I done a 10 hour shift in work, 9 and a half on my feet. I spend most of the day, empathising with patients, talking to them, helping where I can and if only 1 person says "thankyou, you made my day" then my job is done.
I am all bunged up with a cold and bad chest so daren't go and see my dad after work as he is on high dose steroids right now and I do not want to make him ill. I am a germfest. I am feeling sorry for myself, it is pathetic.
My parents are looking after my soon to be 2 year old for an hour as the childminder clocks off at 5.30pm and they are helping me out, despite them both being quite ill. I quickly go home after work, chuck some trackies on and down I go to get my little version of Chucky!
Walking up the street, I am greeted by thebest sight ever. My mum and dad are outside watching Leah toddle up and down, waiting for me. They see me, Leah sees me and she runs a million miles an hour, nappy swaying side to side as they still havn't got the knack of fastening it securely, (don't know what they did with me 35 yrs ago!) down the street to me.
As lovely as that was, it was seeing my dad, not on his oxygen, laughing and smiling at my little munchkin and just simply being outside in the warm evening air and enjoying himself that made my day.
Love you dad xxxxxxxxxxx
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tanyamarie
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what a lovely way to end what must have been a stressful and tiring day, wish your mum and dad all the very best from me, they did a fantastic job raising a well mannered thoughtful caring person(you)
lovely xxx family happiness is priceless and i agree with mr wheezy, they did a good job bringing you up xx. I too am on oxygen and we looked after our grand daughter 4-5 days a week while our daughter did her last year at university which she passed and we are so proud of her for juggling being a parent and doing a difficult course . little Sarah was only 11 months when we started looking after her but we formed a strong bond , she coped with my oxygen pipes beautifully bless her , she now pushes my oxygen cart around for me ( like a pushchair ). Being a grandparent gives you an extra boost for life , i think your dad might feel that too xxxxxxxx best wishes xxxxx
Your parents must feel very blessed to have such a wonderful grandchild. I know I love my grandchildren in an extra special way totally unlike the love I feel for my girls. Dont stay away. My children tried that last yr and kept the grandchildren away too because of germs. I was heartbroken and felt bereaved. I would rather have one day with my grandkids and suffer an infection than be seperated from my family. Good luck to you and your mum and dad. Maximonkey
ah thankyou, I did keep my little un away for 2 weeks because she was full of germs but they managed....they are made of strong stuff! It's hard to know what to do for the best isn't it?
...and it probably doesn't seem that long ago to your dad since he saw you toddling back and forth, nappy swinging from side to side
I know, ur so right Parvati. I have been looking through old photos to make a gift for my mum and dad for their wedding anniversary coming up. treasured memories x
Can I just say that I am sorry if anyone thought I was being careless by going to work whilst full of germs. Unfortunately, we do not live in a time where you can ring in sick for the good old common cough and cold and if we did then I am sure that 99% of the workplace would be empty.
I am thoroughly aware of the repurcussions that people with lung infections could have if being around someone with a cold etc. Hence why I have stayed away from my dad and kept my little one away from him when she was ill too. My dad is fully aware that he should stay away from places or people that could potentially harbour infectious illnesses etc but even if I was to stay away from work, most of the people coming in are ill and have 'germs' so it is not so much the staff but the patients also that can harm others. That is probably where I picked up my germs in the first place. But I CHOOSE to work in that environment because I took a vocation to help people and do the best I can and provide the best customer service possible. I am sure if my Manager thought it was potentially dangerous for me to be there, she would have sent me home.
Should I have to explain myself or justify my reasons for going to work? Am I wrong? Feedback would be appreciated x
It is my opinion(and my right to have) that you have no need to apologise or justify yourself to the one negative comment maker especially since the people that have clearly interacted with you before - me being one of them - have given you nothing but messages of respect, love and commendment to your compassionate, caring and loving nature to your parents,your own child and to your profession.
Hold your head high, pat yourself on the back and make a cuppa, you are a gem in my book!
