Awkward questions you've always wanted to ask someone who works in a specific job...

[PinocchiosLeftNostril]

I thought this would be a good way for us to get answers to those awkward questions we would never dream of asking someone to their face in their place of work.

These are questions relating to my life that i would love honest answers to.

Hairdressers - When someone with bad dandruff/psoriasis sits on your chair, do you shrug it off, or do you quickly have a look to make sure it's not lice? Are you able to tell the difference right away or does it need investigating? And do you really want to know what my plans are for the day, or would you rather work in silence?

Teachers - do you get annoyed when parents write in homework diaries that a specific piece of homework was too tricky for their child? Do you take it as an insult to your teaching skills?

Waiter/waitresses - do you expect people to offer to clean up their children's mess before they leave, or do you just shrug it off as part of the job? If you're busy and haven't had chance to clean a table yet, and a new customer came up and asked for a cloth to clean it, would you be offended?

I'm a trainee SLT so not quite sure if I'm qualified to answer any questions regarding that line of work yet.

But i have experience working in a Subway sandwich store, a library, a gym and as a cleaner. So i can answer any cleaning, book or sandwich questions that are burning away inside you all.

Another question for mignonette... Do you find that sometimes people dying in hospital wait for loved ones to leave the room before they die? My dad did that, and my grandfather too I think. My mum was there, but they both breathed their last when she took a break to go to the loo. Is that just my family, or is that normal? If so, why? (I have my own theories about this so would love to know!).

And for the antenatal class instructor, do you ever feel you give women a false sense of control over their birthing experience? Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm sure sometimes some women get the natural active birth they've planned for, but most mums I know did not. Obviously you wouldn't want to scare pregnant ladies - good thing too - but do you ever feel like you're giving them a false idea of what might happen during a hospital birth?

Shocking That's an interesting point and something I have wondered about. I have experienced this in an Aids Hospice I first worked in years ago with several patients. Some had been estranged from their families and when the parents finally turned up, would die soon after as though they had been waiting. That is kind of the reverse of what you are saying. Maybe people hold on for those around them and leave when they feel they can? I whispered to my Grandfather that I would look after my Gran and that he should try not to worry about that. He died soon after.

My Father appeared fairly stable with a few hours to go but when my stepmother left the room to get something to eat, his breathing changed and we had to call her back in. She got there just in time. He was a private man and it wouldn't have surprised me if he had have took advantage of that.

People can hear long after they appear unresponsive. I have had little squeezes of my hand when it seems that they have not heard me or are aware of me. So yes, they may well be aware that people are leaving. I also wonder if our animal instincts come to the fore; the same ones which make animals hide away to die.

There is evidence that babies sleeping in their parents room regulate their breathing in line with their parents. I wonder if the reverse could apply to the dying patient in that their brain stems control of breathing is more vulnerable to deregulation without others in the room?

I have written earlier that the body is metabolically at its lowest; ticking over in fact during the night. Many people die in the night during the sleeping hours and obviously we are more likely to be alone then.

What do you think?

spencermoon, I was having a discussion with friends the other day, and we didn't really reach a conclusion. Is there a difference between mental health and psychological health, or are they synonymous?

What a brilliant thread.Mignonette what a wonderful person you sound.You have so much compassion and respect.I hope the family realises what a special person you are.

Lovely posts, Mignonette

EBear

Now there's a question! TiredEmma help me out here...

They are pretty synonymous relating to cognition (thinking and perceiving), affect (projection and 'presentation' of our mood) and emotion/mood (what we feel). I can't say as I see much of a difference between the two.

Mental illness can feature combinations of problems with any of these aspects.

I have a question for any medical people who know about drugs: Is the whole "you can't drink on antibiotics" thing a myth, as my DH insists?

In a nutshell, it's something to do with soldiers in Vietnam catching STIs and being treated with antibiotics, and telling them they couldn't drink was one way of persuading them to lay off the booze a bit.

I suspect it's nonsense, and that there are very good reasons why alcohol and antibiotics shouldn't be mixed, but I don't know what they are. Can anyone tell me?

Another nurse here , work on district nursing team ,often nursing patients who wish to die at home.
It is a very privileged job .

Waves at GGirl.

Am I the only Nail Technician on the thread??!! Happy to answer your nail-related questions.....

Genuine question from me: do you think that Nail Techs are thick and only 'do nails' because they're not bright enough to do a proper job?

No, because I know at least one very bright girl training in nails because she's a caring person but too squeamish for eg nursing.

Do you judge me for keeping my nails boringly short and losing my cuticle knife...?

Question for any teachers who work in independent (fee-paying) schools. In what ways is it better/worse than working in a state school? Is it harder due to workload yet easier due to behaviour as I'd imagine, or is it actually pretty similar?

I've worked in some pretty 'rough' state primaries and I'm intrigued to know how things operate on the other side.

