Vet visit

[Clodagh]

I just took T to the vets. I'm absolutely fine about not going in, at the end of the day I'd prefer them to stay well so they can be useful!
When I rang to say I was there the receptionist said 'Can you please out your mak on while you are waiting'.
Why? I steam up really bady especially outside when it is below freezing. I was alone in the car park and fully intended to put the mask on when the door opened for the vet to come out.
I stood the other side of the car so she couldn't glare at me through the glass and put it on when the door opened. Is that so bad?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

She sounds like a jobsworth tbh.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Possibly, possibly not. I think with what we knew of Covid up until New Strain times it would have been overzealous. My current concern personally is that it might have got much better at transmission outside. Therefore having the mask on for a couple of minutes before the vet arrived in the same airspace would be wise. However that is entirely conjecture on my part and I doubt that is where the receptionist was coming from.

The glasses steaming is annoying as all hell and I don't actually think it was a reasonable assessment of risk for receptionist to actually insist you wear it. But there is room for generosity when divining her motives simply because the new strain exists.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I’d cut some slack to people working under very difficult circumstances. The new strain is much more transmissible than the old one.

A local vet branch had to close recently after an outbreak of Covid amongst the staff.

 

[blackcob]

I think it may have been a clumsy attempt to ask you to have a mask on by the time the vet came out to see you?

Unfortunately there are clients who will stand in directly in front of an A3 laminated sign asking them to wear a mask when interacting with the staff who will still neglect to put one on (and in one case continue smoking a fag) so the staff are probably pretty jaded by now!

We've been careful/lucky, a neighbouring practice has just had to close for the second time.

 

[SAujla]

Dealing with receptionists always remind me of this Peter Kay joke, human or pets they are all the same!

I think it was a bad way of going about doing the right thing, should probably give you a chance to mask up but maybe they've had too many people not doing so until they are asked

 

[fiwen30]

I also think it might’ve been an inelegant attempt at reminding you to be masked by the time the vet gets to you. I’m sure there are people who forget, particularly if it’s an emotional or stressful visit. I know there’s been times we’ve been waiting in the car and just not noticed the vet sneaking up on us, and have had to do the awkward mask-fumble before getting out!

 

[Clodagh]

Trouble is I have had a falling out with this receptionist before. My vets are all wonderful and there are five regular receptionists, four of whom are great and then this one.
We had a row as I am a bad owner for not using a spot on monthly, apparently I therefore neglect my dogs. I'm sure she dislikes me as much as I dislike her!

 

[FinnishLapphund]

What a pity that you've found some good veterinarians, and then there's just this one receptionist out of five, that you don't like. One can't get everything yadda yadda yadda.
As long as it stays on an annoying level, it's presumably worth putting up with.

I hope that your dog is okay.

Not sure what to think about the mask thing, nor what I would have done. I also have glasses, this whole mask wearing is ... meh.
Even though I often I do get it to work for awhile, at any time, **boom**, Lützen fog out of nowhere making me completely blind.
Not fun at all when it happens while I'm out on my Broom/box trike!

 

[GSD Woman]

I think that was unnecessary for her to treat you that way. I go out to talk to clients and I insist, politely, that they have their masks on.

 

[Redders]

Loads of clients I go out to haven’t put their mask on and then when I ask them to put one one there is the obligatory ‘oh these masks, oh I keep forgetting, oh it’s a nightmare isn’t it’ type exchange, which actually takes quite a bit of time, and we are so so cram packed with appointments and staff shortages that the few minutes on this exchange with almost every client adds up and the person in the fourth appointment of the day ends up being seen late and then you are always on the back foot trying to catch up. many clients seem to find it hard to imagine two metres distance outside/or keep creeping towards me while I back away because even though we have been doing it for almost a year, it’s still an alien concept to be so distanced and doesn’t feel ‘normal’ to most people, and because emotions are usually high at a vet visit so people forget these things for a while (understandable), so our admin team remind clients of masks, phones ready and not to go ringing other people, distance etc when they arrive because it saves time and also keeps us all safe. I imagine your clinic has experienced similar situations and the admin team asking you to pop it on while you wait is just an attempt at making sure the day runs smoothly, to time, and safely. I wouldn’t take it personally at all, it’s just one of those things at the minute

 

[Cinnamontoast]

A mask if speaking/handing over dog maybe, otherwise I dunno. My vet just directed me where to stand the past couple of days as she had to tube the horse and removed her mask to check she was in the right area.

 

[Clodagh]

Well I will cut Strop Bot some slack. My favourite vet, and the senior partner, who has been my vet since I first moved here 24 years ago, died at the weekend. That is four friends/colleagues who have died in the last 10 days.
It was an emergencty appointment on Monday, hence not asking for him as I normally would.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Oh no .

Clodagh, I’m so sorry to hear about all those friends and colleagues that you’ve lost in such a short time. That is awful.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Well I will Strop Bot some slack. My favourite vet, and the senior partner, who has been my vet since I first moved here 24 years ago, died at the weekend. That is four friends/colleagues who have died in the last 10 days.
It was an emergencty appointment on Monday, hence not asking for him as I normally would.

Oh that's really sad news, Clodagh. I'm sorry, thats all a bit much. x yes, best let the receptionist off the hook for the strop.

 

[Clodagh]

TBH, and this is the wrong place, my OH really wants me to stop work. We could afford it if I didn't mind asking him for money for every bag of dog food, tank of fuel, etc etc, I have always worked though and really don't want to stop.
I am also really scared!
On the plus sude I have taken almost no holiday this financial year as we have been short with people shielding and so on so am owed a lot of time off, so I will hardly be there now until the end of March.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Is it because of the risk of contracting Covid that your OH wants you to stop work? Is the risk of Covid making you scared?

