THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

mrsmortenharket

Pneumonia is a strange thing.
It seems to hit fit & healthy people as much as people already poorly.
I was admitted to hospital with pneumonia on my 29th birthday. I thought I had flu so didn't seek medical advice. Then I turned blue. And I wasn't a smurf :rotfl:

Fuddle, take great care of yourself my lovely X

moneyistooshorttomention

thriftwizard wrote: »

One of the things I love about being self-employed is that I can pull out of events if I'm not well or something excremental has hit the domestic fan. It doesn't do to make a habit of it; reputation is all, and I've only done it twice in six years. But I'm free to do so if I really need to, and the decision is mine alone. If only everyone had that option... I'm horrified at how quickly kids are hustled back into school when they've been seriously ill, and how people are expected back at their desks even when they're infectious or even terminally ill. It's the protestant work ethic gone mad, and the only people it's benefitting are the bean counters.

Absolutly agree.

The thing I don't get re employers/schools/etc expecting anyone back in place with an infectious illness is why they would put themselves at risk like that. That being that "duty of care" they owe to people. If other staff/pupils/etc get ill because someone has been pressurised into going back whilst still infectious - then guess who is at risk of getting clobbered by an irate union official/cool, calm solicitors letter saying words to effect of "You're it - claim - you're being sued for making innocent work colleague/school child nearby ill".

I guess - at a practical level - if someone feels genuinely in position of employer trying to frogmarch them back into work at a time when they are/might be still infectious with a noticeable illness - then it would be wise for the employee concerned to go back with a doctors letter in their hand saying words to effect of "I told Mr/Ms X they are still infectious. Mr/Ms X has told me they will be sacked if they don't return to work - so I understand they are being forced back to work by employer and it's not their choice. It is the EMPLOYERS responsibility should anyone else contract the illness". Hopefully that would protect the ill person from any claim being aimed at their head - and give ammunition to have it aimed at the employers head instead. Maybe telling the employer one would be returning to work under pressure from them and with a letter like that to give them might help in persuading the employer to change their mind??

Thriftwizard - sympathies re your mother. I do know about that one from first-hand experience. One of my parents has had pneumonia and they were dreadfully ill and wouldnt be alive now if it wasnt for the medics - and they are still cursing the medics for that actually and have made it very clear the medics arent to be allowed near them if it ever happens again. Their personal decision - which, obviously, I would expect to be abided by.

maryb

I went back because I was in no doubt I would be first in line in the next round of redundancies if I didn't. And making any sort of protest would have got me the worst of both worlds. Still under pressure and with a black mark against me for the future

This was about the time I really embraced frugality though it had to be a long term plan for escape - paying off the mortgage and saving enough for early retirement. But along the way I did manage to cut down to part time working which I would not have been able to if I hadn't learned frugality

Doveling

Think you might be overthinking things a bit there MITSTM

A "fit" note should cover the person but as Maryb says the culture in a given work environment can put a lot of pressure to continue working.

You only have to watch the adverts on TV for OTC medication which infer

"take our product and you will not have to miss work - then your boss will think you're marvellous"

to realise the current way of thinking in the workplace.

Utter carp but sadly true and puts pressure on the rest of us mere mortals to try and be superhuman.

moneyistooshorttomention

This was always my first and foremost thought for trying to manage my money well - ie to be less dependant on the whims of employers.

One example being I was able to turn down a job (deliberately fail the interview) that I could see included a health hazard one time I was unemployed - as I had enough savings to be able to hold out for a safer job.

Latterly, there was quite an extended period of time where I knew my employer would have loved to sack me if they could possibly find an excuse (though I was doing my job perfectly well!!) - but I knew they were after any excuse they could find. Sharpened my wits keeping one step ahead of them that did! But it did help me feel that little bit more secure having my finances as straight as I could get them and a very good knowledge of my employee rights - and I managed to get through my worklife with only one unfair dismissal (hence the reason I became so au fait with my work rights/employee law - determined never to have that happen again).

I really sympathise with those people in the workforce of today - with the way so many of them are lumbered with things like zero hours contracts. It was hard enough in my day - but, in this day and age - eek!

moneyistooshorttomention

Doveling

Know what you mean. Whatever happened to the idea of periods of convalescence after severe illness?

I was watching that recent tv mini-series with horrified fascination. The one in which they had several people compete in low-paid jobs. Can't recall the name of it. But they started with around 20 people and they gradually got whittled down after each new try-out session of a few hours at a different job (in factory, sorting recycling, etc). By the end of that series - I could spot clearly which ones remembered how work "used to be" and would be the first in line for sacking and I knew I would personally have been sacked from every single one of those jobs pretty quickly (as I was a good worker at the jobs I used to do - but would never have managed the pace at any of those jobs). I was watching each type of job and thinking "That one will probably give them trouble with their feet/knees/back/hands". "So would that one". As for the job sorting recycled rubbish "All the above comments - and wondering about other health hazards from the type of stuff they were encountering".

I couldnt begin to imagine keeping up that sort of pace when healthy - so trying to do so when unhealthy - eek!

[Deleted User]

A work colleague's grandchild was off school with the measles, and the parents received a letter, telling hem he child was "absent without permission".

The mother put the child in their uniform and took them to school.

The teacher took one look at the child and asked "What do you think you are doing, bringing your child to school, when they could infect the whole class?"

When shown the letter, the teacher said "Just ignore it".

Amazingly, a second, similar letter arrived, before the child was fit to return to school.

What waste of money, sending letters to families, who have been told, by the school, to keep the child away.

DigForVictory

Drattit! I had Mormons on the doorstep & clean forgot to ask their advice on prepping. I can put up with a bit of theology in exchange for first hand hints & tips from a culture that thinks you should have three months worth of food & drink on standby, as part of your religious obligations/ observances.

As for sick children & school? It isn't always the school's fault - they want pupils there, & a lot of parents "oblige" as they can't afford to be home with a sick child, whereas if school ring the office, it gives the parents a more acceptable reason to be off.
We live in a deeply strange society.

ariarnia

I've had a quick look and haven't seen this posted anywhere:

https://twitter.com/zgazda66/status/774993814025011200

It's been said Secretary Clinton 'felt a little unwell', but I have to agree with the 'collapse' definition - she's clearly being supported against a pillar at the start and then carried to the car/unable to walk.

Unfortunately, given the timing - the American's expecting to see a 'strong leader' on the anniversary of 9/11, I'd suggest that makes Trump the favourite.

There are a few things we regularly buy from America - might need to see if we can get the same things via Canada going forwards.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/09/11/hillary-clintons-health-just-became-a-real-issue-in-the-presidential-campaign/

thriftwizard

I thought that too - it was quite a lot worse than just a "stumble" getting into the car. That was no hot flush...