Un- shielding

ownedbystaffies, Hi there!

I am with you on that. Even if we don't have so many cases here in Australia, and none where i live, i will stay put. See i don't want to beat cancer and then die from the virus...it's Winter here now, so staying at home it's not so bad anyway!!

Pet

Hi ownedbystaffies

I think your question is well timed. I am wondering the same and I’m sure others are too. 

I’ve been kind of shielding. I had such a lot of hospital visits that it felt as though I was out and about quite a lot. I walked the dog, either at times when no one else was around or in places where there was no one else. But I’ve kept out of shops, pharmacies and places where I was likely to run into the general public. More recently I’ve had visitors to the garden. We’ve sat at an appropriate social distance. Usually they brought their own coffee or declined a drink. I have chatted with the neighbours on the street. Is this shielding? I’m not sure how well I followed the rules.

And I think now with chemo coming up I’m going to carry on in a similar kind of way. There is no point at which I won’t be vulnerable to this virus. So for me, nothing much changes. My priority will continue to be my physical health and keeping away from infections. I will also have an eye to my mental health and the need for fresh air and exercise and company. 

Where I suspect that easing in the shielding guidance might make a difference is in other people’s reactions to me. I’m already sensing my friends feel slightly easier about coming to see me, but doing so safely. And I think that’s a help. 

As to whether the government has it right or not, I couldn’t possibly comment.

I must admit I have been using my own common sense rather than blindly following the rules. I have driven the car to the park and sat on a bench in the sun whilst my husband walks the dogs. I went to the coast  twice and sat on a bench and ate fish and chips when it was less crowded. I keep up the 2m distancing, I don't go into shops of any kind. My family are brilliant and they scrub themselves down and keep away from people when they have been out doing the shopping. Sunlight destroys the virus so being outside doesn't worry me.

I won't be unshielding properly until they have a working vaccine which may be never. On the other hand life is full of risks and I intend to try to live life to the full within reason. Sitting inside four walls for the rest of my life would be unbearable. I fully intend to enjoy tea and cake, meals out and visits to national trust gardens when the weather permits me to sit outside. I can't control what others choose to do, just how me and my family behave.

I’m also shielding but I decided at the beginning that I would go for walks. Nothing in life is free of risk but sometimes you have to trust your own judgement. The new advice seems to suggest that the world is safer for us, but I don’t think that’s the case. I think they’ve realised that the earlier advice was too restrictive (as well as a desire to give ‘good news’ of course). 

Hi,

I have not been anywhere apart from many hospital appointments, & going for a local walk.  Things will not change much for me I will continue the same regime. It is expected that I will start chemo shortly, so I will have to be careful. We do not live close to family so will not be seeing them in the foreseeable future.

Take care & stay safe.xx

Hi all

Having a blood cancer, I have also been shielding. The only place I went to was the doctors' surgery for bloods taking for testing. I wasn't in the surgery, I was round the back in the staff car park. My appointment 3 days later was by telephone. Next appointment is in 8 weeks, I had my injections delivered by emergency car. 

I'm lucky in that I have my garden but I spend a LOT of time looking at it because of my back pain. It stops me from walking more than 10 metres then the pain is too much. I am taking a long time to make my beds in the plot. I also have acres of land all around me owned by my wife's family but still it's like house arrest. In Northern Ireland we have had been told that not everyone will be released from shielding, letters will be delivered to those who are currently shielding, detailing their new instructions. I didn't receive a shielding letter from the surgery 12 weeks ago and when I phoned them, I was told that my haemachromatosis didn't warrant a letter! I said what about my MDS? It became obvious that the staff member didn't know what MDS was, so I had to explain that it's a blood cancer which means that I should be shielding. Then she said that she could see MDS was written frequently in my notes.

So my shielding letter arrived a couple of days later. A week later I received 2 more shielding letters from the hospital, making 3 in total like Daloni. Honestly, you couldn't make it up! So I'm on tenterhooks here waiting for a letter and I don't fancy my chances.

We have had all our food delivered, mainly by Sainsburys because I contacted them myself to get on their extremely vulnerable list. Northern Ireland health service three weeks later still hadn't released their list to Sainsburys.

I also have my brother in law, my wife's brother, who gets us the occasional item. His current list is for compost (there's a surprise), white spirit and a pane of glass for my greenhouse. Essential items lol. 

Take care everyone and stay safe, especially shielders because you're so vulnerable still. I don't want to be silly and get the virus, when you hear accounts from people who have lost family members and weren't able to hold their hand or give them a kiss goodbye. So many tragic accounts and I don't want to add my family to the list or indeed neither do you, friends.

Tvman xx

It's certainly tricky. I have been out for short walks each day as I knew my mental health would be a challenge. I went out into town last night and felt ok. I wouldn't venture into a shop yet, but have wondered about a garden centre. This doesn't feel like living to me, but that's a very personal view. I want to see my mum and dad desperately. I feel very torn about the best course of action.

Xx

Yes it's hard. I went for my first walk last night, following my husband whilst he walked our dog. Any time I saw someone on their way towards me, 2metres, lol. I must have given them 5. Luckily I could count on one hand the number of people we encountered. Shielding & now out for a walk, scarey. I'm OK long as don't see anyone but that'll hopefully ease, it has to for us to come out the other side. Let's just hope we do & not necessarily too soon for us, baby steps. 

Hi Gang, I think these posts just show that most people are using their common sense when it comes to shielding! I think it will still be a while before I go into a shop etc and I'm not sure about when the Garden Centres are opening to customers but once they've been opened a week or two, I'm hoping they won't be as busy to go for a wander round. Now my husband says he doesn't see the point of going to a garden centre when the tea rooms are closed! Lol! I wonder can you tell who's not the gardener in the house! Our son, who is very protective said I've to look on the website, pick what I want and he will go and get it for me! I know he means well but where's the fun in that!

At the end of the day, it is up to each and every one of us to do what we think is best for our own wellbeing and mental health!  Yes baby steps are needed. One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind! (Now where have I heard that before!! Lol!),  If we weren't a bit apprehensive, we wouldn't be human!!

Dear anndanv and Gang,

I absolutely agree!! The fun is in the search while wondering around the garden centres. Finding new 

flower and plant treasures. That is the fun. One question, are the tea rooms near the garden centres?

Hugs to all,

Millie