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Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Original poster

Class of '18 now in 2019. blimey.

949 replies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/01/2019 10:53

hang on....

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Nettleskeins · 02/02/2019 21:52

ds1 rang us to tell us he had had a big snowball fight at a park in the uni town. He is loving the snow. His snow boots are under his bed at home, alas. He hasn't needed them since he went on a school ski trip aged 14, what a pity he didn't bring them with him [grinds teeth]

In London there is no snow, but it is cold. ds2 went to a football match (watching one) dressed as michelin man.

NoHaudinMaWheest · 03/02/2019 12:22

I came home late last night. Mum was very unwell - she arrested twice- but fortunately was actually in A&E when that happened so got prompt and effective treatment.
She is making good progress and will probably be moved from the coronary care unit to a standard ward today. They are talking about discharging her on Tuesday but as a family we are worried about her ability to cope that soon.

My sister is staying in Edinburgh until Wednesday and I will go back up then.

On a side note it was good for dd that I was up. We sorted out the bank problem which turned out to be a issue with the university accommodation rather than her bank. On Friday she texted to say she felt really ill. It sounded like flu but was actually just a bad cold which combined with her other issues to make her almost immobile.
As I was there I was able to help on Friday and organise help from the student wardens once I left.

starfleet · 03/02/2019 22:07

Glad to hear positive news about your Mum NoHaudin.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 03/02/2019 22:11

Lovely to hear from you NoHaudin. I'm glad about your Mum. You must be utterly wrung out. Don't worry yet about when she will be allowed home, they say these things, but do look at the patient before they are discharged.

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marmiteloversunite · 03/02/2019 22:20

Haudin when my dad was really poorly in hospital we asked to talk to the discharge team about concerns. They then allocated us a social worker who actually managed to get appropriate care for when he left hospital.

Hope she is feeling a lot better soon.

littledrummergirl · 03/02/2019 22:23

We had snow here, Ds1 made it back from London as planned so we had a lovely weekend. Waving him back off on the train wasn't quite as bad as usual as we are going to visit him in a couple of weeks. He wants to show us his life so we will walk from his flat to the university and go to some of his favourite places. He looks really happy.
Haudin it's good to hear that your mum is on the mend. Flowers

MsAwesomeDragon · 04/02/2019 08:48

Glad your mum is getting better nohaudin. I'm sure the hospital have someone you can talk to about care once she's discharged. My dad had district nurses coming out to him for a couple of months after every major operation he's had, and they would have sorted some sort of home help system if my mum wasn't there to provide meals etc.

ShanghaiDiva · 04/02/2019 11:02

Nohaudin
Good to hear your mum is getting better.
I have avoided all snow as currently enjoying 34+ degrees in south Australia. Tomorrow we welcome the year of the pig. Happy Chinese New Year!

Knotaknitter · 04/02/2019 11:04

NoHaudin I don't know how the system differs above the border but in England there should be no discharge without there having been a discussion about what care is needed/in place. My mother ("my daughter has other responsibilities, she can't be over here all the time looking after me") came home with a full package of home support, my MiL ("my DIL is soo good, I'm so lucky, she's so wonderful") left hospital with absolutely nothing. Oh. no, wait, she had me.

It is important to recognise what your mum is going to need help with and be realistic about the extent to which the family can provide that.

NoHaudinMaWheest · 04/02/2019 13:42

I have asked my sister to ask to speak to the discharge team and to emphasis that family help is temporary and can never be immediate.
(There are four of us in Devon, Northern Ireland, North west Scotland and Glasgow so noone on the door step. We all have jobs or children or our own health problems or some combination of those.)

Mum herself is happy to go home but has said from the beginning 'with a package'.

HesMyLobster · 04/02/2019 13:45

Thinking of you NoHaudin.
My poor mum is in hospital too - she slipped on the ice on her way to work on Thursday, took herself to the walk in centre thinking she might have cracked a rib but it turned out the chest pains were actually her heart. They're calling it a "cardiac event" rather than a heart attack. She's doing lots better and they've managed to slow her heart rate with a mixture of medication and defibrillation over the weekend, but it's still irregular so no news of discharge yet.
It's been a huge shock to us all - she's only in her early 60s and extremely fit and active.
Luckily my brother and I are both local, but my dad's health isn't great and he's not very mobile (brain tumour side effects) so running around between the pair of them has made for a hectic few days.
They also have a couple of (huge) dogs that need walking and a lot of care, just to make things even more interesting.
DD has had an awful sickness virus - didn't eat at all from Tuesday to Friday and I was planning to visit over the weekend to take care of her. Thank goodness she has some fantastic friends down there who stepped in to look after her when I couldn't go.

I wasn't around in the winter of discontent but have heard stories, particularly from my dad whos from a small mining town and remembers going weeks without lights or power.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 04/02/2019 14:05

Lobster, I'm sorry about your Mum too, I hope she is on the road to recovery soon. You must also be feeling over wrought! Too much at once.

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NoHaudinMaWheest · 04/02/2019 16:16

lobster I am sorry that your mum is unwell too and that you have so much to do on top of the usual. It is so hard being torn between the generations.

It never seems that only one thing happens at a time. Dh's aunt died suddenly on Friday. Her daughter lives nearby but is obviously in shock as it was completely unexpected. They only have two weeks to clear her mum's house as it is a council one which seems very harsh.

TheFirstOHN · 04/02/2019 17:29

HesMyLobster it sounds as though you were being pulled in all directions at once. I hope your mum makes a good recovery.

DS1 has just been told by his university that he qualifies for a £500 bursary, which is a nice surprise.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 04/02/2019 18:05

That is a lovely surprise!

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starfleet · 04/02/2019 18:56

Lobster sorry to hear about your Mum too. Hope she is feeling better.

When my Dad was in hospital with pneumonia before Christmas a doctor was talking of sending him home 3 days in - he was still on oxygen and nebulisers. I know how stretched the NHS is but had to stand my ground and say he wasn't ready to go home as he wouldn't get the care he needed. The hospital discharge team organised an OT and physio assessment when he was ready and we have some help in place for him. My DM is a little younger than Dad but suffers from arthritis so would struggle to do the running around after him.

HesMyLobster · 05/02/2019 07:42

Wow First that is a nice surprise!

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 06/02/2019 11:59

The news about the Reading student is absolutely dreadful - his poor family :(

I'm having to bite my tongue on the WIWIKAU thread though where some seem to think there shouldn't be water features at university. My most peaceful times when I was stressed was sitting in a tree by the lake.

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marmiteloversunite · 06/02/2019 12:13

My DD was going to a club on a boat last night. So cute had to give her the don't go near the edge lecture. Then she informs me that it is all closed in and you go down a tunnel to get on the boat. Bit paranoid at the moment!Grin

There is water everywhere though. I don't see how you can block it all up!!

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 06/02/2019 12:21

dd said that cambridge would have to be renamed EmptyDitchBridge.

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marmiteloversunite · 06/02/2019 12:29

A large percentage of uni towns/cities have rivers and canals. A lot of the accommodation at Exeter is close to the water.

Hardwickwhite · 06/02/2019 16:37

I did a residential at Bath a few years ago and would have lost my mind if I hadn’t been able to escape to the lake for a bit of quiet thinking time!

I hope they find the girl missing in Hull soon.

Knotaknitter · 06/02/2019 17:12

DS walks past a small lake with a large fountain on his way for groceries. The discussion we had about its dangers was to do with the geese, especially once they start sitting on eggs.

UrsulaPandress · 06/02/2019 19:43

Phew. I’m back.

Knotaknitter · 06/02/2019 21:56

Holiday or ban Ursula? No don't answer that.