Thread 33 - Lovely Jubbly Jubilee Break, then back to Exams

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

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. Possibly a move to Parent of Adult Children Board in future?
previous thread

Maybe we should start the diet thing by all trying to drink 2l water a day - can make a big difference, but easy to forget if you are not in the habit of drinking a lot of water.

Think I might go low carb for a few weeks once the exams are over. Will not replace any snacks and everyone can have lots of steak/chicken and salad.

@Volterra DS recommends 5-HTP. I think no screens in the hour before you go to bed is highly recommended too.

Sorry to hear we have two covid positives.

I'm up for a fitness motivational kick up the backside. Since we lost the dog four years ago I just don't walk anywhere. I've recently rejoined aquafit but they've chopped the timetable and my friend no longer goes so I'm very half-hearted about it. Could do with losing a few stone and menopause has given me bingo wings.

DS is an only and we would both place bets that I will cry in Sept at drop off. But I absolutely hope he's going to have a blast.

Thank you for the reflux solidarity. I am so paranoid (eg endoscopy appt came through super quick, which has put the wind up me) that I will be happy to live with reflux and never eat after 4pm again, as long as it's nothing worse.

My self-imposed challenge to help while away the hours instead of missing DS (as well as getting fitter) is grade 8 piano - always a bit ashamed that I am such a terrible pianist when I work with proper musicians a lot.

@Monkey2001 , thank you very much, I’ll have a look at that. I can go to sleep but often wake up really early and can’t go back again.

Starting by drinking more water is a good idea, I’m guilty of forgetting. DD is very good about it, I should follow her example.

DD’s reflux was severe when she was little so we were in and out of hospital for years. Both of us are on on omeprazole and ranitidine.

I use Kalms at night which helps with falling asleep but recently have joined the ‘it’s 5 am so time to wake up’ crowd (which really sucks as I use to love a good sleep in.)

what was it Cher said ? ‘Getting old isn’t for sissies’

Without outing myself @singingstones and @Heifer reflux maybe something I know a little about

Cher is a very wise woman, it seems to have been one thing after another since my late 40s.
I am also on omeprazole. I keep forgetting whether I've taken it so have now invested in a pill dispenser thingy with two compartments for each day. DH is jealous so have ordered one for him too. I'm not sure how or when we morphed from our younger adventurous carefree selves into people who are excited about pill dispensers.

I love this - such an apt discription of age related angst.
My Mum keeps on offering to buy one of these for me. Its like an aging graduation present😂

I'm worried now. I thought Eng lit was Monday?

NCTDN, DD has English lit on Monday, never fear!

I think ds1 has missed out a lot at university. He started sept 2020. He had lectures etc until the end of the year. Then he had strikes from Jan to March. Then covid. I think online was probably not so bad for some subjects, but for Ds doing biology, he missed out on almost 2 years of the hands on lab work. He had to watch the lecturer online doing the practicals. Then write up as if he'd done them. He really enjoyed his third year though. Whereas ds2 was glad to not do GCSEs he liked online lessons as he could go from bed to pc in 2 mins. I think the exams have been tough though without GCSEs first.

I could do with loosing weight too. I'd like to loose a stone. I am not very overweight. The extra hides quite well. I just eat too much. I like to walk. I was pleased that in the 3 years I've had my Fitbit I had done a minimum of 10,000 steps every day. Until covid a few weeks ago. Then I was banished to my room. So I had 5 days when I only did a few hundred steps. But I usually do 10 to 20,000 steps a day. It's more difficult in winter to get the steps in.

I took ds2 clothes shopping today. We weren't very successful really. Everything he liked was too big. We checked out Zara as not been in there before. He found a great pair of chinos in a 36 which is apparently 28" waist. But all the tops were huge. He wanted some shirts. But we can't find anything to fit. He isn't the only small man. We bought a white shirt for his prom a few weeks ago from next. Age 14. But he doesn't like any of the kids shirt designs.

@MirandaWest I won't try hrt because I worry I'll gain weigh. I had to have hormone injections that simulate menopause when I was 29 I went from 8 and a half stone to almost 11 stone in 5 months. Then years of the pill I struggled with weight. So I am trying to avoid it.

Piccolo phew!

IcanbewhatIwant I had a similar injection pre hysterectomy and put on 33lbs in 11 weeks, was so shocked and regret agreeing to take it.

Snap @icanbewhatiwant and @Volterra , injections when I was 24 and I went from a size 8 to a 14 in 6 months and have struggled with my weight ever since.
we have a lull here, dd doesn’t have another exam until next Tuesday, RS philosophy but she seems to have completely lost momentum. She had a bit of a shocker in RS yesterday so really needs to pull it back.

@Volterra @cariadambyth I had zoladex injections. Mine were before a gynae op.

@icanbewhatiwant and @cariadambyth mine was Prostap, I think it works in similar way to Zoladex. Was supposed to have 3 injections , only had 1 and refused any more. Gynae nurse was not at all surprised when I said I had put on so much weight.

@Volterra I was meant to have 6 injections, one a month. I refused the 6th. I had awful hot flushes. Much worse than the ones I have now. I never got the weight off again, though I'm not as heavy as I was back then.

Absolutely rubbish isn’t it. I’d worked so hard to get weight off before that and it undid a fair chunk in not much time at all. Day after I had injection I couldn’t walk (similar to now) and it made me feel so angry - led to dog-gate on a walk which I try to keep buried in depths of my memory!

I was on prostap too, every 28 days for 6 months, I struggled with hot flushes and took hrt during that time. It’s funny, I was thinking recently how I took it all in my stride yet was only 6 years older than dd is now and how much I’d hate her having to go through something similar. She has unfortunately followed me and has struggled gynaecologically since she started her periods when she was 10. I hope your issues have been resolved @Volterra and @icanbewhatiwant .

Poor DD @cariadambyth . That was a young age to have it for you, I hope you are sorted now and you too @icanbewhatiwant

Physics tomorrow, anything else ?

@cariadambyth mine was because I had severe endometriosis. Everything inside was all knotted and twisted up. The zoladex shrinks everything so it's easier to operate on. I was told I may not be able to have children. I hadn't wanted dc's until she said that. It made me change my mind and want them. Dh is 15 years older than me and didn't want more children, had 2 already. 3 ds's later...obviously I was fortunate enough to be able to get pregnant. Poor Dh has endured 3 more (ds3 wasn't planned)

Wow @icanbewhatiwant , that’s a houseful for your DH, I’m sure he loves it now and wouldn’t change it for the world . I took Prostap for the same reason as you and knew I always wanted children but when I met my now DH a few years later had to have a difficult conversation about probably not being able to have any. Fast forward 20 years and two children later stressing about A levels!! I feel incredibly lucky (most days) 🤣.
@Volterra thank you, we’re getting there, I think!

@Volterra , I must confess I’m very intrigued by dog gate!! So tell, if it’s not too traumatic.

@cariadambyth dh's older 2 had moved out before ds1 was born. They are in their late 30's now. Not sure id cope with 5 dc's in the house.

@icanbewhatiwant , not sure I could either!!