I’m still waiting to see a photo of Marly. Do you need more help to post a photo? Just let me know if you do.
That’s so nice of you. Went a bit manic in the garden yesterday and didn’t get round to it . Will have a go tomorrow x
Morning Al, or is it afternoon by now? Has taken a while to get organised today. Sorry to bother you again but I can’t find your last message with those instructions, do they disappear into the ether once read??! Please could you tell me again and I’ll try to post a photo. Thank you x
Just returned home after being out all day. If you click on your name letter at the top right of the screen you will see an envelope icon on the right hand side. Click this and you should be able to find my message. If this doesn’t work for you I will PM again with the procedure for posting a photo. Good luck!
Hi Meebee, hope you’re ok and I hope you’ve managed to sort out whatever the “long story” was… Keep going x Survived another week. Had some lovely patients and just about managed to control my emotions. Some patients were very sick and very afraid but I managed to do it… Have some annual leave at the end of Sept - no plans - but it’s a break. Look after yourself. Rachel xxx
Hello all,
I noticed a couple of questions about how to do things on the site, so I’m just popping in some links from our help section.
How to send a private message (also covers how to go to your private message inbox, which is where you will find private messages sent to you by others)
How to put a picture in a post
Hi bjane, Lovely to hear from you. Sorry it takes me so long to reply. After a 10 hr shift, in full ppe constantly, I’m just dragging myself home and collapsing into bed! Got through another week, with lovely patients who were very sick/frightened but managed to do it and keep my emotions under control. We’re bracing for the flu and covid is rising here. A bit grim. Get your flu jab booked… If things get bad, the whole Team will be calling upon you and your Rolling Pin! Love the word “Upskittle”. Never heard it before. Is it a Northern expression? Never hear it down here. I love accents and local words that people use. Bristolians say “Lummy Days” which Oxfordshire people never say or have never heard before. Wallace says it in the Wallace & Gromit cartoons - the chap who makes the films lives in Bristol - so Wallace says “Lummy Days” in a Northern accent! Just fab… Glad Marly is settling and being good x Timmy has been dreadful. I woke in the middle of the night to hear him squeaking and then this crunching, squelching sound. I put the light on to see him consuming the skull of a mouse and I had to get up to remove the rest of the corpse with Timmy bouncing all over the place. Not what I wanted after a long, tiring shift! Good news, the really loud Nurse has quietened down and I have a protective shield around me! You know, I don’t drive either. I passed my test years ago and hated it too. I was in a serious car accident with my Dad when I was about 7 and then I got knocked down by a car when I was 22 - so I’m not keen on cars at all. My husband and eldest daughter drive and Kate will have her 1st lesson in 2 weeks. My whole family struggle to understand why I don’t drive but when you’ve been in a near fatal accident at a young age…well. I just walk, cycle or travel by bus. Suits me…but good luck, I am cheering you on. Maybe it’s something on the horizon for me, who knows??? I am sorry to hear that your Dad died on your Birthday. This sort of thing has happened a lot in my Husband’s family. I think Teaching is a very challenging job. I worked as a TA for a year whilst Nursing and I loved it but it was hard seeing neglected and hungry children and hearing about DV at home. Teachers do far more than teach. My mother in law was a primary school teacher. I have huge respect and admiration for teachers. Well done you x Thank you for all your words of kindness and encouragement. I hope you reach that “day” when you think about Malcolm, without terrible loss and pain. Malcolm sounds just lovely, bless him. I imagine losing a partner or child must be the most terrible pain… Anyway, keep smiling, keep driving. How did the decluttering go? Have a lovely weekend. Lots of Love. Rachel xxxx
Hi Priscilla, thank you so much for your helpx
