New infections - 100000 per day?

nanna8

I still don’t get how you can hire 30 odd people when you are on a pension. Doesn’t make sense. Slave labour or what ?Most people here can barely survive on a pension. A few contradictions in your posts. Are you a troll?

Please stop making these ridiculous unfounded and positively nasty accusations. I explained earlier in the thread that throughout my working life I managed to save each month. I earned at the end of my career 5 years ago approx £1700 per month. I obviously started on a great deal less 15 years before. Out of this I put in an ISA £500 per month and lived on the rest. I often worked additional days for the organisation at weekends and was able to squirrel away more. So when I retired I had saved over £100,000. What is so difficult about understanding the idea of long term saving and spending it on something important.

I currently receive a full state pension and a very small work pension and I still manage to save. Yes I have been lucky that when I have had a small mortgage I have been able to pay this off early through a small inheritance. But many of our age are fortunate to be in this position.

Please stop making unpleasant judgements about me. Luckily I am reasonably thick skinned and it passes me by. I think MayBee70 is correct when she says that I was able to disassociate myself emotionally from the horrors that I heard and expernced in my workplace from clients and in the courts. Levels of unimaginable domestic and other violence, child pornography, murder, drug related violence and kidnappings just to name a few of the areas. You develop a thick skin and a dark sense of humour. So no I’m not a troll…….neither am I prepared to discuss any further my children or my marriage. Though my first husband has recently written a book, semi autobiographical, which I feature in one chapter. Thankfully it’s not a best seller and names have been changed.!

Thank you Callistemon.

The problem as I see it is that people can’t help the conditions they have inherited, or that they discover they have. My family appear to have a depression/anxiety gene, if the number of people in the family who suffer from one or the other, or both, are anything to go by. It’s not physical, no one can see it, but it’s there. At the moment I’m struggling myself with depression. After being hospitalised with serious Covid in January, having the responsibility of my elderly mother who has fallen three times in the last six months and who has been hospitalised three times, plus the general responsibility of her care and seeing to her affairs, and lastly my beloved daughter emigrated with her her family to New Zealand two months ago, all this has brought on a major depression which I am currently struggling with. I was diagnosed with depression brought on by the menopause some years ago, but I recovered and returned to work. So long as I took the medication I was happy and normal, but the events of the last six months made me wobble, and then become very depressed. I’ve increased the dose of my medication which has improved things, but I’ve got a telephone appointment in a week to discuss with my GP for the best way forward. Maybe maintain the increased dose or change medication, I’ll see what she recommends.

I haven’t made myself ill. I eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. I try to go out each day. This all helps my mood, but I no more deserve the depression anymore than Marydoll and Gran16 deserve, or brought upon themselves, their illnesses. My husband is rarely ill, he even had Covid very mildly, whilst I was very ill with it. Good genes that result in excellent health are a gift that should be appreciated. People who have these good genes are extremely lucky. Not everyone is so lucky as shown by the posters on this thread.

But you also, on another thread, said that your way of tackling viruses was to exercise vigorously. Which, imo was a dangerous thing to say during a pandemic in which the virus often affects the heart. I do think you had a very unhappy childhood and the lack of love from your parents has greatly affected you. I also think you did your job incredibly well because you were able to switch off emotionally. That isn’t a criticism: sometimes work of that kind will grind someone down and, much as they want to help people they have to leave to protect themselves. I’m trying to understand how you could have left your children. I was in a very lonely marriage but could never have left my children. It had been happy but my husband changed when we had our children. I’ve always kept myself fit and ate reasonably healthily (even more so when the pandemic started as I wanted to lose weight and eat a more vegetarian based diet) but my arthritis has suddenly flared up badly and walking has become painful. It’s very difficult to exercise and maintain a good weight when, through no fault of your own, you’re in pain. Please just have more sympathy for those of us that do not feel we can shrug off the virus if we catch it.

I still don’t get how you can hire 30 odd people when you are on a pension. Doesn’t make sense. Slave labour or what ?Most people here can barely survive on a pension. A few contradictions in your posts. Are you a troll?

