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Thread: R u ok?

  1. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by .RC. View Post
    One thing I learned was you have to be very tolerant of others. If you are under a lot of stress little niggly things get amplified and you just have to ask yourself, is it really that important right now. Just let it go. Everyone handles stress differently and remember in Australia there is always help available but you have to take the step to get it.
    Bugger being tolerant of people, that's why I no longer accept new clients and don't do much consulting either. Down to a handful of really smart people I work with.

    Plus sailboat owners but that's entertainment. Got a couple with an old shytebox of a boat working on projects in my shop ATM. Good to see enthusiasm and effort.

    When I start getting too pyssed off I just drop the mooring pennant and go sailing for a few days. Weather is improving, plenty fish, few people, what's not to like.

    Pity I have to go up to Sydney in 3 weeks for my daughter's wedding. Quite inconsiderate of her not to just shack up really.

    PDW

  2. #17
    BobL is online now Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    I started off the New year with a sore ankle and was diagnosed with gout but after 4 weeks and various meds it turned out to be a broken ankle and ended up spending 7 weeks in a moon boot with my leg off the ground. A week after putting on the moon boot the missus got viral vertigo and ended up in emergency and not being able to drive for 3 months nd it still comes and goes. So we were basically stuck at home from the 31st of Jan. The family and friends kicked in with dog walking, grocery shopping and some meal prep and we got onto online groceries before the COVID lockdown. When COVID came my GP advised given my raft of health conditions to totally isolate myself anyway. So no close family contact but we set up the front veranda so we could host single visitors seated 5m away and at least have a coffee together.

    With the missus spending many days at a time on the bed most of the house chores ended up being mine. None of this worried me too much apart from the frustration of not being able to or having less time to work in the shedbut I was able to spend some time at my electronics bench sitting down.

    The second half of the year has been better than usual. Firstly finishing off sorting out the MILs house so it could be sold was a major achievement. My health has also improved compared to last year. Blood test frequency decreased from every two weeks to now 3 months. My Plaquenil (Hydroxychloroquine) dose and has been halved and my Cortisone has been cut by 75%. PET scans reduce by half. Lower Plaquenil means I lower sun sensitivity so can spend some time outside. Sleep slightly better so less tired and more shed time.

    A month back SWMBO fell off her horse AGAIN, This time no broken bones but a sore lower back - she was really lucky - she spent a week on the bed and can now do some housework. Can't lift her arms above her head so can't hang out washing.

    Started spending a morning a week working with an old school mate in my shed doing up his dads old wood working tools and introducing him to various techniques and projects. Since August I've been able to consult to about a dozen mens sheds on wood dust which gets me out and about meeting new people. I'm a member of about half a dozen old pharts groups that meet up for coffee ranging from once a week to once a month. One of these usually involves a techie visit like touring a blokes shed or workplace to have a stickybeak. We often pick each others brains on where to buy or how to do stuff. I've had to opt out of some of these because it cuts into my shed time.

    So unlike some others I guess I am doing OK.

    My most distressing issue is my 92 year old mum's dementia as she keeps trying to break out of her care facility, and I have been asked on many occasions to bring the horse and cart around to take her home so she can see her mum.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    May 2012
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    Default Ruok

    Gday' Simon,

    Thanks for kicking this post off. You are a top block and a good mate. I have 5 of my mates who have been in the MFB and I know how stressful a job it can be.

    I have kept in contact with Phil since the scraping class that I attended and over this last year he has been a rock for me whilst I have been in a dark place. He has gone above and beyond for someone that I have only met through the scraping class. I now know him as a great mate, he has put himself at my call any time. It has been a saving grace.

    So to anyone of the group or there family, or friends who is feeling overwhelmed or down, please reach out to someone, anyone, you would be surprised from where support will come.

    To the group as a whole I believe Simon's intention when posting this was to just kick start, ask your mates, be it work or where ever, your family or even someone you might not know closely. RUOK.
    As a community and specifically males are very good at, I am bullet proof, she will be alright. Speaking from experience you never know when you will be shocked flat out on your back.

    Please don't use this post to go off track.

    Cheers Bruce
    Stay safe
    Hope to catch up soon

  4. #19
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    Hi PDW, Bob and Bruce. Great to hear from you all and I hope you are all keeping well.

    Bruce, thanks for the kind words. Totally agree with your assessment of Phil.