Hello Rachel, so lovely to hear from you .Hope you’re having a lovely relaxing weekend. It’s all been a bit hectic here, Jonjo’s 40th on Tuesday , Jamie and family up from London staying in air B and B nearby Katie and family over from Skipton and we’re all now at Katie’s . Probably not allowed but think we’ve got past caring , we’ve all been sensible and it’s a special occasion! I’m going home tomorrow so will write to you properly then. Until then enjoy your time with your family and try and forget work and the terrible woman. Lots of love xxxxx
Meebee, are you ok? Haven’t heard from you for a bit and hope you’re all right xxx
Hello again Rachel, hope you’re still enjoying the rest of your weekend. I felt really low last night when I got back and was on my own in such a quiet house so didn’t want to inflict that on you . A bit better today. I laughed about the mouse experience, our last cat used to do that and always deposited them on the floor on Malcolm’s side of the bed. And he always stepped on it and hopped about cursing! Thank you for your comments about teachers but you deserve the most massive respect for your job, like I’ve said before you are all amazing angels. And that was the case long before coronavirus arrived, you’re off the scale now. I often think of you, battling on in that awful protective clothing giving your all and exhausting yourself while coping with your grief. Wish I could give you a hug! It’s strange how people seem to die on special days, my Mum died on Jamie’s first birthday, her first grandchild. That took a bit of getting over but somehow we do. don’t we. And, how odd is this, Marly’s birthday , apparently , is the same date . Although I’m not sure how they worked that out as he was a previously feral rescue cat!! But it’s nice anyway. You’ve got the righty person here for understanding why you don’t want to drive, although your reason was traumatic, mine just a bit pathetic! If you don’t need to, that’s fine for now isn’t it. but I do really, our village bus service is erratic at best and only one an hour if it comes! So will have another go. Are your daughters back now? Covid 19’s messed up a lot of lives hasn’t it? . Hope all goes well next week and you’ve got your mute button to hand, otherwise there will be “trouble at t’mill!! Lots of love, speak soon. Oh I forgot, Malcolm loved Wallace and Gromit, what was the one , the wrong something, was it trousers?! He loved that one, enjoyed it with our grandson, just about the same level! xxxx
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Hi bjane, lovely to hear from you, as always. Sorry to hear that you’ve been through a low time. It’s very hard and it just strikes, I know. I think it’s the brain’s way of coping that sometimes you “seem” to be coping (well, to everyone else maybe…) and then the awful pain and realisation breaks through. Always write, if it helps, I just like to hear from you. It’s ok to be you and be real x Work has been “ok”. Some lovely patients for me but my colleagues have had some challenging days! Someone’s watching over me as there is no way I could have coped with what they had to put up with! Thank you for thinking of me when i’m in “The Pit”! That’s so lovely and I shall remember this when it’s grim!!! Are you very remote? Your bus service sounds a bit mad. We have a good bus service, luckily, I can buy a ticket that will take me from home to London - 2 buses - but a reasonable price. Kate is back to school and starting A levels. Tired but happy. Faith’s 2nd year at Uni was messed up by covid and the Tutors didn’t send her all the assignments so she still hasn’t completed the year - after all those fees we paid for. She’s demoralised and will probably just give up due to lack of support. It’s such a shame… The Wrong Trousers is W&G - such a good film for kids. I love it too! Glad Malcolm liked it! Had a good weekend. I bought some spring bulbs, lavender and a fuschia (one of Dad’s favourites) and planted them on his grave. It looks lovely and I felt at peace doing this x Hope you’re feeling better. I know it’s hard. Keep writing here. Good luck with the driving. Malcolm will be so proud of you, looking ahead and trying out new challenges. Lots of Love. Rachel xxxx
Hello Al, sorry have been a bit remiss replying and still haven’t posted a photo of Marly, not for lack of assistance! Hope you are ok, . , have been feeling a bit lacking in motivation lately and can’t get my brain working on anything that takes any form of concentration. You see how un technical I am when this “simple” operation requires huge concentration! Sunday’s nearly over, should be better for us all tomorrow .