Callistemon, thank you for distilling the nub of the discussion so succinctly. You are correct. Yes I am unbelievably lucky that I appear to have inherited excellent good health genes and I am thankful for this every morning when I wake up. One day I won’t be able to do the things that I can now and I never want to regret not doing all that I can whilst I am able. I have enormous empathy with anyone who suffers from an illness of any kind and I go out of the way to support the friends of mine who are not as healthy as me.
There are some things that many of us can do to improve our own health and I believe that it is the responsibility of each of us to do this if possible. An example. My eldest daughter was diagnosed with PCOS in her early 20’s and told that it was unlikely that she would be able to have children. Also that she was likely to gain a lot of weight and have an excess hair problem. She researched the condition, and whilst working full time studied for and gained a qualification in sports nutrition. She upped her exercise routine, started running marathons, changed her diet and because she was in Hong Kong at the time tried some traditional Chinese medicine. She now has 2 children, maintains a healthy lifestyle and has never had any problems in this area.
So what I am saying is that lifestyle and health are linked for me.

I am sad to hear of the illnesses of other posters and admire their lack of self-pity and determination to carry on. I’m sorry you have to work Gran16 and hope you’re able to keep safe.

Miss Chatelaine, your explanations about your reasons for leaving your small children smack of nothing but self-interest. I’m fully aware of what was expected of married women back in the 70s and 80s and have first hand experience of a miserable marriage entered in 1970, which I remained in for 23 years. How silly of me, you will say, but I’d made my bed as they say and was brought up to honour my obligations. How very quaint. Having children immediately was no longer expected in those days and you had a choice in the matter; I was 15 years into my first marriage before I actually wanted a child. I was then lucky to have my wonderful son in 1985 who is and was from the day he was born the centre of my universe. When you left your children to get yourself a university education they were of school age and you certainly didn’t have to sit at home ‘knitting apple pies’ as you so disparagingly say.
I have already said I have had asthma since I was a toddler. I also developed epilepsy at 17 and had severe post-natal depression which has resulted in my taking anti-depressants to this day; I’m not addicted to them but it turns out that I need them. None of these conditions were self-inflicted unless you say that I could have avoided the last one by being childless. The first two place me in the vulnerable category so far as Covid is concerned - why so with epilepsy I have no idea. Others on here have far more serious conditions and I agree that you have shown no genuine empathy towards them which is surprising for someone for whose choice of career it would have surely have been a vital quality. Or were those you interacted with mainly druggies which you could understand? It seems to me that if you haven’t experienced something you cannot understand it or empathise with it.

You appear to have an obsession with obesity, which I can understand if you were (and maybe still are?) anorexic yet you say your wife is obese, through her own fault. It’s my belief this is a genuine problem you have but I echo the words of others that obesity is suffered by many in deprived areas who have little money, little education, have no idea how to eat healthily on their budgets because no-one has shown them, no access to a gym, have become too unwell to go for long walks in their miserable surroundings and thus sit in front of the telly comfort eating and perhaps smoking and drinking if the budget stretches to it by way of escapism. We can see how things might be different for them but they surely need sympathy and understanding and efforts to prevent this happening through the generations. I’m sure they would have preferred different lifestyles if they’d known how to have them.

It was Gran16 who said it, maddyone but I thought it was worth repeating.

Some for you too ???

That’s very kind Callistemon, and I’ll add Gran16 Marydoll and Callistemon for your kindness

Be kind always .. you never know what others are dealing with .. it's not always obvious either!!

Gran16 that is so true
And some for Marydoll too

And anyone else who needs some

But as someone earlier said “walk a mile in my shoes”

And that is a good point, MissChateline. You are expecting some empathy and understanding from other Gransnetters but seemingly have none to give to others who may, through no fault of their own, be ill or coping with conditions which would make your kind of lifestyle impossible.
Telling people you've never had a day's illness because of your lifestyle is plain wrong so let's turn it on its head. You can enjoy your lifestyle yomping 10 miles a day perhaps because you have no inherited condition or disability.

