Prosperous soul in the making

savingholmes

Thanks DIA. Sister's family appear to be recovering. DS is feeling a lot better today - he has found some medicine so taking that. We finish self-isolating after tonight. MRI tomorrow - considering whether to pay private for consultant appointment to try and get another batch of testing if needed ahead of nhs shut-down of non-emergency cases (I couldn't find private places that did the second lot of testing I potentially need). Just taking things a day at a time while keeping an eye on any potential 'lockdowns' to make sure we can get DS. If no lockdowns earlier - will get DS on Sunday after we've seen MIL. 

Moneywise - we are on a tracker rate so our interest rate is going to drop -hopefully from 1/4/20 to 1.05% so we will be another £19.5 or so better off on top of the £60 from the previous rate cut. Waiting for bank to confirm - last time they sent me a text and possibly an email. 

savingholmes

Just spoke to MIL who is doing fine. Will see her on Mother's day - and she is happy with the present I bought for her in the sales before all this kerfuffle so no more to spend there. DH just said mother's day wasn't even on his radar. It's alright - I bought myself a card and pressie a wee ago LOL. Best ask the m00np1g to sort my mum's card!

MovingForwards

Good luck tomorrow and do make enquiries to see what else you can get pushed through.

Do you have something to celebrate your isolation ending?

Glad to hear everyone is starting to feel better, it's one less worry for you.

I saw the rate had dropped again. 

Is mother's Day this Sunday? Yikes, thanks for the heads up!

savingholmes

Thanks MF. Celebrating we are alive - and trying to connect more with others.

Today I was awake from 5am and couldn't get back to sleep. A friend of the wider family had someone without underlying conditions die of the coronavirus the same day they developed symptoms. I went on FB today and learned of various of our friends fighting the illness - - including a multi-generational family of 7 - where each had passed it on with a touch or a hug! How do you care for kids and comfort them while protecting yourself? She thinks they will all recover - but it includes someone with underlying conditions. I think when we do see MIL and BIL I will be tempted to say no touching! We then don't expect to see them for months (to be clear).

My dad has an underlying condition as does one of my sisters - so we don't expect to catch up with them at Easter like we normally would. I splashed out on flowers, chocs and a card for my mum - using a 30% off voucher I got with some flowers last week. DH is type 2 diabetic - and his prescription wasn't done by today as it should have been - so he has now gone a day without meds as we couldn't go before as we were self isolating. When I got to his chemist today it was shut for the first 1.5 hours - apparently they have been doing 12 hour shifts and had a lot of staff absences. I went back 10 minutes before it opened and there was already a 30-40 person queue. At the same time DD wanted to be picked up - so I sent DH to the queue by which time it had swelled by another 20 people. He went back after my MRI and still couldn't get his meds - they closed up early saying they were exhausted! And this is before the virus gets in full swing. We are expecting to have very limited social contact during this period - but may encourage the kids to get jobs at the local C00p or similar. They need to get out and have some structure (as well as money). DD already charged me an extra £20 because she had to order online and couldn't go to primarni.

My MRI went fine at the private hospital - they agreed to invoice my medical cashback provider. I got a disc - and DH drove me to the hospital so I could get them to scan it in. The private hospital have already written my report  and said my GP should have it Tuesday but that I would have to get a copy from them! The NHS agreed to scan it in straightaway and send it my consultant. Outpatients was empty as was x-ray unlike when we were there 10 days ago when it was heaving! I assume they've put new rules in that I didn't stop to read - oops! 

Today I went to C00p who had some of the things I'd been unable to buy online. Mr A's came tonight - they delivered a lot - but I was short of £30 of stuff and another £30 of stuff roughly had been substituted. Still couldn't get toilet rolls or tissues. We haven't run out yet - but could get dicey in a week or so. I have ordered some from Am**** but the date keeps changing! - It was 3-5 April but tonight is showing as 8-20/4.

In better news DH got paid today. We had opened a New account with N for the breakdown insurance etc so I moved some money into that. I withdrew £9+ from £co this week. Tonight I just got a message saying £75 also confirmed from last year - so I will work out how best to withdraw that too.

Somehow we need to sort the bombsite of our house before MIL comes Sunday and before DS arrives! Challenging. Sadly our cleaner has primary school age kids and doesn't think she will be able to keep working. She is looking into options. From a safety point of view it would theoretically be good as we would have better social distancing - but we really struggle with cleaning and tidying type maintenance activities. 

How are you all coping?

