Thread 51 - Covid GCSE Cohort - Summer 24 - End of Uni Yr 2

[Oblomov24]

2024 Summer, end of year 2 for those at Uni.

This is a support thread for our young adults post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting, and their results ( or life updates for those who went into work or have had results earlier). 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, uni vs employment please don't within this thread.

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. We were previously on the secondary board and then further education, now we shall be here in 'Parents of Adult Children' gulp

Our DS/DD may continue down various pathways ( employment, apprenticeships, higher ed). Experience is that everyone is welcomed wherever, whatever their child is doing we have some in work, gap years , apprenticeships etc too. Lots of contributors with different experiences and always sympathy and advice to be had.

Previous thread 50:

50

icanbe I missed your post. Oh your lovely ds2. Let's hope he gets a lovely girl soon. Everyone deserves a lovely partner.

Funny you mention lack of protein. I really, really struggled to get protein into ds when he was younger (still do). He would fill up on carbs & veg, refused to eat what I call proper meat, stopped eating sausages because pigs are cute, then quorn changed the recipie of their veggie sausages so popcorn chicken was pretty much the only thing he ate. I used to try and get as milk and yoghurt into hin as possible.

Nowadays he lives on fish and chips, margarita pizza and he eats mince in a lasagne or bolognese

Nightmare journey for him last night. He got stuck on a train just outside Alexandra Palace for 4 hours. Was supposed to get back into Leeds at 12.08am - finally arrived at 3.50am!

I worry about DS not getting enough protein too, I end up filling the fridge with lots of cooked chicken snack type things when he's at home, he eats LOTS of cheese so that's something. Your poor DS @Comefromaway , nightmare journey.

@Oblomov24 that's awful that you were treated that way, how is your back now?

Terrible journey @Comefromaway . DS has just headed off to Leeds for his interview then getting train straight back to Cambridge from Leeds. Hopefully back there for 7ish.

@Oblomov24 that's awful about your back. I knew you'd had issues but that is really terrible for you. I have pre osteoporosis which I think is due to menopause at 37 but the breast cancer drug can make it worse so am on v high dose calcium.

Am finally starting to enjoy the gym which is one good thing that came out of BC. I've lost just over 10kg since January which has been blooming hard work. DS has put the pounds on since stopping proper swimming despite all the other sport. I've think I've driven him up the wall this weekend banging on about aerobic exercise and good diet. Simple fact is he doesn't now train for 3 hours in the pool 5 times a week so he can't eat what he used to at 16...Every pound shows when you're small as I know only too well!

That's terrible @Oblomov24 , you poor thing.

It's strange to hear about all the small boys and tiny eaters! My kids have always had huge appetites, and now ds does weight training he eats ridiculous amounts of protein. I've been kindly doing his meal prep around his exams and he eats 1kg of chicken over two days, alongside the evening meals I also make him! He's quite tall, a bit shy of 6 foot I think.

I've always struggled with protein myself, I was never a meat fan (except for processed!) so I've always eaten far too much carbs/sugar. I don't even really like cheese or milk. My kids keep nagging me about it, because i've started (fairly light!) weight training and they tell me it won't work without the protein. I just don't fancy much protein though! But I need to sort myself out... Well done on the weight loss @craggyrat !

DH is a smidge shy of 5'10, I'm nearly 5'5, DD is 5'7 (but we believe her ADHD meds stunted her growth) and DS is 6 ft...with size 12 feet!
DD is slim, as is DS, although he's just starting to fill out a bit.
DH is naturally heavier built, I've always been slim but put on a stone in perimenopause which I've now lost through the stress of the last few months.
I could do with putting on a few pounds, to make my face look less haggered...

Seriously well done Craggy, more on the mindset re exercise that’s helped reduce your weight. I hear you on the lack of swimming effects; DD has gained around 3 and half stone since 2020, and is finally recognising she may need some support in stopping the gain and addressing it. She is 5’8” so whilst the height masked it at first, she knows it’s a health issue if she doesn’t get it under control.

The good thing is that they all have youth on their side - it’s not too late to change. Harder for us oldies :)

Oblomov, lots of empathy here. My husband has spondylitis; the flair ups are very painful but he doesn’t want the by monthly jabs yet, so suffers (not always in silence)…

My mum is 4’8”. I am a giant against most relatives at 5’4”. The women in DH’s side are all tall, very long legs/short torso. Sounds great in principle apart from when it comes to buying trousers!

@Oblomov24 how awful, and what incredibly irresponsible medical advice! Your poor back!

@Comefromaway that train journey sounds terrible, what caused the delay? I bet he was exhausted!

We're fairly lanky in this house. I'm just under 5'10" , DH is 6'4" DS1 is 6'2.5" and DS2 is 6'1" currently at 16. The boys have very slim builds but DS1 has been bulking up lately and weight training at the gym, he eats lots of protein now. DS2 has to eat protein after every rowing or gym session or they get told off by the coach. We usually send him off with a protein bar or Biltong - the new favourite- which he has straight after and then has his normal meals.