It wouldn't necessarily stop you catching Covid either - it seems to be indiscriminate.

That's really interesting Marydoll, please look after yourself x

Jane, I am a carrier of a certain defective gene and my consultant has said this is one of the reasons for my COPD. Years ago it was assumed that if you were a carrier, it wouldn't affect you. Now research shows this is not the case, especially in my son's case. Still lots of research to be done.

Marydoll, Do you have cystic fibrosis or are you a carrier? I have heard of so many people being diagnosed later in life with CF now. My friends daughter in law has been diagnosed in her 40s and up until recently has been really well

You've all seen the people celebrating the football and the big demonstrations in london, most people aren't frightened of things opening up! They can't wait!

Whoops, really should edit…….the breastfeeding comment was about not being able to breastfeed my second daughter from the start having successfully fed my first daughter myself.

Ah well……maybe I should learn how to knit my own apple pies and become a proper grandmother.
This is the first time I have ever started to discuss my awful experiences as a mother in the 70’s and early 80’s . The total lack of support then . For example I breastfed my first daughter successfully for 12 months but was unable to for reasons that became clear years later and no fault of my own. The NCT councillors and health visitors made me feel like a total failure as a mother from the beginning. Making the decision to leave my children was not a selfish act, but quite the opposite.
In all honest would you stay in a loveless marriage for ever? Would you take your children to a life where you had nothing or would you let them stay with their father where they had stability and a roof over their head and a chance in life.
I have not disclosed these very painful experiences as a “wind up or a game” but as a point of reference for where I am coming from in some of my comments. If you wish to dismiss them as such then fine. But as someone earlier said “walk a mile in my shoes”

There are certain contributors on here that enjoy winding folk up. My ADVICE is to IGNORE their posts. Once you understand what their game is, you can stop getting sucked in.

“Slick” ….not sure where that came from!

Suesysue….unbelievable….. don't believe working with the homeless, drug addicts and down and outs bears any reality to what you actually made your money from. To do this type of social work, you have to be a selfless, empathic, socially aware, caring person with a really big heart..
How on earth could you justify writing this. I’m not going to put in print what my actual role was for the last 15 years of my working life because it’s is a bit identifiable. But may I assure you that I was an exceptionally good hostel worker for many years then and went on to a more professional role which required a great deal of slick and empathy. Curiously I was often allocated some of the more difficult clients because I had a reputation of being good at my job (which required vast amounts of understanding, empathy and association skills) and achieving results. I am more than happy to send you a PM with proof should you doubt my honesty. What would satisfy you? Possibly urn out was responsible for my decision to retire early .

Why did I have children? Because I was naive, so lacking in confidence after a very damaging boarding school education and lack of any parental love or care. It was expected that after you got married the next thing was that children arrived and I went along with this without questioning it. When I finally found my voice and confidence I made very difficult choices.

Maybe the ones lacking in empathy are those who can not even begin to understand a life other than their own and those who are so quick to judge and write under anonymous names about things that they probably have no idea of.

Marydoll

It will need to be a virtual one Maybee. ? I haven't been allowed to hug my granddaughter in over a year. She was shielding too, and I would die for a hug!
There are people with worse to bear than me, so please don't feel sorry for me.

Gran16 is absolutely correct, the vaccine is not as efficacious for those like us, who are immunosuppressed and we need to be extra vigilant.

In fact, Gran16 also deserves a virtual hug too. I am lucky, I don't have to go to work, I don't know what I would have done, if I had still been teaching.
From me to you, Gran16. ?

I’m not feeling sorry foryou Marydoll: just admiring you more than anything….

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

It will need to be a virtual one Maybee. ? I haven't been allowed to hug my granddaughter in over a year. She was shielding too, and I would die for a hug!
There are people with worse to bear than me, so please don't feel sorry for me.

Gran16 is absolutely correct, the vaccine is not as efficacious for those like us, who are immunosuppressed and we need to be extra vigilant.

In fact, Gran16 also deserves a virtual hug too. I am lucky, I don't have to go to work, I don't know what I would have done, if I had still been teaching.
From me to you, Gran16. ?