MovingForwards

That's one heck of an update SH!

I'm so sorry to hear about the wider friends and family, sending positive thoughts.

It's always been said about touching, hence the drive to wash hands all the time. You can try and offer words of comfort, which goes against natural instinct. Personally, I would say no hugs / hand touching when you see family.
--Is everyone set up on WhatsApp / messenger / Skype etc? If not, sort it out whilst with them so you can do video calls.

I've heard the queues for places are rediculous at times, also the steps they are taking with one in one out. Just need to keep trying and maybe call them to explain the urgency.

DD needs her own business, the way she extracts money from you! Several of my friends on the spectrum have and do really well from it as they have found the right line of work.

Glad to hear the MRI has been done and everything is moving in the right direction, hopefully soon you will have your answers and can undergo the appropriate treatment.

If you have any local independent shops, see what they have. It will cost more, but hopefully you can pick up what you need.

Would your cleaner / you be comfortable if she came with her kids to do your home? She must be petrified about losing her income. Depending on their ages, they could play in the garden.

doingitanyway

I know how much you value your cleaner so sorry to hear you won't have her for a bit.
Good to know the MRI is complete. They are horrible but essential.
I hope you have a few nice treats planned for the weekend.

savingholmes

Hi MF ad DIA
Well today DH still couldn't get meds from the pharmacy attached to the doctors- so we went to Mr A and asked for an emergency supply. They directed us to 111 - who they said could send a prescription to them and they would then be able to issue. It took almost an hour to get through - but now we are home with a week's supply. While we were there we filled a trolley - and managed to get milk, eggs, butter and even a few boxes of tissue and a pack of kitchen roll an a load of food. I looked at Mr A's refund from last night and it was £46 rather than £30 they didn't deliver. 

• I keep speaking to my DS - but have had to tell him that he will need to stay at uni a bit longer so I can go to my assessment on Tuesday with a clear conscience. Just hoping he stays okay.
• My sister's family is still ill but they seem to be okay.
• My parents are completely self isolating to avoid getting something. My poor dad worked in the front garden for hours yesterday - 3m from the road but got no conversation as no-one on their estate was out walking which was unheard of. I spoke to him for half an hour today.
• My MIL is now using FB to message me - so I have started sending her photos of the wider family and internet memes to cheer her up. I think she is also lonely. She normally goes out all the time. 
• I've asked my family to photo their addresses and send them me so my phone automatically stores them as I am useless at finding stuff

How is everyone else doing?
We need to majorly clear up our house ready for MIL coming... 

MovingForwards

A weeks supply is a start, hopefully you can have time to get a bit more and DH is ok due to missing some.

That's a fair bit of stuff not delivered. Hopefully you can find your missing items elsewhere. 

DD will be fine, he's probably just counting down the time til he is at home. It's good your parents / ILs are following guidelines and using alternative ways of seeing you.

Do a bit, have a break, do a bit more, see if DD will work her magic. It will all come together.

Drawingaline

I worked in pharmacy until two years ago. Pretty glad I am not at the moment! I still have friends who do though, and use them for all scripts. It's a pharmacy who were next to a surgery but the surgery shut so they are quite a bit quieter now. No trouble getting Paracetamol from them. Sometimes the smaller pharmacies not attached to a surgery are better as quieter, but then the ones next to the surgeries tend to have a direct line to the doctors so neither is better than the other at everything!

Glad you got your MRI done. I had a consultant's appointment on Monday. In and out in under 5mins,waiting room was bare!!! 

savingholmes

DH is moving his pharmacy collection service to MrA - need to move DD's too but don't know if we can with her being 16?
Paid DD £12 to help with tidying up - and gave her £3 of chocolate! She has made our front room look respectable and helped clear some of my painting paraphenalia upstairs (and off the kitchen table and its surrounds!). I've packed and unpacked the dishwasher. We ate leftovers from yesterday's brined chicken meal with roasties. I also managed to get bread yesterday - so had a ham and tomato and salad cream sandwich. DH says he will sort the rest out tomorrow. Still need to peel spuds too. We are having roast lamb - with roast potatoes and lots of veg. I got some mash and carrot and swede crush from MS a couple of weeks ago. We have raspberry trifle or chocolate trifle for desert and have a good selection of fruit. Feel blessed by that. We just managed to walk the dog around the block. Beautiful daffodils out. 

I've sent my little niece and nephews some treats via Am**** hopefully it will bring a smile to their faces when they find they have a parcel!