Covid-19 Isolation Support Thread

Sayschezza

Please an someone more user savvy than me copy this link over to Wannabes thread as she has a vulnerable child. Thanks

C_J

Before people get too fired up, please be aware it relates to help for people who have one or more of quite a specific list of medical conditions.

(I was sent the link from my GP surgery as they had identified me as one of the very high risk group - when you register you have to give your NHS number and I assume your medical records are checked before you are added to the list. My 92 year old father in law who lives alone and isolated does not qualify, for example).

unrecordings

C_J said:

Before people get too fired up, please be aware it relates to help for people who have one or more of quite a specific list of medical conditions.

(I was sent the link from my GP surgery as they had identified me as one of the very high risk group - when you register you have to give your NHS number and I assume your medical records are checked before you are added to the list. My 92 year old father in law who lives alone and isolated does not qualify, for example).

And even then you might end up with a 'computer says no' response given that some of the questions & advice are contradictory. If I get further info will update, but as of a few minutes ago Sainsburys still doesn't recognise me - that said, for the whole process to take a mere week/10 days would be a miracle. Pity they can't get things moving quicker for Wales. For those in a state of panic in England, I'd say hold your nerve, this could be the light at the end of the tunnel

BooJewels

I think what they've managed to organise already is pretty damn astonishing.  As you say though, some of the wording is a little confusing and/or contradictory and has left us more than once trying to ascertain what they really mean.  I think the speed things have been done has, quite understandably, resulted in things being published without ensuring the total clarity of the wording, which perhaps ordinarily needs the luxury of time and several pairs of eyes checking things over.

I think, if we can hold out for a couple of weeks, things will fall more into place and we'll settle into a new routine.  I have food and necessities (I stockpiled loo roll long before it became fashionable and haven't bought any for over a month - necessary because he's been hopsitalised several times at short notice and I don't drive), but the fridge is pretty much empty now and I've no meat left in the freezer and I suppose I'm being picky, because I'd like my husband to eat good stuff whilst he's undergoing chemo.

I think we also both feel guilty, as we're sort of sitting here nice and safe, waiting for others to help us, where at any other times in our lives, we'd be the ones organising and offering help for others.

C_J

BooJewels said:

I think we also both feel guilty, as we're sort of sitting here nice and safe, waiting for others to help us, where at any other times in our lives, we'd be the ones organising and offering help for others.

Yes, exactly this. 

suki1964

Don't ever feel guilty for saying you need help and asking for it. At this time in your lives you need support, the support is out there ( somewhere ) so ask for it

For those who are struggling to get supermarket deliveries, look at the independents. For example look at fruit and veg distributers in your area, they would have been serving restaurants and take aways, and a lot of them are now offering door step deliveries. My own place of work which is really tiny, has made 500 deliveries this week, the bosses dad even roped into getting them out. Yes prices are a bit higher then supermarkets, but then they don't buy in the bulk supermarkets do, but the produce is fresher

Also look butchers, local spars - all ours are now delivering to the doorstep FOC. Have a look on facebook neighbour hood pages to find out who is delivering in your area, it is surprising what is out there. If you used a farmers market, look at their webpage to get contact information of who used to sell there, they will also have moved to home delivery to get their wares sold

Im very down in the dumps today. Im still working, mum is having to be shielded and Mr S decided the risk of working was too great so called it a day last week. Hes putting me under extreme pressure to pack it in. Part of me wants to, to be honest its scary having to be out there, but another part of me thinks Id end up killing someone at home if I was here 24/7

The other thing is my daughter has been advised by NHS111, that her symptoms are Covid-19. Although she has been really strict about not venturing out, she fell down the stairs last week hurting herself pretty badly and ended up attending the A+E. She is petrified and Im 75 miles away and cant visit or help. Her dad is getting more and more worked up, she is getting herself in a tizzy which is obviously not helping her symptoms which then makes her shorter of breath. Her own mum. is also 20 miles away and whilst the MIL is around the corner, she too is in isolation. My daughter needs a cuddle and someone to be there telling her its all ok, someone to keep the children amused and not scared and there's not one of us who can without endangering someone else in our own homes.  To say Im stressed to the hilt is a HUGE understatement 

Sorry - just needed to offload a bit there. Whilst we read the papers, scour the internet, watch the news, and hear how terrible everything is, and you know how awful it is, it just doesn't hit home properly until one of your own is affected. All my responses have been to shield my mum, never thought for one second our daughter would get it and how devastating it is not to be able to be with her promising it will all be ok

C_J

Oh Suki, my thoughts are with you and your family. This sounds really tough. Hang onto the fact that most younger people bounce back from this, so hopefully in a few days your daughter will be on the mend. FaceTime is great, but it’s no substitute for a cuddle, is it? When this is all over, I’ll be hugging my friends and family way more than I used to and not taking any one or any thing for granted. 

Best wishes to you all, stay strong.

greenbee

@suki1964 - if it helps, I know I found it quite hard getting my diagnosis, even though i’d been pretty sure what it was for some time, so part of it is probably the shock. If you can help her keep calm, remind her to take her temperature regularly keep her fluids up, take paracetamol if she’s been advised to (I rationed mine as I didn’t have much in the house so took them at night), and take vitamins if she has them as well as eating as well as she can, it should help.

it would also be a good idea for her to fill in the symptom tracker app - this was released a bit late for me but I find it helps me to be objective about my remaining symptoms. It was horrible to start with as I was away for work a the point when everyone was still pretending this was a Chinese problem, and 111 advice was changing daily. Like your daughter I haven’t been able to see my mum and just want a hug but have no idea when I’ll see her or get my hug. Both my mum and I live on our own, and she’s nearly 300 miles away, which adds to my worries as she’s shielding and I can’t go anywhere until my temperature is down and stays there.

PM me if you want to - I have no idea whe her it will help but I can tell you how my symptoms have developed... i’m now on day 29.

pineapple

unrecordings said:

Fantastic News. When I filled out the form last week I was very much of the opinion that I didn't want or need food parcels, just access to delivery slots. Either way this sounds most welcome for us as Mrs Un doesn't have to agonise over going out for fruit & veg. Anything not required is going to a local foodbank, I'm wondering if this was the idea ? 

The other benefit of this is that it will help cut down my reliance on friends/neighbours, who are already trying to keep their shopping expeditions to an in/out minimum. The last thing they need is a big shopping list from me!

BooJewels

@suki1964 Thanks to your comments about finding a local shop or suppliers, I did rummage through facebook and found exactly what you've said about - a fresh fruit and a meat supplier delivering locally, both who normally supply restaurants.  So I'll use them in a couple of weeks - I've finally managed to get my Asda order updated and I'm hoping it will last for 2 weeks, so I can free a delivery slot for someone else.  

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter - fingers crossed that her symptoms will be modest and she'll settle into dealing with it and therefore will feel calmer as the days pass.  My son's best friend is on about day 10 now and starting to improve, so my worry about him and my son having got it from him is passing too.  Understandably, knowing that you have it initially, must be very frightening.  Funnily enough I fell full length a couple of weeks ago before lock downs and Shielding and all I could think going through the air was 'don't do enough damage to need A&E' and my sister appeared as I was lying there and said "if you need A&E I'm sending you there on your own in a taxi".  Thankfully the only damage was a bruised knee and thumb and a squashed loaf and smashed crisps in the food bag I landed on.