Marydoll

Thank you for your kind response.

A few years ago, I suffered an allergic reaction to new medication and was rushed to hospital. Tests revealed that I had also had a heart attack. I had absolutely no idea that I had a heart condition.
Every scan showed I had healthy arteries, no leaky valves, low cholestorol and heart working normally. It was a complete mystery.
The conclusion was that diet and life style were not the cause and it was certainly not self inflicted. ( I have to admit to being pretty mad at the unfairness of it all) I was advised that there was no need for me to see a dietition or attend the cardiac rehabilitation gym classes, as I was already following a healthy lifestyle.

The cause could not be found. However, after six months of lengthy and some pretty invasive investigations, it was discovered that my RA had basically attacked my heart and caused irreversible damage, deep inside it. My heart is failing and there is absolutely nothing that can be done.

So you see, here is someone one, who tried to be responsible for her own health, but to no avail. Good living was all for nothing.
On top of this, I have chronic lung disease for over forty years, never smoked in my life, but it came out of the blue put me in ICU for six weeks, just after my wedding. The trigger was never found. I had never been ill up until then.

On reflection, I wish I had lived the good life, smoked, drank, took drugs at university, lay in front of the television, eating rubbish. It would not have made the slightest bit of difference to my health, but at least I would have had some great fun!
I took responsibilty for my own health, just like you have suggested, but actually, presently I feel it was a total waste of time. Some of us just have no luck in the lottery of life.

As for being required to shield, there is good reason for doing so. You don't just die quietly. Dying from Covid is horrific. One of my consultants explained what would happen to me, literally putting the fear of death in me. . Also he also informed me that if if caught Covid, there would be no point in admitting me to hospital, it would be a complete waste of resources, as I certainly wouldn't survive.

You are indeed very fortunate with your good genes, however, I think you are actually either very insensitive or just plain naive. There must be others like me on GN, who have read your posts and thought: Walk in my shoes for just a day.

I am certainly not sorry for myself and glad I did shield, wear a mask and do all that was asked of me. It was hellish, but I am a strong person and with the support of my family and friends, survived it.

I was only in Coronary Care for one night after my second heart attack in January, it was too risky for me to be there, so I was sent home. I saw frightened and worn out staff, on their knees, because people were dying in their care. Many of those patients, thought it wouldn't happen to them! That is why I was horrified to read of tradesmen working maskless in your home, during the pandemic. I'm surprised that was allowed.
The district nurse wasn't able to come into my home, due to the high risk for me, so I missed umpteen important blood tests.

If I hadn't done what I was asked to do, I think it is highly unlikely that I would be here, writing this.
I am not a fool, who blindly bows to the Government's demands, I am someone, who is well read and have a thirst for knowledge and I have made sure that I am up to date with all the latest developments.

I have to say, I wasn't shocked at your views, just saddened at your lack of empathy.

Can I give you a huge virtual hug Marydoll x

Miss Chateline ..
You say "people are responsible for their own poor health" which is a sweeping and very unfair statement.

6 years ago I was diagnosed with the extremely rare auto immune illness 'pemphigus vulgaris'. 3 in 100,000 people are diagnosed, and pre-steroids 95% of those diagnosed would die within the first year of diagnosis.

I am on drugs given to organ transplant patients, plus steroids, to try to control this incurable illness, so being severely immuno compromised I am extremely high risk and vulnerable.

Unfortunately I cannot afford to hide away at home to protect myself and have to work full-time (not possible to work from home either, but have a good boss who does all he can to keep me safe).

I am doubly vaccinated against Covid but with my immune system illness the vaccine has a lower efficacy for me (I was told this by the nurse who gave me the vaccine, and my consultants) so I need to be extra careful because of that too.

I will continue to do all I can to keep myself safe including wearing a mask which I do not enjoy.

Maybe you should put yourself in the shoes of those less fortunate than yourself before making sweeping statements that come across as uncaring and yes the "sod you I'm alright Jack" attitude.

Be kind always .. you never know what others are dealing with .. it's not always obvious either!!