Thread 26 - Covid Cohort Hoping for a Stable, Successful 2022

[OrangeCinnamonCocktail]

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This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

That’s funny, I was sure I asked oblomov last time and it wasn’t her, but maybe I’m getting confused! Ds has been on it for 4 months now, has had achy joints all the way through, but now he’s having constant nosebleeds and/or dried blood in his nose which makes it hard to breathe. And he’s so fatigued. I’m quite worried about him as he’s so low but he wants to see it through, having come this far.

The message above was in response to @Fiddlersgreen but thanks @Monkey2001 too

@EwwSprouts my DD is a hockey player so maybe it was her you were thinking off - especially as Biology too.

We are also at booked into Sheffield on 12th Feb so may see you there. Is it worth seeing if any days left in Feb to switch? Although looking at the list @singingstones so brilliantly did, I'm guessing Nottingham is a back up and you're hoping for Durham or St Andrews?

CrazyCrofter, you asked me about Roaccutane and I said it wasn't me? I'm sorry I must have been confused, it was me! How embarrassing. my ds was only on it for a short time, 3+ months, he hated it. He had all your listed symptoms badly, and worse, he felt drugged like he wasn't himself and couldn't think straight. And this was on the lowest starting dose possible. He just stopped. But his skin had really cleared up and seems ok now. I wished I could've persuaded him to at least do a year, or even 6 months. But he wouldn't. He skin isn't perfect, or not as good and clear as some peoples who seem to be very clear and gleamy, after they've finished the course, but it is 80% better than what it was at its worst. He has a follow up appointment next month and doesn't want to go!

Have you rung the nurse, and told her how he feels?

@EwwSprouts my DS is a hockey player too, I have mentioned it on here a few times. Mainly in relation to standing about in the freezing cold and acting as taxi! Seriously though, the club has been brilliant for him both in the sporting and social sense. He has autism so socialising doesn't come very easily and his school is some distance away so school friends not local, I like the fact that he's now in adult hockey, getting a regular game and going to the pub afterwards with the team.

Still heard nothing except an acknowledgement from RHUL. My job today is to get looking at the offer holder days for his others (I have access to DS's email as he's away during the week). He's getting a bit anxious about the whole "life is going to change dramatically this year" thing now, and worrying about coping in the adult world. Also he says some of his friends have firmed and he's feeling left behind but can't make up his mind himself yet.

Don’t worry @Oblomov22 I think it’s me that’s confused! I must have done the same thing last time - asked monkey first! I remember you saying your son hated it. Ds has an appointment with the dermatologist a week on Sat so I’m hoping he will say he can wean himself off it and it will still keeping working for a while, as I know it does that. Ds feels the same - really fed up. My dd wasn’t like this on it, but then she wasn’t doing much exercise at the time. Ds is trying to keep up the gym and Muay Thai but he says his joints feel wrecked. It sounds like your ds is ok now? I’m on a ‘survivors’ group on Facebook (I took it as a teen) and the numbers of people with long term issues is scary,

I’m still in house decorating/sorting mode so not thinking too much about dd leaving home! She’s got to finish her history coursework this week and then revise for the next mocks at the end of Feb.

@crazycrofter those side effects are really tough for him. Perhaps they can put him on lower dose for a while? That’s what they did with me as I had some issues very quickly (within 2 weeks of starting) but with the 10mg dose I only really have a bit of dry skin and lips

@fiddlersgreen, yes I think he needs to lower the dose, I think he's on 60 or 70mg, whatever is the maximum for his weight. He just wants it to work; he says there's no way he's not 'seeing it through' having come this far, but I worry it's affecting him too much and the next few months are really important. Hope you have a better experience with it!

Another hockey mum here! DS1 used to play for club and school but got bored in Yr10 and stopped. Its a shame as he was quite a good player. DS2 is a goalkeeper which is possibly the most stressful thing as a parent (obviously stressful as a player too). He has a school match today - first time in over a year - and he's playing for the year above so a bit nervous as he doesn't really know the team and doesn't want to be blamed if they lose (he will be, boys are horrible).

Fingers crossed they win @JustHereWithMyPopcorn

Thanks @ExtremelyDetermined he's probably the completely wrong personality to play in goal, not aggressive at all and a natural born worrier like his mum - full of self doubt. Any time I suggest maybe giving up it makes him sad as he actually enjoys playing just doesn't like the stress.

Anyone's DC starting to panic about their mock results? DS is getting VERY nervous and quite down about it

@crazycrofter just spoke to my GP friend and she would advise her daughter to stick through the nosebleeds. The worst potential side effect is suicidal thoughts, sounds like a brutal drug, but it does work for lots of people. Good luck, hope it gets better soon.

Thanks, Eww, I’ve told DD that no news doesn’t mean bad news, because they’d have told her if a decision had been reached.
How sad for your DS’s friend. With predictions like that, you’d think it realistic to expect some great offers.

crazy, those side effects sound really horrid. I suffered from acne in my 20s and was put on a retinol gel that worked really well. Of course, that was decades ago, but might a similar topical treatment be worth asking about?

justhere, our school gives mock results on a set “results day”, to replicate the real results day - they even get them in an envelope.
DS is half way through GCSE mocks and predicting himself 9s in certain subjects, following the exam
DD, in contrast, is doom-laden and fretting.
It’s hard to balance what I say in response to both - I want to tell DD there’s still time to improve before the real exams…whilst at the same time telling DS that he needs to pull his finger out and do well in his mocks!