@craggyrat I have lost a similar amount of weight since mid Jan, a blood test showing high cholesterol was the kick up the bum I needed to shift the meno weight that has been piling on over the past 4 years. I have now got my BMI down to 24 and my cholesterol down into the green zone but it has been HARD. I do need to do some weight training but honestly I am so tired I just can't do it yet.

Sorry to hear you've gone through all that with your back @Oblomov24

I have often wondered whether a very small appetite caused Ds to be short. He shouts at me if I mention it, he says it's almost all genes that make the height, only a very small percentage is determined by diet.

@craggyrat were you told to take calcium
after bc treatment? My husband is on drugs that cause osteoporosis and thinning bones. They've not told him to take anything to help, all they did was send him for a bone density scan, they said they will repeat it in a year. I think he should take calcium or vitamin d or both.

@icanbewhatiwant yes I was put on calcium prescription because of anastrozole for BC.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn v well done on the weight loss. It is really tough. Am currently between sets at the gym!

@craggyrat a relative was put on one of the drugs dh is on, they put him on calcium and vitamin d, the drugs still damaged his bones. He was only on the drugs 3 years. DH is on them for life. I will have to get him to ask.

@ealingwestmum it is so hard for them post swimming but good your DD recognises the health issue. I fear DS is head in sand still so if he gets to the fitness test stage for RAF that could be an issue as I don't think rowing or weight lifting will help!

@icanbewhatiwant - definitely worth asking. Am on Adcal. Not sure if you can buy over the counter anyway? I was sent for baseline bone density scan post radiotherapy which is now yearly

@craggyrat thanks, I'll get him to ask about them. He gets a nurse phone consultation every 12 weeks.

Oh no, @Oblomov24, that sounds awful.

I'm 5'10" and DW is 5'6". DD is about 5'2" or 5'3" and has stopped there. DS is my height and still growing. Both of them look younger than they are!

Ds2 has just told me they measured at the hospital and he was 5'3" 😳

DH is 6’3, I am 5’4. DS1 was v small and skinny and slow to hit puberty. Under care of endocrinologist his whole life as he was born without a thyroid. When he was fourteen and still tiny, but people in his class were 6’ plus, he got v depressed about it. His endocrinologist sent him for a bone scan and did some calculations and told him he grow be between 6’3 and 6’ 5! It had an instantly positive effect on his confidence, although I couldn’t imagine it was right. Then then he started growing, like a beanstalk. Now 6’4 and with size 12 feet🤣

The rest of my kids are more normal heights. Ds2 is just about 6ft but I suspect if properly measured closer to 5’ 11. DD1 5”7 and DD2 5’5.

DB and I are both between the heights of our parents. DH was taller than both his parents & his brother. I'm 5'4, DH is 6'2 and DS is 6'3 with size 12 feet. DS is medium build but not muscled up as plays sport so much barely attends training in any of them.

@craggyrat The rowing is aerobic exercise and should help.

@Oblomov24 I remember you mentioning a bad back but I did not appreciate the degree of seriousness. Someone should warn the young vegetarians!

@icanbewhatiwant My heart really went out to your DS. He sounds so similar to DS2 and we've had exactly the same conversation. He really feels it when valentine's day comes round and everyone is all coupled up, I can see hear the disappointment in his voice. Hasn't been out with anyone yet. I really hope our boys find their groove and I just know they will meet the right girls/women eventually because they have such great personalities.

@Shimy @icanbewhatiwant I'm sure your boys will find lovely partners. DS and friends are almost all single and not had girl/boy friends. Similarly, they are all lovely, funny, personable, various heights, some quite confident and they go out. I'm laying it squarely at the foot of the lockdowns.

That's a lovely thing for you to say @EwwSprouts. I think it's a case of wanting something so badly you only see the people who have got what you want and not all the other single people.

@EwwSprouts @Shimy @icanbewhatiwant my two have not ventured into any sort of relationships yet, neither have a lot of their friends, but I am sure it will all work out in the end. I know being ND is part of it for my two, but lockdown definitely had an impact socially on their age groups.

@crazycrofter was it your DD who had been referred to Psychiatry UK? My DD has just had all the assessment forms come through, so that’s a job for me to do, it has been a year full of it for me. We had DS’s PIP renewal (you may remember I was stressed about that a couple of months ago, but it looks as though it will be OK, just waiting for the final confirmation). No sooner than that was done when I got a request to revalidate my professional qualifications so I have just spent quite a few hours over several weeks writing a thorough self-evaluation of my work for the last couple of years. Submitted it this morning and almost immediately the ADHD forms turned up. No rest for the wicked.

@EasilyDefined my DS has also recently been referred to Psychiatry UK. He's struggling to focus on completing the extremely long form - maybe it's part of the test for ADHD.
I collected DD at the weekend. She's home for 5 days and goes to Ghana on Saturday. She has a lot of washing to get through by then. I would love to help but unfortunately I came back from Wales with COVID and feel totally crap. I'm isolating and praying DD hasn't caught it too.
DS is also home tonight as he has to go to London for the next two days to sit the DELF test French proficiency thing for French uni entrance) He was desperate for a hug but had to make do with a wave from the doorway 😢