 

[Clodagh]

Is it because of the risk of contracting Covid that your OH wants you to stop work? Is the risk of Covid making you scared?

Yes and yes. (Shop worker). We have 52 people off this week.

 

[Tiddlypom]

No wonder that you are both concerned.

52 workers off at one store? That will put crazy pressure on the remaining staff. Has a temporary store closure been mooted? If you don’t feel safe, don’t go in. Ought you to be self isolating re colleague contact?

ETA I’ve long thought that supermarket workers should be bumped up the priority list for Covid jabs.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

TBH, and this is the wrong place, my OH really wants me to stop work. We could afford it if I didn't mind asking him for money for every bag of dog food, tank of fuel, etc etc, I have always worked though and really don't want to stop.
I am also really scared!
On the plus sude I have taken almost no holiday this financial year as we have been short with people shielding and so on so am owed a lot of time off, so I will hardly be there now until the end of March.

I'm sorry to hear about that you've lost so many friends/colleagues, and for it to then happen in such a short time, that leaves me without words.

52 people off in only this week! No wonder that you're scared. I have no idea if all of them is confirmed Coronavirus, or if some perhaps have other reasons, but regardless of that, it sounds bloody scary. And ditto Tiddlypom, if some is home due to Coronavirus, should you not be home in self quarantine?

However, even though the risk of Coronavirus, if I hypotherically had been in your shoes, for me to take your OH's suggestion about stop working seriously, I would expect it to include an offer to split up his wage, as in setting up a monthly transfer of X amount into my account, just so that I wouldn't have to ask him for simple things as fuel money etc.

And if you didn't have enough on your plate already, let's just throw in a dog needing an emergency veterinary visit, I hope your dog is okay.
About the rest, I hope you can take out all that time off that you're owed, and who knows, maybe things have become a bit clearer about what to do about your work, in March.

 

[Clodagh]

January always is a high absence month. Obviously not all of those are covid, a lot are isolating or track and trace connected. I think about 15 positive tests. No one I have contact with directly is off, the contact thng is odd at work but I am a bit rabid about social distancing so I doubt, unless one of my immediate colleagues was off, that I would be affected. My boss thankfully is the most switched on manager we have and is very careful indeed.
No one at work has died, its more this new strain that is a bit sit up and take notice.
We are not as badly off as our neighbouring branch which actually made the local news - woo hoo fame at last.
He wouldn't begrudge me a penny, but I would totally begrudge having to ask. He might realise how much the dogs cost to run.

And FL it is my Tawny, who I love more than all others, she has a lump but it is not mammary as I feared so hopefully nothing.

 

[AmyMay]

Why would you have to ask for money Clodah? He just transfers x amount of money in to your account each month, which is solely for you. Perhaps equivalent to your salary.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I am so sorry for your losses, your working conditions also sound horrible. If you and your OH would prefer that you give up work, could you arrange that he pays a set amount into your bank account each month? Then you would not feel that you had to keep asking him for small sums for individual purchases. If I were you, I would hand in your notice and tell your employer that you will take your accrued holiday, as part of your notice. You won't be leaving your employer in the lurch and you will be freeing up a job for someone who cannot afford to stop working but has just lost their job.

 

[PapaverFollis]

If I had still been working in retail when all this started, Clodagh, they wouldn't have seen me for dust. Being brutally honest. Not working and relying on partner's wage os a PITA but it can work if you can afford it. I hate it when the situation makes me feel like a Little Woman but it's not too often and it's worth it for the sake of both our sanity in my case initially and now for the sake of reduced Covid risk. I'd have been looking to try part time work again this year if it hadn't been for all this.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Fingers crossed for Tawny.

 

[TheresaW]

I am so sorry for your losses, your working conditions also sound horrible. If you and your OH would prefer that you give up work, could you arrange that he pays a set amount into your bank account each month? Then you would not feel that you had to keep asking him for small sums for individual purchases. If I were you, I would hand in your notice and tell your employer that you will take your accrued holiday, as part of your notice. You won't be leaving your employer in the lurch and you will be freeing up a job for someone who cannot afford to stop working but has just lost their job.

Clodagh’s working conditions are what many many of us are having to work with/to. Myself and OH share costs of most bills between us, but that doesn’t mean, I’m happy to just stop working because he can afford to cover the bills.

I’m not sure you live in the real world sometimes.

 

[GSD Woman]

Clodagh, I hope it is nothing with Tawny.

And I'm sorry about the loss of your friends. That is a big bucket of suck.

I'm no help with the work situation. I have to work. I'm fortunate that my mom has been able to help me with the bills while I've been out of work with being sick.

 

[Clodagh]

Why would you have to ask for money Clodah? He just transfers x amount of money in to your account each month, which is solely for you. Perhaps equivalent to your salary.

I sadly don’t live in a Utopian world where we have that sort of spare money knocking about.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I sadly don’t live in a Utopian world where we have that sort of spare money knocking about.

But can you both agree on a lesser set amount of money to be transferred to your account monthly?

Then you have control of your spends without having to ask for money for individual things, and risking disapproval.

Tbh it does sound that you giving up your job will impact on your independence. Only you two can decide if that is worth it.

 

[AmyMay]

I sadly don’t live in a Utopian world where we have that sort of spare money knocking about.

Or you just have a joint account ??‍