The 'Positive Mental Health' Corona virus thread Part III

[DaffodilThatch]

Think would be good to keep this thread going! Will link to the previous threads in a bit.

Oh, I second a PP who recommended knitting. I've picked it up again after a long gap to occupy my hands and brain and am enjoying trying a small project with techniques I hadn't tried before.

Honestly no we've not has physical contact with him for over 7 days

I have been knitting a Norwegian sweater from a pattern in Norwegian (I don't speak Norwegian!) which has been pretty-much guaranteed to keep my mind fully occupied whilst I was doing the stranded yoke, and the sleeves -- all on double-ended needles and magic loop so I can do both sleeves at once and be sure they match each other. The yoke is finished and looks great: I am using acrylic rather than wool, so the background is cream DK by the Women's Institute which I got from Hobbycraft and the patterning is King Cole Riot (Beech), which mysteriously manages to look as if I had changed colour deliberately as I went down from the polo neck, even though it's a continuous ball of yarn changing colour gradually. I'm now 47 rounds into the sleeves and feeling definitely smug about this project.

This virus can just forget it until I have finished it, that's what I say. What's more, I have no intention of dying at this point and not being able to wear this sweater next winter -- it's going to be too late for this year, I suspect, so it's been a good way to make the warm weather come early just to spite me.

@HelloMist - Lovely thread that - I've replied.

I have found the pattern online: www.sandnesgarn.no/oppskrifter/mo-1702-dame

And I am knitting it downwards from a polo neck, not from the bottom the way the pattern goes, so I'm doing it backwards as well as in a language I don't speak. Madness.

I haven't really knitted since I was about 11 but I did get stuff to teach myself a few years ago that I'd forgotten about. Might dig it out!

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/japanese-flu-drug-clearly-effective-in-treating-coronavirus-says-china

So I know this isn’t about Coronavirus and I don’t expect anyone to reply or want to derail this thread that is helping so many of us. But we’ve just had DSs ASD diagnosis confirmed and I’m having a little moment of weakness I know he’s still the same wonderful little boy, and all this is is a label that I can use to get him the help he needs. But I’m having a wobble.

So please keep the positive things coming, I need them today.

Ah Spudlet how old is he?

My dd is nearly 24 and got diagnosed asd a couple of years ago. We were pretty sure before that though. We were quite tearful and relieved the moment she got the news. But you then thought "so this is real then."

Wobble totally totally understandable. Please take it easy as possible. None of our diagnoses were a shock (I was diagnosed late twenties, my older two kids diagnosed the next year) but it still affects you. That’s ok! ❤️

He’s 4. And he’s great, he is. Even they said that with a bit of help, he’ll go far. Just, you know. Wobbling.

But the birds are still singing and the daffs are blooming (he is loving those at the moment, points out the daffodils every time we pass a clump). Life is bursting out of the ground everywhere you look at the moment! It’s going to be ok.

nellodee more good news! I really think we're so close to finding a treatment that works, which would be a real game changer.
I'm too young to remember, but my older co-worker was telling me about when HIV was first diagnosed and how it was a death sentence for everybody who got it- and at first they weren't sure HOW people were getting it. Imagine if social media had been around then! But now they have very effective treatments and it's quite a manageable condition. And with this, they already had a head start, apparently, as it's quite similar to SARS which was around a few years back.

Spudlet so many more people are aware about asd these days and will be more and more as your ds grows up. My dd has had lots of contact with ambitious about autism who have been very good.

Thanks for coming back!
Everyone I see on the street is smiling from afar.

And I am knitting it downwards from a polo neck, not from the bottom the way the pattern goes, so I'm doing it backwards as well as in a language I don't speak. Madness

Beautiful sweater. Just the thought of knitting that makes my brain hurt, let alone backwards from a foreign language pattern. I salute your courage, mon brave!

I have knitted precisely one jumper, and it was not a huge success I’m very impressed with anyone who can do it backwards, and in an unknown language too?! Most impressive indeed 👍

It definitely keeps my mind off nasties in the Real World, which is a definite bonus. I might get OH to take a photo at some point, probably when I have finished the sleeves so it will be easier (at the moment it's rather all-bunched-up-together), so I can post it.

I am now self-isolating, and wondering how anyone doing that is supposed to know when they can stop... Not that I care at the moment, what with the garden and the warmish day and curry for supper and not yet having run out of milk (which is going to be the main nuisance in a couple of days, drat it) and all the good people on this thread. But how are we to know that it's safe to come out of our bunkers after a fortnight? Or (for my brother and his wife) twelve weeks? It all seems a bit haphazard at present, even if it is more of an irritation than a crisis -- especially since I know how small a chance there actually is of getting it.

Great news about the treatment , also read the German company believes they will have the vaccine ready for the summer and to mass produce by autumn. :]

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime, those are some of my questions too!
Can you get the milk delivered? Milk and more is nationwide and you can get up a one-time delivery if you need it.

spudlet I know it’s a lot to take in. I have three boys and the younger two aged 15 and 12 both ASD. 15 year old diagnosed at age 6. My mum had him written if as maybe working in a petshop when older, as he appeared to not hear....it was actually auditory processing. And now at age 15, he’s A* in all science, maths and computing and is outstanding at coding, now fluent in 3 languages. His early diagnosis has meant that he’s been massively supported all the way (not saying this hasn’t been a fight) and now is happy and doing very well with a clear career path ahead. Please feel free to PM me if you need to. I work in children’s mental health and am doing a PhD on autism in girls, as well as my own personal experience. Try if you can to see this as a new start and something concrete to build on. A diagnosis for us has opened so many doors x

A British study thinks they may be able to start human testing of a vaccine next month which is amazing news!

Hi all! New to the thread but I've just read through some old posts and it's just lovely. Thank you for being a group of positivity in this dark time. I downloaded the Let's Meditate app last night and it has free meditations that I found really helpful for relaxing before sleep. Worth a try for any fellow mediation beginners!

Is it free?

I wonder whether they will offer the vaccine first to those in high-risk categories... (asking for a friend, obviously! )

Also got to mention Headspace - it's not free but there's a free basics version of 10 guided sessions. It's brilliant.