You are a star thankyou kindly hun. You must be psychic too cos I just made a cuppa but as I am so bunged up you know when you swallow summit you can't breathe! Now I know how dad feels in a way. This is my penance. I try to be a good person you know and I try not to show how upset I am around my dad cos I have to be positive for him and then someone you don't eve know completely knocks you for six. I will try and hold my head up Tony..........promise x
It is difficult to know what to do regarding work and illness , you are right that todays work environment does not make allowances for viral infections , the common cold is not seen as a reason for sick leave , but i suppose the problem can be eased with hand gel and masks for use with those who are vulnerable , very tricky . Having said that , i would also like to add that i have ultimate respect for most medical staff , i have only met a few that are in the wrong profession , but then you don't know what is going on in their lives !!!!. nurses are worth their weight in gold and i am very glad they go to work xx
Our hygiene is paramount and the number of times we wash our hands is unbelievable. They should be as soft as a babies bum.....but not! I am not a nurse or anything as qualified as that, just a meagre pharmacy dispenser but it is an invaluable job and a very busy one at that. With 1 staff member down the pressure on my colleagues and the work load would be immense and for a common cold it just isn't feasable to take time off. I am working behind the scenes alot, so as not to come into much contact with patients coming in but germs spread just by touch and when people come in holding a prescription, that is passed to you, inevitabley germs are commonplace. we use anti-bacterial hand gel and take necessary precautions. Patient saefty is first and foremost.
I agree those infected should be masked when attending vulnerable patients if they must go near. I have myself complained when a nurse at the hospital attended me with a cold. It only takes a cough or a sneeze even with thoroughly cleansed hands.
After reading all the comments about my blog, I think it fair to say that a couple of people have blown this out of proportion and thankfully the support and wonderful feedback I have been given far outweighs the negative and I shall take their advice to hold my head up high.
Let's look at this in a realistic way. Hundreds of people walk into a pharmacy every day. They could be there for many reasons including;
-collect a prescription
-hand in a prescription
-purchase goods
-ask for advice
We are not psychic and do not know if that person has an illness and if so what illness. People with lung conditions are told, as my dad was, not
go to places where there are risks of infections and I would include pharmacies in that. However, I understand that not everyone is in a position to have someone go for them thats why pharmacis like mine provide a delivery service. People are more likely to pick up infections from going to their own surgery or the hospital even and the people who work in the medical profession are at high risk from catching infections more so than the patients themselves.
Are you suggesting that everyone who has a cold are to wear facemasks where ever they work, just incase they come into contact with someone with an illness/disease? We need to be realistic here and not blow things out of proportion. I would never knowingly put myself in a position where I could endanger someone and do take offense when someone who does not know me suggests otherwise.
You say to take it in the spirit it is meant............then maybe that works both ways. My blog was intended with the best intentions. The love for my dad and the care for the people I help in work.
For goodness sake everyone, we cannot wrap ourselves up in bubbles if we want to stay happy and enjoy the time and people we have left. Germs are a fact of life, we can take precautions, that is sensible, but just enjoy what we can whilst we can. Maximonkey
Maximonkey, thankyou for your honesty......it is refreshing. What you said I fully believe and I live for my family. They are my life and inspiration and my brother is getting married in 2 weeks time and am so happy our dad will be there. Bring it on whoop whoop!
Good luck Tanyamarie, enjoy your brother's wedding. I hope it is a lovely family occasion and that you have many lovely memories afterwards. Enjoy the weekend. Maximonkey.
Tanyamarie
Please don't upset yourself over this, I think the word 'patient' is what has lead to some misunderstanding here. I did not realise you worked in a pharmacy.
When I read your statement about doing a 10 hour shift empathising with patients and then you went on to say you were all bunged up with cold. I didn't know what to think. You say you don't go near your father who has emphysema yet you expose these patients to your cold. This is how it came across to me. When you referred to 'patients' it suggested to me you were working in a nursing or hospital environment. Possibly a few of us misunderstood that, I've not heard pharmacists and their staff refer to people as patients before only customers, for me herein lies the misunderstanding.