Oh, don’t know what’s gone on here! Think my head’s all over the place, sorry! Lovely to hear from you Rachel and glad that you’re coping, just. What a terrible mess it is for all of us in so many different ways. So sorry to hear your daughter may give up at uni, I really hope she doesn’t, that would be yet another win for coronavirus. Hope she will think again. And you must be worried about school starting too, my two grandchildren are starting this week and nobody seems quite sure of the outcome yet. We all just have to hope don’t we, it’s so awful not having control over anything anymore. I wanted to ask you what Lummy days are ? Sounds like they might not be nice! I’d never heard upskittled before, like it though, you can sort of visualise it can’t you, knocked off your feet ! To quote Jonjo I have “had a word
with myself” and feel better thank you, am going for coffee and cake with a friend in a minute. Sorry to run it in when you’re working so hard , that must be really annoying. Hope your day goes well and you have no problems or you know what will have to happen …!! Take care of yourself and sending lots of love xxxxxx
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Hi bjane, sorry you have been a bit messed up lately. I know the feeling because you’re at the same grief timescale as me and it’s been a roller coaster of emotion recently.
Don’t fret about posting the photo… It’s not THAT important. My dear wife, bless her, was a complete technophobe. She mastered texting and loved it but that was it… don’t show her any other kind of keyboard because she didn’t want to know.
I’m sorry Meebee has not returned to the forum, I hope she’s ok.
I hope tomorrow will be a brighter day for you. x
So kind, Al, thank you . Yes it’s strange feeling this way , it seems to get worse which makes no sense. Maybe it’s taken us this long for our devasting loss to sink in. I love the sound of your wife! And clearly you were very patient with her, just as Malcolm was with me. Hope you’re having a good day. I went for a coffee and a cake with a friend and had a lovely time but started filling up on the way home. Just the thought that he wouldn’t be there when I got home, awful isn’t it. I wonder how long before it doesn’t come as a horrible shock, I suppose that will be when we know we’ve finally come to terms with what’s happened . Well, tomorrow’s another day and has to be a bit better! Take carex
I hear you I’m terrified of loosing my father as he has heart problems and I’m terrified of being left alone in this cold world when your left alone and no one gives a Damn I hear you my friend please reply so I know your ok
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Sorry to hear i am very lonely every day and night, I dont have many friends and dont speak with most of my family x
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Hi Jackie, I am so sorry that you are so lonely. Over here you can talk about how you’re feeling and people will always be here for you. In another post you wrote you have been diagnosed with dementia, do you have support from local health services? There seems to be quite a lot going on in your life and you should not have to go through this alone, so any time you feel lonely, please post here if you think it will help.
Hi bjane, well done, going out to see your friend. Sometimes, it just feels impossible, doesn’t it? I haven’t seen any friends since returning to work. I’m just so tired and I can’t do work and socialising at the same time. Spoke to my Counsellor this morning and she said it’s all normal. Small talk is just exhausting and people ask you how you are…well, what can you say really? But well done for doing your best x I think Faith is so demoralised with Uni and she’s been through such a tough time lately. Kate is happy and motivated after returning to school, likes her teachers, enjoying the set novels… A few days off now. Got shouted at by a patient’s relative which was a bit grim. Meeting with HR next week to explain why I was off after Dad died from covid! Wish me luck! Do you know, I am not really sure what Lummy Days mean? It was something I heard a lot as a child, spoken by older people. I don’t think young people use that term. I think it’s something like “oh, my goodness”. Bristolians have a whole language of their own! People speak differently if they’re North or South of the river. I miss hearing the Bristol accent - it’s comical, warm and friendly. Everyone says " all right, my love" - even complete strangers passing by! And lots of people say “Cheers, Drive!” to the bus driver as they get off the bus. I said that to the Oxford bus driver and he looked at me like I was completely mad! It’s all a bit too posh here! Anyway, keep your chin up. It’s ok to miss Malcolm, to feel sad and to cry for him. The vicar at Dad’s funeral said that grief is the price we pay for love - and how true that is. Lots of Love, Rachel xxxxx