    I would also like to thank you guys for sharing your stories. It's been an interesting year for myself and the family. The struggles of home schooling were mostly in the first wave. I was on leave and the wife at work, so the initial setting up of the IT plaforms for both my daughter and son were challenging. I found it quite stressful because I didn't want to end up being the weak link in my kids education. I got over that hurdle as did every other parent.

    In terms of work, we have been extremely fortunate. My wife and I work in what has been considered essential services. So our major source of stress certainly was not financial or health related.

    With my work it has been an interesting ride. Our PPE and decon SOP's went through some major changes. Turning out to medical calls fully kitted up in sperm suite, double gloved, respirators and face sheilds was something I thought I would never experience. Early on, when not much was known about COVID, it was somewhat unnerving turning up to perform CPR on a patient suspected of being COVID positive. As time went on and we fine tuned our response and PPE, things got better and we got better.

    While this was all hapening, we went through the biggest fire services reform in Victorian history, changing my employment with CFA to a new fire service, FRV. With that came changes in policy, procedure, regulations and SOP's. They all came hand over fist via emails from day one on 1st June. My head was spinning!

    But the real challenges facing me were at home.

    Camping, hiking, surfing (with my son) sea kayaking and crossfit (gym, weights etc) are a major part of our life and they were all taken away from us. Seem rather trivial compared to some of the struggles that others have had. That's certainly not lost on me that's for sure. However, my son has mental health challenges and his major Zen and source of destressing from schooling (and home schooling) is to go surfing, mountain bike riding and occasional camping. None of that he has been able to do for many months.

    It's been heartbreaking to see him struggle. While these strict restrictions have been disappointing for me, and at times created a feeling of being lost, the hurt I have felt through my son has not been insignificant.

    To watch him get up every morning and wait for the overnight COVID numbers to be released, in the hope that an end will be in site was heartbreaking for me. However, tought times creates tough people and I have been so proud of both my kids with how they have dealt with this year. I have seem my son undergoe 5 years of personal development in a single year. Certainly not without huge amounts of stress, and anxiety and the pain that came with it though.

    The last 4 weeks have been much better. With the daily numbers coming down, even while in lockdown, sometimes the feeling of hope can be just as powerful and rewarding as actual freedom.

    Kids are now back at school and with the travel limit increased from 5 Km to 25 Km it means we can go surfing and fishing once again. These are huge stress relievers for my son (and me).

    Today is Sunday and the all anticipated day when Dan will further lift restrictions. My son will be all over that anouncement like stink on a monkey!

    Like I said, I feel extremely fortunate compared to what others have had to endure, but my major hardships were through my kids, not from me as such. Lets also not forget that before COVID we were enduring a major draught and then bushfires of the likes that were unprecedented. That was all forgotten in what seemed to be a heartbeat once COVID came here, yet these people are still dealing with those issues AND most likely COVID as well. That must be bloody tough.

    Take care everyone & thanks for being here. We are a great community on this forum!

    Simon
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  5. #20
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    Thanks for stepping up and sharing everyone. I have been very lucky in this though time, work kept up apace.

    Made lots of great friends through this forum so if anyone wants someone to chat to dont hesitate to send me a PM.

    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

  6. #21
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    Apr 2012
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    You know what they say, life is a roller coaster.... some dont handle the downhill run as well as others.
    Research has shown that gut health can have an impact on mental health, so if you had or have leaky gut, irritable bowel, celiac, antibiotics, proton pump blockers, antacids, gluten intolerance, (this is short list) then your microbiome is likely out of whack. You dont need to feel crook in the gut to have adverse mental related problems.
    Yup...your póoper can control your mood and mental problems.
    Fixing your gut may make people mentally stronger, people have differant reactions to all sorts of medicines chemicals and foods.

    Personally, I cant have coffee or gluten as they give me a crook gut and anxiety.

    The covid thingo didn't really affect me much, the one that sent me into a bit of a tiz was "the resession that we had to have".

    I have been on one crutch getting up and down to the shed for a while now but have needed 2 for the past couple of months. The OT people have been out and had a look at house access, shower ect and wanted to know how i entertain myself so i took them down to the shed.
    As a result of that NDIS is going to supply/give me a 4 wheel drive wheel chair.... yup...whooopie...more shed time as often i now cant get down the driveway, once i am in the shed there is plenty of things to hang on to tho and i am happy as a pig in .hi..t

    Good luck to all and bless every day that you see the sun come up.... shed

  7. #22
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    Despite its growing pains the NDIS is a game changer, big time.
    Bill

  8. #23
    BobL is online now Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Shed - can't wait to see the wheelchair.

