The Nice People Thread, No.16: A Universe of Niceness.

SingleSue

Youngest obviously has to have the flu jab as him not having it and catching flu would kill him, especially bearing in mind a mild cold has had him in intensive care more times than I want to remember.

He's been advised to carry anti bac lotion everywhere and to regularly apply it, more so in these first few weeks at uni when all the weird bugs and germs will converge.

Pyxis

Conrad wrote: »

I learned a few years back that tear ducts are the main entry point with no defences unlike mouths and noses. I stopped touching my eyes when out of the house, it's harder than you might imagine, but since then I swear I've contracted fewer colds.

Observe how often people touch and rub thier eyes, it's quite something.

That's interesting.

I touch my eyes an awful lot. It started in the days when I wore contacts, and was always fiddling with my eyes or eyelashes, to prevent things getting under my lenses.
Nowi it's more of a habit than anything.

I'll try and make more of an effort not to.

SingleSue wrote: »

Youngest obviously has to have the flu jab as him not having it and catching flu would kill him, especially bearing in mind a mild cold has had him in intensive care more times than I want to remember.

He's been advised to carry anti bac lotion everywhere and to regularly apply it, more so in these first few weeks at uni when all the weird bugs and germs will converge.

Sue, I recommend Boots antiviral foam. As cold and flu are transmitted by viruses, antibacterial gel is useless against them.

As far as I know, the Boots foam is the only one that kills bacteria and viruses. It's not cheap, but worth it. There are two sizes, a large one, and a small size for carting around.

I discovered that when the small one is empty, you can easily remove the spray top of both sizes, and refill the small one from the large one, making it a bit more economic.




Sue, does he have a 'buddy' or similar, to help him get to lectures until he finds his feet?

seven-day-weekend

Myself and my husband had the flu jabs yesterday from the Dr, free because we are 'that age' .

I knew it doesn't protect against all strains of flu, but if it protects against some, including the most recent ones, that's fine by me.

LydiaJ

michaels wrote: »

The kids are not hugely academic and the household is not very intellectual so I am not sure it is worth the effort of trying to get them to succeed academically, the amount of work required and the amount of unhappiness that will result just does not seem worth it.

Well, there's "succeed" as in "submit to the will of a tiger parent and so eventually get into a top university to spend 3-4 years feeling miserable doing a highbrow subject they're not interested in" and there's "succeed" as in "leave school feeling they gave it their best shot and have nothing to regret and go on to a course/career that they have reason to believe they will enjoy". Conscientiously completing homework is useful for the second of those, and shouldn't cause too much misery.

michaels wrote: »

Flu jab?

I think our DS gets one because of his age but none of the rest of us qualify but I see that you can buy them in Asda for a fiver. Now to me this seems like a no brainer, even if it only protects against a 1 in 20 chance of having a day or too off work and 3 or 4 days feeling miserable surely £5 is well worth it - but given it is so cheap why don't all companies (and may be all schools) pay to have it for their staff by default? Do any NP who don't qualify pay to have it done?

My work (an independent school with boarders who go off all round the world during school holidays collecting viruses to bring them back to the UK) provides it free for all staff. I always take them up on that.

ivyleaf wrote: »

Lydia Just wanted to tell you our grandson is very happy at his new school so far, and has been put in the top set for maths

Excellent news.

SingleSue wrote: »

He didn't want me to leave.

He struggled last night after we left (I had a friend drive us up and back), so consequently, there were lots of phone calls and he hid himself away in his room all night.

Today I had to navigate him around the supermarket via phone as of course, their Morrisons is set out differently to our Morrisons and he had a little freak out about it.

Hope things get better for him soon. Sending thoughts and hugs and prayers - for you as well as for him!

Once he's settled and not needing you on the phone too much, what do you plan to do with all the time that's on your hands now?

PasturesNew

michaels wrote: »

Flu jab?

It has never crossed my mind, ever, to have a flu jab... nor have I ever been offered one or presented with the suggestion or a leaflet.

I have never had flu.

SingleSue

Pyxis wrote: »

That's interesting.

I touch my eyes an awful lot. It started in the days when I wore contacts, and was always fiddling with my eyes or eyelashes, to prevent things getting under my lenses.
Nowi it's more of a habit than anything.

I'll try and make more of an effort not to.

Sue, I recommend Boots antiviral foam. As cold and flu are transmitted by viruses, antibacterial gel is useless against them.

As far as I know, the Boots foam is the only one that kills bacteria and viruses. It's not cheap, but worth it. There are two sizes, a large one, and a small size for carting around.

I discovered that when the small one is empty, you can easily remove the spray top of both sizes, and refill the small one from the large one, making it a bit more economic.




