General Chat

diseases and conditions that are not catching, such as cancer, genetic mutations and mental illness but don't worry nearly so much about deadly diseases that we could catch from family, friends and strangers?

Do we though?

Not being sure how to react /respond I suppose is one reason.

I don't think I do Brian. Can you expand the OP?

One instance could be we dont know the stranger standing next to you coughing could have TB,,,the person with a cut on their finger may have Hepatitis C,,,,,we dont fear if we dont know.

As a first aider in the workplace (77 bedroom hotel plus 160 people at a function) I certainly did consider what the patient might be silently carrying especially if CPR was required or I was treating someone bleeding heavily.

BrianW. Think people are less likely to shy away from those things you mention than years ago. When I was young, C was a big no go area. Now we know a lot about it comparitively and most cancers can be treated. And if not, treatment and care can be excellent.

And we shudder when Channel 4 shows a person very badly disfigured. But within a few minutes we are looking at the person. And usually liking them as a human being.

Mental illness is, I admit, far more difficult for us to cope with. Because of its nature and unpredictability.

I have to say I do shy away from anyone with coughs and sneezes and anything contageous if I am aware of it due to immunosuppressant meds.

I think people are more comfortable with talking about or being around people with cancer these days. Awareness is so much more high profile now thank goodness and certainly among people that I know it is not spoken of in the hushed tones of my parents young days.

I cannot comment on genetic mutation as I can't say I have noticed anyone - aside from on TV - with a particularly outstanding deformity. Maybe I just don't see it?

As for mental illnesses, this is such a broad range. For my own safety I would be wary of someone behaving strangely in the street but have no problem being in the company of someone who has for eg, dementia.

I think it is all about awareness, can't blame someone if they haven't had the oppurtunity to be more enlightened.

sadly mental illness still carries such a stigma that sufferers feel they can't talk about it which is a shame - I suffer from clinical depression - have done for years now - but with medicaton I'm fine - I have no problem discussing it and if people feel uncomfortable about it, well tough

It's time mental illness was treated in the same way as any other illness is treated, along with broken limbs etc.

Lol Island -

"As for mental illnesses, this is such a broad range. For my own safety I would be wary of someone behaving strangely in the street"

The number of times I've veered away from someone walking towards me, seemingly talking to themselves, only to find they have a blue chip. I still veer away from them though, as experience has taught me that people walking whilst talking on a phone don't give a monkey's for anyone else!!

Hospital Visitors.

One of the corporal works of mercy, the Church teaches, is to visit the sick. But I have my doubts. After a short visit to our local hospital some years ago, I'm more convinced than ever that there should be a protocol to observe when visiting someone on their sick bed.

So I'm in hospital because of an illness. While there, I really don't want to hear of others who are also sick & I certainly never need to know of anyone who has just died especially if they were suffering from something even distantly related to my incapacity. I have an illness all of my own to worry about.

Talk to me about things that might actually take my mind off my incapacity for a few minutes – sport, music, fuel shortages, gossip or whatever - but not the X-Factor please or anything related to George Galloway's Bradford election success nor anything mildly surrounding Pippa Middleton's supposedly superior posterior - as if nobody else has one! I sit on mine much of the time these days.

Bear in mind that there is no consolation for me in the realisation that things could be worse and that down the corridor there are others who are worse off than I am. Deploying that sort of logic is like encouraging a young child to eat broccoli because there are starving children in Africa.

And on the subject of food – unless I'm in a very private and posh hospital which is highly unlikely – there is every chance that the food I'm given is of the boarding school variety; so a big Cornish Pasty (hot or cold) or snack box would be as welcome to me as stolen cheese & wine to a celebrity chef.

Speaking of drink, unless specifically requested, do not bring me Lucozade. A glucose drink is usually very refreshing when its newly opened and ice cold, but it tends to lose its lustre when it becomes tepid in the warm hospital ward and flat a Shrove Tuesday pancake.

Skip on grapes and fruit – it shows a shocking lack of imagination when you could be bringing me a Kindle or a quality newspaper. I would even settle for a get-well card if you want to go down that route.

Most of all, do not outstay your welcome; thirty minutes are more than adequate. And if others come in while you’re there, then withdraw gracefully to allow them to chat a while. It's just not possible for everyone to sit on the side of my hospital bed especially while I'm still in it. The saline drip cannot be unplugged to make more room.

I know I’m extremely fortunate that the few times I’ve ever spent a night in hospital in my life, as far as I know, have been for my own birth and one other minor ailment not worth going on about here.

But I do know that if I was in hospital again, nothing would make me more ill than having to divulge the personal details of what caused me to be there in the first place. Yep - I know you'd like to know the full gory story, but not from me! Worst of all is when visitors come out in empathy, simulating chest pains or the Ebola virus as though this gives them a greater understanding of my condition. I don’t need to know about their aches and pains any more than I want them to know about mine.

After all, one presumes that the purpose of the visit is to cheer me up – not make me long for a spell in solitary confinement or isolation just so I can have a little of peace and quiet away from the likes of you lot.

Away with ye now!

Dermot (aka Victor Meldrew understudy.)

Har Ha....really enjoyed reading your piece Derm, however it shows that you are a typical man! On the other hand, there are many people, usually woman, who feel the need to talk about and go into every minute detail about their condition, often repeating the story every time you see them.

As from shying away, I have worked with people with profound mental/physical learning disabilities for over 20 years and have seen a radical change in the reaction of the general public when out in the community, a positive change in attitude I may add, people are much more aware and tolerant towards people with disabilities, although you still got the odd few who ask us (Support Workers) 'Cant you keep that boy quiet'?, meaning the 50 year old man who has Downs Syndrome who makes humming noises.