Its a shame this misunderstanding took place. As lung patients we do have very real concerns about our susceptibility to infection and do try avoid these situations to try and help preserve our lungs and health.
I hope you are recovering from your cold now and that you can soon be spending time with your Dad once again.
Thankyou Zoe, you may well be right there. Thing is, in Wales, prescriptions are free so when you come in with one you are not paying for anything so we refer to those folk as patients really. Plus to dispense a prescription we use your 'patient medical record' and when liasing with surgeries and hospitals we can't refer to someone as a customer, they are patients.
I am sorry for any misunderstanding, I thought I made it clear I worked in a pharmacy as I have often referred to this in many posts I've written.
And just to clarify my dad not only has Emphysema, he has IPF which is the main illness there and his specialist sent him home to die last month, saying there was nothing else that could be done for him. So everyone, please be assured that having researched his illnesses thoroughly, I am fully aware of how my actions whilst having a cold could affect him or anyone else for that matter.
Anyway, I am off to have some more Acifed, still feel rough. However, I have been informed by my mother that they are having a chinese for tea and my dad is going to drop some into me later, to save me cooking. They are fab aren't they?
Hi Tanyamarie, its good to share, now understand why you used the word patients. Thanks for explaining that.
Hope you are feeling better soon and enjoying some good family togethernes.
Tanyamarie you "made my day" reading your blog. I have IPF for which there is no treatment or cure except a lung transplant and I have to try and steer clear of all infections but its hard. I worked as a nurse for 33 years and when i was diagnosed and became too ill to carry on nursing i moved to admin work. After 2 years working in admin I even had to give up that because hospital staff are notorious for coming to work (with best intentions) with coughs and colds and I picked up every bug that was going around at the time...after 2 years and umpteen chest infections, pneumonia and pleurisy i admitted defeat and retired. I hated having to give in, i loved my work but had to think of my health for a change.
Now I have a 20 month old grandson who i didnt have then and he goes to nursery and brings back every germ there is on the face of the planet :-(. he's building his immune system and killing mine off but I wouldnt have it any other way. He is such a light in our lives and I would never say not to bring him near me and wearing a mask is useless they only offer about 20 minutes protection then they are no use. I'll keep using my oxygen and taking my tablets while i can and hopefully I'll live to see all 3 of my grandsons become happy healthy contented young men and make me a very proud nanny. At the minute all we can do is make memories for them to cherish :-). Keep doing what you are doing tanyamarie because I'm sure you're doing things as right as you can make them for you and your family.
I'm glad I made your day, Like in my blog, If I make just 1 person happy, then I'm happy. Talking of transplants, we are hoping now that with the news about the NHS not discriminating against 'older' people with treatment etc that it will open up the possibilities to those over 65 yrs like my dad. Like I say, you can have a very unhealthy 60 yr old and a very fit 65 yr old and that is my dad. Hopefully it will come to fruition swner rather thann later.
I am routing for you as much as my dad cos it's a crap illness isn't it. No-one deserves it at all. I truly hope that you will have many many more years with your family and deep down I believe that we are all different and as long as we fight and keep strong (hard sometimes) positivity will reign. Family is soooo important, I am glad you have what sounds like a super one and I think ur pretty super too! Keep fighting x
My dad has ipf and when i asked if i should keep my school age children away his consultant said absolutely not!! And echoed what has been said by other people replying - better to get enjoyment from life than to live in a sterile bubble. Dad is on oxygen 24/7 now, his mobility is terrible, having to use a wheelchair for anything out of the house and very wobbly with a frame whe at home. However yesterday he wanted to go to their school summer fete which with all those kids really is a germfest!! But he really had a great day, was proud to see his granddaughters dancing and playing musical instruments and although worn out and probably sleeping all day today, it will have done him much more good than sitting at home. i really understand your dilemma about trying to keep germs away from your dad tanyamarie but life just isn't that simple and it sounds to me like you are doing exactly the right thing for your dad. good for you xxx xxx
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