CEV people, how are you feeling about today's announcement?

[SmashingBIouse]

No masks/self isolation to end in the near future etc

I fully understand that restrictions can't go on forever but I admit I'm a bit nervous. I'm considering pausing my immunosuppressant drugs for a while, until case numbers decrease (they're still over 2k per 100k here). There's a teacher in my household whose school currently has six teachers and countless students off with covid but no masks from tomorrow! Plus DH will have to go back to the office on crowded public transport.

I'll phone my consultant tomorrow, see what she says. I was advised to pause when Omicron cases were going through the roof here. I'm worried about what the lack of meds is doing to my body though (I have an autoimmune condition).

How's everyone else feeling?

Really sorry to hear that, @Abraxan

@Abraxan ugh, I'm sorry! Really hope you have an easier time with it, this time.

@MilesJuppIsMyBitch Wow, that is just vile. I'm glad it was deleted!

Thanks.

So far it's more like a cold, but heart rate is up as is blood pressure, so trying to relax.

Consultant had mentioned the new anti virals but nothing got sent. So will phone first thing as closed now

I like putting plans in place - pre covid I worked to set neutrophil levels. My bloods are monitored 3mthly via the GP so is easily done.
If above level a, continue as normal (I am an excellent handwasher )
At level b - move away from the clinical area, but continue working,
Below level c - stay away from work (and deal with GP freaking out)

This is what I am continuing to use, along with masks etc to live life as normally as possible. I honestly don’t mind if anyone thinks that doesn’t make me as CEV as someone else 🤷‍♀️

I have no idea how to live normally with immunosuppression

This is how I feel.

I've had rheumatoid arthritis for many years but was managing on pain relief and steroid injections a couple of times a year (and a fair bit of sticking my head in the sand if I'm honest). Last summer though it went absolutely bananas and I was given three steroid injections back to back to try and dampen things down a bit and put on methotrexate. I'd been on mtx pills in the past, many years ago, but they made me so ill, now I inject it. As I understand it there are other RA meds which are worse when it comes to immunosuppression, mtx is one of the milder ones. But I'm in the four jabs/antivirals group so I suppose it's not great. I also have a few other health conditions which up my risk a bit.

I've no idea how to go about my normal business with covid rates so high - I don't drive so need to use public transport even though I've been told not to, for example. And having a teacher in the house (only started teaching in October so not something I've needed to worry about previously) is another layer of worry.

So yes. Not knowing how to live normally certainly sums it up.

@plus3

I like putting plans in place - pre covid I worked to set neutrophil levels. My bloods are monitored 3mthly via the GP so is easily done. If above level a, continue as normal (I am an excellent handwasher ) At level b - move away from the clinical area, but continue working, Below level c - stay away from work (and deal with GP freaking out)

This is what I am continuing to use, along with masks etc to live life as normally as possible. I honestly don’t mind if anyone thinks that doesn’t make me as CEV as someone else 🤷‍♀️

What kind of level do you work to? I'm nosy as I'm neutropenic!

@plus3 it's not about competing over who is most CEV. It's just asking people to show a bit of thought in how they phrase things and to remember that medically restricted lives will inevitably continue to be the norm for some of us. It isn't necessarily because we are sCaReD or don't want to see the world get back to normal.

@Abraxan What a worry. I've got everything crossed that the vaccines will do their job and it'll be super mild.

@Abraxan it might be worth ringing 119. If you're on the 4 dose list you should be able to get the antivirals

Smashing yes it sounds like we're in similar boats then. My MS flared badly after lockdown 1 and my meds had to be changed. Two dc at school but fortunately I can wfh and have lovely friends who will sit outside with me, even in January.

@MaybeHeIsMyCat

I've just tried the 119 number but none of the 4 options are applicable. There is no option for 'other'

@Sorehandsandfeet What you don't seem to understand is that there isn't the same degree of choice for everyone. It's really quite offensive and hurtful to imply that people are just "choosing" to remain restricted - that's not the case. Some of us within this group are very much disabled by our conditions, have limited mobility or ability to care for ourselves, etc.

If you'd read the thread you'd have seen that I have explicitly acknowledged that it's a different situation (emotionally) to be in that position, compared to leading a normal life and then finding out you are CEV. I'm not even saying the latter is easier! I've said on many threads that I think it's probably harder - I firmly believe that all my past experiences of being housebound and restricted for very long periods has made shielding relatively easy for me, compared to many.

I think you (and some others) are misreading me as saying I have it the worst. That's not what I think at all, but I do think everyone, at least on a thread like this, could reasonably be expected not to say very unwell people are essentially just scaredy cats or not trying.

@Abraxan

I've just tried the 119 number but none of the 4 options are applicable. There is no option for 'other'

Oh, how infuriating, @Abraxan ! Could you ring 111? They might be able to manually put you through?

[quote plus3]@MaybeHeIsMyCat

Oh god it is 111 you're supposed to ring @Abraxan, I'm sorry! My brain went straight to 119 = covid related

@Sorehandsandfeet as I clarified once before, it's completely normal for CEV to normatively mean "on the shielded list", and I literally acknowledged that even though that is the case, it's now expanded / become more ambiguous. I don't know why you're so eager to get into a weird disability pissing contest with me?

You yourself have outlined what you intend to do. All I'm saying is that many people don't have that degree of choice.

Everyone needs to do what they think is the best balance for them, obviously.

It's poor form, though, to gloat about something that will make your life a little easier, like lifting of restrictions, when it'll make life a lot harder for a group of people who already got a raw deal out of things. (No, not all CEV. But some.)

I'm also fed up of people weaponising their "mental health" when what they mean is they feel grumpy that they can't do everything they want exactly the way they want it all the time. This pandemic has been genuinely difficult for those with pre-existing mental health conditions as well as those with pre-existing physical conditions, and has also changed some people's circumstances such that they've become vulnerable to mental health problems that they wouldn't have otherwise experienced. But suicides are not, statistically, higher than normal, and most mentally well people have stayed perfectly mentally well throughout the pandemic. They might have been frustrated, or experienced grief, or felt lonely or cabin-feverish or bored, but emotions are normal, and while they might be a sign that things aren't ideal, they shouldn't be a passport to doing whatever will make the feelings go away.

There's obviously lots of other good reasons for opening up, and I'm not going into them here, but it bugs me when people who are, basically, fine, try to use "mental health" as their argument, when lots of people with mental illness try as hard as they can not to allow their mental health to interfere with other people's needs.

Also I explicitly said on this thread - I've said multiple times - that being at a lower level of functional ability does not necessarily mean having a worse time during the pandemic, and may mean quite the opposite. Some people who are CEV are normally well or quite well, but have had an awful time - far, far worse than I have. I've acknowledged this not only here but many times on MN before. It's your weird projection that is making this a competition.

I'm not accusing anyone here of gloating BTW, but I've definitely seen it in, erm, certain places.

@ClumpingBambooIsALie

I'm not accusing anyone here of gloating BTW, but I've definitely seen it in, erm, certain places.

Yup, me too.

I'm sorry if I offended anyone here, I didn't mean to, I just gave my answer to the OP and got called out for being hurtful and insensitive, which is so far from what was intended. I accept that the pandemic has been different for everyone and we have all struggled, sometimes in different ways, but all posters should understand that. I had no intention of getting into a 'disability pissing contest' but @innocenta first called me out without knowing my circumstances just as I don't know anyone else's here. I will put this to bed now and I assure you all that I was not gloating, just explaining that I have decided to take some risks despite being CEV. Heck if I get covid again we'll see if it was worth it.