distancing just doesn't happen at all here.

I wish somebody would acknowledge that the stress of insisting you carry on as normal is having an additional negative effect on those who are in the shielding group, and at risk already! :(

Just got my pred prescription in the post this morning, so have to brave the pharmacy at some point...

I’m ok and holed up. High prevalence here (around 260 per 100,000 plus the untested many...) @Outnumberedwoman if there’s any way of getting your dc out of school I think I’d be strongly considering it.

I am so torn. My eldest child is NT and attends mainstream school. If the he had to be at home I am confident I can homeschool him to an adequate level that he wouldnt fall behind.

My youngest on the other hand has just started at special school. They are doing so much good for him and I really dont want him to miss out. I couldnt replicate what they are doing for him at home and he would lose out. Its like walking a tightrope trying to decide what is for the best.

Well think of it this way - if you take your eldest out, you're at least halving the risk compared to right now? How do you think they'd be if you kept one home but not the other?

Cases in my local area are now over 800 per 100k. We are in a sort of lock down. They have closed restaurants pubs and cafes.

In mine they are 440-500 per 100K (Zoe app) and there are no extra restrictions at all.

I’m allowing myself a weekly social walk but otherwise staying in. I’m fortunate that I can work from home.

We arent going anywhere either. Taking the kids to school still and that is it. My 2 have had extra risk assessments due to my shielding and the teachers in both schools have been brilliant and very understanding with lots of extra measures in place.

I have an appointment at my GP this week to get my flu jab. Every other surgery in my area have been doing drive through clinics in car parks in large open spaces to make it safe as possible. But my surgery decided to bring everyone in to the practice. Nit looking forward to it to be honest. Chest playing up a little today have had to get yet more antibiotics and steroids and some carbocisteine to help move the phlegm.

I’ve got a blood test at my GP practice 3.2 miles away week after next. I’ll have to walk there and back because I don’t have a car and am not getting on public transport or in a taxi. Should be fun. They won’t do a flu jab at the same appointment as it’s “not a flu jab clinic”.

@Outnumberedwoman do you have a local pharmacy that can do your flu jab?

@Egghead68 that is terrible and utterly ridiculous. Surely it makes sense to only have one visit to the surgery for both you and them.

My hubby has his flu jab on a different day to me but there is no parking near our surgery because they have closed the car park except for staff so we have to go twice in 3 days even when the advice remains to shield as much and as far as is possible.