    Quote Originally Posted by WCD View Post
    Despite its growing pains the NDIS is a game changer, big time.
    Bill
    The early intervention and NDIS support for my autistic grandson appears to have made a huge difference over the last 18 months.
    From someone that only repeated the last few words of what you said to him, and couldn't look directly at anyone, he now looks at me and says with a smile, "hello/goodby nonno!".

  9. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    Shed - can't wait to see the wheelchair.
    you can have a sneak peek here bob https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HkUWlmjZE4

  10. #25
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    Sep 2006
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    My year started off really badly with not knowing if I was going to have a House to live in or even a Business as the town of Mallacoota where I live got hit with a Bushfire, but thankfully both survived. At the start of the year Business was very tough financially due to the loss of the Tourist trade. My Landlord for my Business who's my old Boss was very supportive and waived a few weeks rent and then halved some with the Covid. Once the roads re-opened things started to improve in town and business picked up for a while. Things had been going well in town and us Mallacoota people were starting to perk up a bit after the bushfire, but then Covid hit. Once Covid hit some stupid idiot came up with the idea that Victorians couldn't go fishing, so for about 6 weeks I had no Boats coming in for repairs or servicing, luckily I had a lot of work in the yard to keep me going. I managed to get some compensation money (which was a huge help) from Centrelink (Services Australia) for the loss of income resulting from the Bushfire after about 6 months of paperwork.

    Once people in Victoria were allowed to go Boating again my Business has had plenty of work coming in the door which has helped immensely and been a huge relief as at the start of the year I wondered if my Business would survive. So basically I AM OK and thanks Simon for starting this Thread off. I wish everyone all the very best for now and for the future, stay safe and take care.
    All The Best steran50 Stewart

    The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at once.

  11. #26
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    Hi everyone,

    Hey Cask, that's good news. Hopefully we are on the up and up from here. Today will be the 13th day straight of double doughnuts but I wonder how long it will truely last. I would love for us to be able to manage the COVID thing similar to NSW but part of me thinks some one somewhere will stuff it up and start a third wave. I don't believe we will ever totally eradicate it.

    Hi Shed, That's a nice win with the 4x4 wheelchair. I'll expect to see a winch fitted to the front of that thing soon!

    Totally agree about gut health. Some of the peer reviewed studies that are emerging relating to gut health and gut bacteria are very interesting.

    Bob L, I totally agree. I too have experienced similar joys. It's enough to melt your heart and bring you to tears.

    The NDIS is indeed big help to many people and well worth the money. A game changer as Bob put it. Mostly too late for us. We funded approx $80K of one on one full time early intervention for our son over a 3 year period. It was tough financially. My wife worked 3 part time jobs to help fund it. The results however have been amazing. I think of the money we spent as an investment and it's the best investment we have ever made. Sadly, many people cannot afford such treatment and many children miss out which can mean the difference between a lifetime on benifits as opposed to a lifetime as a wage earner, making a contribution to society and paying taxes. Do the maths, it's an investment for out future.

    Steran, Boy that sounds like a bloody tough year mate. Your resilience is a credit to you. It must be so sweet to turn up to work and see customers and the place buzzing. I can't wait for our next trip to regional Vic and spend some money.

    I may pay you a visit early next year. In the lockdown, the wife and I had many conversations about our life and our future. One of our dreams was to buy a camping trailer when we retire. We came to the conclusion that life is for living NOW and that tomorrow is promised to no one. So we lashed out and ordered our camper. It's made in Morouya NSW and should be ready to pick up in FEB. Perfect excuse for a road trip along the coast!

    Cheers everyone & thanks for being an important part of my life!

    Simon
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  12. #27
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    Good decision on the camper Simon. Too many people plan to do all their living/traveling when they retire, some never make it that far and others find they aren’t in the condition they expected to be.

    We’ve had a stable year job wise and been fortunate that we are regional and both our daughters and their partners and kids live within 20 mins of us.
    The year hasn’t been without its challenges, but overall we ROK.
    Glad you are OK too, thanks for starting the thread and thanks also to everyone else who has contributed - both to the thread and to the forum in general.

    Steve

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