Hi [@amelia98]‍ I am so glad to hear that you found another family member who could go with you, and it sounds like your brother was really supportive too, which is exactly what you need.  It's also great to hear that you have other more supportive family members, hopefully you'll be able to rely on them for emotional support if your dad isn't capable of doing that.

It's fantastic to hear that you want to become a primary school teacher, that's my profession! Do let me know if you're in need of any help or advice, it's a difficult career despite what many believe! Judging by your compassion and empathy, though, I think it's the perfect career for you and I think you'll be fantastic at it.

Good luck with all your test results, be sure to keep us updated. Xx

Thank you Rose. xxx

My brother was the complete opposite to my dad. I had to wait a long time to find out if I needed further investigations. Thankfully I don't seem to need further investigations, they gave painkillers and said to call back if the painkillers don't work.

It did take long to wait to get those aswell and my brother kept offering to buy me food and he said I must be so hungry which was really kind of him to be understanding while he had to wait so long. I was thinking about his petrol cost and parking cost so got food myself. My dad didn't think like my brother after my sigmoidoscopy when I had the plain diet for 4 days and then the fasting and disgusting laxative drink the day before.

He was just telling me about his toe injury and I was trying my best to listen and be caring (I was so hungry and sleepy ahaha so it felt hard) and told him he should go to a minor injury unit, but he didn't ask about my procedure which isn't a normal procedure that people get in their early 20s. 

The pandemic sounds like the worst time to be in hospital! I'm so grateful I didn't have problems back then. I can't imagine how hard it was for NHS staff to wear full PPE. The fact that there were other people breaking social distancing rules (including Boris Johnson) and increasing covid cases is just so selfish and irresponsible of them while all this was going on in hospitals.

It must have been so hard for you to wear a mask while you have breathing problems and that you were thinking about the staff. Yet there were people who pretending to be exempt just because they didn't want to wear a mask in a supermarket. 

That sounds so difficult being in the isolation ward for 16 days when you didn't even have covid. I remember finding it hard just isolating in my home for 10 days when I had covid. You must've have been so terrified of catching covid but I'm glad your tests came negative. Still must've felt like a waste isolating.

Oh my gosh, that sounds very terrifying to not have access to your usual medicines. And that you had an attack and they were muddling up your medicines. It sounds so incredibly stressful.

Thank you for sharing your experiences, it really does make me more grateful. My granddad had liver cancer in summer 2019 but first, we were told he had about 8 months left to live. Then suddenly we were told it would be 2 days and he actually lived for another 2 weeks before he passed. Of course, we wanted it to be 8 months at the time. But when covid started, we realised how lucky we were that we were able to visit him in the hospital and we were imagining how upset he would have been by himself and how he probably wouldn't have understood the situation. Now from hearing your side, I can imagine he would have been so terrified seeing all the doctors and nurses wearing full PPE and hearing the raised voices.

Thank you. I was feeling very dizzy earlier and took long naps (I'm guessing from the tablets) but thankfully feeling better now. I also had a gp call today as I have been having problems in my right knee for a year (I probably should've gone to the gp earlier) and it recently got a lot worse. They booked an appointment on the 1st September for a physiotherapy assessment. I hope that will go okay aswell. I googled my symptoms which scared me so I won't do that anymore ahaha.

Take care, you sound like you have a lot of problems and I don't know what to say, but I hope you get the help you need as soon as possible xxx

Thank you. It felt lovely that my brother was the complete opposite to my dad. I know who I can call now if I need to go to hospital again. I hope I don't need to. My ultrasound was normal thankfully so they prescribed painkillers so I hope that helps.

That sounds fantastic that you are a primary school teacher! It definitely is very difficult, I find it hard enough as a student teacher but is very rewarding. As I was unwell for so much of this year, I couldn't complete the block placement and decided to drop QTS so the next year will be less stressful. I hope I do get back to normal and can do my QTS year successfully after next year. 

Thank you for letting me know I can have help and advice from you. I've just read your thread and it sounds like you are going through an extremely stressful time so it's so kind of you to take the time to give me support. It must be really scary to be going through this as a single parent aswell with 2 children. I hope that you have a positive outcome and that you can be there for them and watch them grow up. Good luck with your test results xxx

Dear Amelia,

It is good you don't need further investigations. I just hope your pain starts to ease. Strong painkillers can have side effects, but I expect you needed a nap because you got so little sleep the night before. It will probably take a few days before your body gets back into its natural rhythm. I hope this happens soon for you and the pain eases.

Your brother sounds really lovely. I am pleased he was able to give you support so you are not solely reliant on your father for lifts. 

I'm sorry you lost your grandad during Covid. However, I'm pleased you were able to visit him in the hospital and, as you say, he was spared a degree of fear and terror perhaps. It can be very difficult to predict how long people have sometimes. My own grandmother died within a fortnight of a cancer diagnosis and, sadly, I never got to say goodbye because my father asked me to wait a little before visiting but then suddenly she died. I wish now I had ignored my father's advice and trusted my own gut instinct. I used to be so frightened of going against father's wishes. 

It is good you have a physiotherapy appointment to help with the problems in your knee, although I am sorry it is yet another problem you have to deal with. It does sound as if you have had a difficult year. Physiotherapists are very good, I've found.

Thank you too for your good wishes. I think it will likely be a while before I get seen at the hospital. When I rang the Choose and Book service yesterday I was told there were no appointments and my details would be sent over to the hospital for me to be put on a waiting list. I asked how long the wait could be – weeks, months, years? – but was told there was no information about waiting lists. After putting the telephone down, I wished I had at least asked if I could choose a different hospital. Sometimes my brain doesn't process things very fast!

Last week when I had to call 111 because I'd had a bad reaction to a new medication, I was shocked that when a doctor called me (he said he was from the Walk-in centre), he said he had no details about my case. It was the same when I made a follow-up appointment with the GP. The GP said she had no record of my contacting 111 and that reports were being delayed because of the cyberattack. 

Take care, Amelia and I really do hope the terrible pain you've been experiencing eases up soon and that you were able to get a restful night's sleep. 

Love Rose xxx

Thank you, Rose. I decided to stop taking the painkillers as I kept getting dizzy and then I read on the information sheet to stop taking them if you get dizzy. 

I'm sorry that you lost your grandmother within 2 weeks of her diagnosis. I'm guessing you were closer to her than your parents. It's really sad that your father advised you not to visit and I understand why you followed his wishes.

That is really sad that you don't know what to expect and how long to wait. I find it really hard when I don't know what's next. I hate when I put the phone down and then wish I had said something else! My brain doesn't process things fast either.

That sounds really stressful that they didn't have your records or any details about your case.

Thank you, you take care as well Rose xxxx

Hi Amelia,

I'm sorry the painkillers made you dizzy and I hope your pain has now improved.

My grandmother was like me in terms of interests, whereas my parents were not.  Sadly I didn't see so much of her growing up as my mother disliked her. Our annual family Christmas visit involved seeing 6 or 7 different sets of relatives for an hour at a time on a single day, including a 200-mile drive. Not a good way for a child to see family! There would also usually be a another visit during the year to the beach, the zoo etc. And then there were major family celebrations, but those were always a bit "busy".

I hope you are having a good day today, Amelia.

Take care, Love Rose xxx