Sue, does he have a 'buddy' or similar, to help him get to lectures until he finds his feet?

I'll have to suggest that one to him, thanks.

No buddy as yet as lectures haven't started as yet but hopefully something should be in place for when lectures start (he's had his DSA approved and learning support plan done and it is just a case of things being put into place now)

SingleSue

LydiaJ wrote: »

Well, there's "succeed" as in "submit to the will of a tiger parent and so eventually get into a top university to spend 3-4 years feeling miserable doing a highbrow subject they're not interested in" and there's "succeed" as in "leave school feeling they gave it their best shot and have nothing to regret and go on to a course/career that they have reason to believe they will enjoy". Conscientiously completing homework is useful for the second of those, and shouldn't cause too much misery.



My work (an independent school with boarders who go off all round the world during school holidays collecting viruses to bring them back to the UK) provides it free for all staff. I always take them up on that.



Excellent news.



Hope things get better for him soon. Sending thoughts and hugs and prayers - for you as well as for him!

Once he's settled and not needing you on the phone too much, what do you plan to do with all the time that's on your hands now?

Find a job I can do, not that I have been lazy in that respect but it seems that no-one really wants to take on a wheelchair/crutch using has been as things go fine until interview and then you get that look of shock as soon as you walk in the door (despite declaring a disability).

Pyxis

SingleSue wrote: »

I'll have to suggest that one to him, thanks.

No buddy as yet as lectures haven't started as yet but hopefully something should be in place for when lectures start (he's had his DSA approved and learning support plan done and it is just a case of things being put into place now)

I've just ordered myself some of the large ones online from Boots, as I have some of the empty small ones I can decant into.

The large one is 200ml and is currently £5.19 online, but they do the three for two thing. (I've got a feeling I paid a lot more than that in Boots store a while back, so that seems like good value).
The bag-sized one is 50ml and is ££3.19, and also on the 3 for 2.

(NB. look out for the expiry date...... a lot of the ordinary anti-bacterial gels don't seem to have an expiry date, but this anti-viral one does. If used regularly, it should be used up well before the expiry date......... I keep an eye on the date only because I keep two in my holiday suitcase).

Pyxis

GDB2222 wrote: »

Weird people at Amazon. I noticed something I recently bought has gone down £2 and asked for the difference back. I got an email saying they can't do that, but giving me £5 as a goodwill gesture. I only asked for £2, so why give me £5? Weird, weird, weird!

i have to get up in a few hours, go to the airport, fly to Europe, have a one hour meeting, go back to the airport, fly home. I suppose the personal touch is better than Skype, but this is bloody stupid if you ask me.

Gosh, that's two very weird things!
Sounds like someone at Amazon was on auto pilot without actually looking at what you were saying!

Does seem crazy to spend hours travelling just for a one-hour meeting! Not to mention the carbon footprint!
Is Skype still all jerky and a bit indistinct? I've never used it.

PasturesNew wrote: »

It has never crossed my mind, ever, to have a flu jab... nor have I ever been offered one or presented with the suggestion or a leaflet.

I have never had flu.

Well, as you don't have a condition warranting one you wouldn't be offered one.
Don't know how old you are, Pastures, but over a certain age you'll be offered one automatically by your GP........... but I think you once said you weren't registered with a GP? Sorry if that's wrong.
Otherwise, Pharmacies offer them.

They are always 'advertised' on the counterfoil of repeat prescriptions, but as you're never ill, you won't have seen that!

I actually get a letter offering me one each year.

One thing I found out recently was that GP surgeries get paid for each flu jab they do, and they are facing stiff competition from pharmacies. Because GP surgeries are businesses, they need all the revenue they can get, else, more will close down.

My surgery is quite small, but very beautiful, , so I won't have any health checks done at pharmacies, as I don't want to lose my surgery.

I was once being badgered at the pharmacy I get my repeat prescriptions from, to have a health check and medications review thing done, and I wouldn't but kept getting badgered, which I thought was rather unprofessional.

If the pharmacy gets paid for doing these routine things, it's revenue that the surgery misses out on, and that's another nail in the coffin for GP surgeries.

silvercar

GDB2222 wrote: »

i have to get up in a few hours, go to the airport, fly to Europe, have a one hour meeting, go back to the airport, fly home. I suppose the personal touch is better than Skype, but this is bloody stupid if you ask me.

OH does that regularly. Interspersed with go-to-meetings that is a video conference call thingy. In fact the jet lag induced early wake up from last week's trip to Sydney meant getting up early yesterday for a Europe flight was less painful.

One tip would be to arrange lounge access (If no airline status or bank account freebie then buy it through priority pass or similar). It isn't just the food and drink in the lounge, but a quite place to sit away from the noise and milling people that makes a difference.