I used to horses until I realised it takes a lot of brains and amazing people skills to run your own business or build a client base.

Question for you, do you ever judge us plain janes if we come in for our nails doing? Do nail techs ever have a laugh about us after we've gone?

God no Horses. Far from it. I assume you are in your career because you enjoy it and it is a boom industry after all. Sensible career choice.

Horses Are you adequately protected from the chemicals used in nail tech and also the UV lights? That would worry me if you were my daughter.

Mignonette - the nurse who looked after us after my DF died suddenly sounds very much like you. We'd have been lost without her in those awful first hours. You do not realise how much good you really do xx

And no Horses nail techs thick? Nah. Mine owns the entire hair and beauty salon. One of the cleverest - and richest - blokes I know! And a fab nail tech!

I'm an auditor. Don't all rush at once......

The parents tend to be worse in independent schools. I don't teach in one myself but have friends who do. They say the parents are the worst thing, the small class sizes the best!

I work in MH now but used to work with terminally ill patients (AIDS) and also worked on a Dementia Unit. I never specialised in community general nursing as am a RMN but like all nurses, have patients who have died and required my care. Have actually just handed in my notice as need a change for a while but plan to do shifts to maintain my registration.

I am glad you got good care Olympic. Sounds like the kind of nursing that GGirl does.

Is an auditor like accounting? You'll have to tell me what you do so I can educate myself.

Mignonette, you sound like a very compassionate nurse. Anyone lucky enough to have you at their side at ther side at the time of passing will surely find comfort from you.

I doubt anyone will have any questions for me, but this is such an interesting threads. So in the spirit of participation, I'm throwing it out there: I'm an Islamic studies teacher at a madrasah. I co-manage the centre and teach women and children Islam. I'd be happy to answer any questions. In fact, I'd be interested to even know what questions people would have. :)

wow, this thread moves fast! Mignonette: Could I ask if your Trust/NHS facility is reducing the numbers of specialist Mental Health Physios? Ours has and it is hurting our patients who need help w/ the inevitable weight gain many psych drugs cause. There are some really excellent continence services in the NHS - but, it's a bit of a postcode lottery. Part of the problem is securing funding - despite the clear evidence of efficacy and cost saving, these are Cinderella services, and the harsh reality is that unless the people in charge of the purse strings have some personal experience of using the services we provide...

Also do you think the French treatment for Pelvic Floor post delivery will ever be introduced on the NHS here? Nope, it's not part of our culture. We can't talk about the fact that a third of the readers of MN are wetting themselves when they laugh at penis beaker. The evidence is irrefutable - pelvic floor exercises work - but, that's not what the perception is amongst women, midwives, Hvs or GPs, heck, not even urogynaecologists. So, that's erm, up to me to change. One fanjo at a time...

Nail people. I'm 33 and still bite them. And I bite false nails off. What can I do to have the lovely nails my hands deserve?

Re death. My grandad kicked my dad out (who had decided to stay with him that night). Dad literally came home, explained he'd been told to leave, and we received the phone call a couple of hours later. My Gf did not want my dad (his SIL). He said ' go now, it's fine, I don't want (need?) you here'.

have tried reading through to see if someone has already asked this but

Wee and Poo experts..
can I tell anything about my health from the smell of my wee or poo?

Icelolly - I know, and, thank you. I guess I'm curious about how much difference there is between dermatological gloop and the department store counter gloop.

And, erm, I apologise for using the term "gloop". It just all looks the same to me, and I wondered what the difference is. I suspect a large part of it is advertising...?

TheDietStartsTomorrow, have you noticed an increase in the number of converts to Islam in recent years?

Clenchingpanda even with the most concerted effort at pelvic floor exercises, will things ever be the same again? Yep, as you said in your question - it depends.

Some folk deliver ginormous babies with not so much as a scratch, some folk have tiny, neat headed wee ones and pull their muscle right off the bone.

If you have a baby by the traditional route you are x3 more likely to be incontinent when your baby is 21 than if you use the smash and grab method. That's a fact. It's also a fact that C-section does not protect you against becoming incontinent, got a lot to do with your risk factors.

It's also a fact that 1:3 35-55 year old women pish themselves.

And, that there is a 70-80% cure rate by doing pelvic floor exercises. 3 exercises, 3 times a day, for 3 months - then once a day, every day until you die.

Things which increase your risk are the usual suspects, being overweight, smoking, family history, being prone to constipation, heavy lifting, multiple pregnancies, long pushing stages, mechanical delivery. 3 or 4th degree tears, etc etc.

So, yep, doing your exercises can be curative. With the caveat that if you have a prolapse, levator ani avulsion, neurological damage or just bad luck - you might need a bit more help with it.

However, the science says that even with complications, aobut 80% of people find an improvement in their symptoms with treatment.

You don't have to put up with it. Really.

Am happy to answer DMs...assuming you can't face details of your incontinence going viral on the interwebs!