@Alsoplayspiccolo I'm not sure if a set results day is better or worse than getting them in lessons (just not knowing which lesson). I think he just wants to know as soon as possible so he can stop worrying about them and know if he has done badly or done well.

You poor thing having to deal with two sets of mocks, and with two very different personalities. I hope your DS's confidence is not misplaced and your DDs lack of confidence is!

We are under the dark cloud that is Chemistry. Today first of 3. DD has worked so hard she's just praying to see improvement. Fingers crossed.
Just and Also sounds like our kids are feeling the same.

I just hope it's okay. So stressful. Tomorrow is awful. Three hour Chemistry exam followed by short lunch, then Geography. She will have maybe half an hour between as extra time is after Chemistry, but before Geography so really short break.

All the best for the mocks and hockey matches! You'll be glad to have them over with. Ds has had all the results of his GCSE mocks and unsurprisingly he got a 4 in Chemistry and 3 in Physics. He's now realised he's scuppered his plan, as he'll have to do combined science which means it will be hard to get the 6 in a science that he needs to do Psychology A Level, unless he bucks up his ideas with those two sciences. He'd been relying on getting the 6 in Biology! So maybe not a bad thing...

Thanks @Monkey2001 he wants to stick through it. My mum occasionally sends me articles about teenagers on roaccutane who commit suicide, which isn't helpful! He's not been low until now and this seems more to be prompted by how he's feeling physically.

Thanks @Alsoplayspiccolo, unfortunately he's tried everything else. There's a strong acne gene in our family as both dh and I had to take roaccutance (which is always the last resort) and so did dd. I was dreading the kids going through the same. Ds isn't so bothered about how the acne looks, but it was just so painful.

@Alsoplayspiccolo that sounds like a similar scenario in our house. DD is always pessimistic but trying hard, DS in the middle of mocks telling me how each one went so well with minimal revision effort. Mock results day with envelope here too for GCSEs.

Hope more offers come in soon and perhaps when the UCAS deadline passes it will produce more?

Sending positive vibes @JustHereWithMyPopcorn.

DDs driving test next week, instructor says she has the ability but just needs the confidence to match it. Been looking at car insurance - what a range in quotes.

Good luck to your DD today and tomorrow @Wheresthebeach, such a stressful time for all of them.

@crazycrofter hopefully the low mock grades for Chemistry and Physics give him the 'kick up the butt' into working a bit harder on those. I always hope that works on my DS but I'm not sure it does for him.

@PaddingtonPaddington oh no you have the same double mocks scenario. Good luck to them both. Good luck to your DD for her driving test next week too. We went with RAC with the black box to get the cheaper insurance. Oh my god, what a pain in the arse that thing is. It absolutely does not work properly at all. DS has pretty much had a zero score on braking since he's had it - this is the child that both me and is driving instructor had to encourage to brake more firmly. Also penalises him harshly for driving in urban areas when he only drives within five miles of our home- all the same level of urban. Also knocked his score down for night time driving at 4.30pm. It's honestly a joke.

Thanks for the positive hockey vibes.

Good luck with the driving test Paddington. Fingers crossed it goes well, and same for hockey match Just.

Crazy, shame about the grades, but hoping he can pull it out when he needs to and puts in the revision.

For DD its all down to nerves I'm afraid. Sadly it's period 5 so she's had all morning to work herself up into a state.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn DS has never played school hockey much, just the occasional match, with the men's team he is in now tempers do get frayed and you hear some cursing and shouting but they tend to mainly do it with players their own age and experience, DS is one of three teens and they get a lot of support from the older players. They range from teens to I'd say early 50s, it's a third team so not too alpha-male. The U14s/U16s were worse, as they were all the same age (immature) and full of hormones.

@Wheresthebeach and @PaddingtonPaddington it is so hard if a lack of confidence rather than underlying ability might be the cause of getting a low grade or failing a driving test. Why are girls so much more vulnerable to this feeling?

Hope they both manage to do their best. We have a very good pass rate on this thread for driving tests - tell Paddington Junior she is wrapped in a fluffy cloud of mumsnet support!

@ExtremelyDetermined he plays club and school and this age group 14-16 is testosterone fuelled and super competitive but they haven't yet learnt how to behave as a team being supportive to each other. Not all of them of course, some are lovely but it only takes one or two cocky little so and sos to make nasty remarks and tell him he's rubbish and they'd prefer the other goalie to knock the confidence. He has really noticed this year how competitive boys are getting in sport and he hates it, mainly because he's just not like that - he wants to win of course but not to the extent that some boys seem to want to at all costs. I just want him to have fun and keep fit!

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn do they have any crossover with the adult teams at the club? DS was out of his depth at U14/U16 level but they have 6 men's teams and use the 5th/6th to transition the less competitive teens from about age 14 straight to adult hockey so he bypassed the worst of it. It does sound stressful being a goalie.