[don]

I am also Vit B12 deficient and also have ulcerative colitis. I have been having B12 injections for years but have never felt any different as a result. Yes, they are a rather scratchy injection so they are briefly painful but it wears off immediately so don’t be put off.

Edited to add that I’ve just re-read post from poster above me who says that they make her arm a bit sore for a couple of hours afterwards but I have never found that. Just shows we are all different and will react to things in different ways. Either that or I’m so used to being poked, prodded and otherwise mauled around on a regular basis that I no longer notice things

[don]

Yes autism is genetic as traits are exhibited at ages too young to have been learned and the autistic spectrum is wide and encompasses almost unnoticeable behaviour traits to very noticeable and sometimes challenging behaviours. Why not get in touch with one of the specialist autism groups and ask for their input/research.

[don]

@tessa lets look at the positives, you actually got a diagnosis in the UK of EDS and POTS….. thats pretty good going! Most of us get shrugged off as hypermobile at best or hypochondriacs at worst. At least you have the label needed to get you through the doors for help.

It is daunting and what IVe found is there are a lot of autoimmune conditions that are linked, ie I have come out with LPP which is auto immune and linked and I can find the research in other countries but over here no one will join the damn dots up.

The only thing you can do is play it by ear day by day, its rare its affected my work but Im a stubborn wench and have been known to crawl out of the parlour on my knees or finish a days teaching with a dislocated shoulder and go to A+E the next morning when I, rather clearly, did not get it back in straight.

Pilates is definitely helping me hugely with joint stability also making sure to wear good supports too I found a sound called Nuovahealth.co.uk is good for those.

Best wishes and I am here if you need an ear 🙂

[don]

@blurty The people I’m against are those who are doing this for an on-going business, not for their retirement.

Having said that, to get any sort of reasonable income (after agent’s fees, insurances, repairs and maintenance etc) you’d need several properties – the cumulative price of which could be used to buy an annuity – just as safe (or not) as property…..property can go down in value as well as other investments…

[don]

Certainly up to WW1 and probably until after WW2, it was the norm to rent your house. Most people didn’t own a house at all. Thatcher, with her “know the price of everything and the value of nothing”, and “let the market decide” ethos decided to enable people renting Council housing stock to buy, at a ludicrously cheap price.

Right to Buy is possibly a good thing as long as it’s strictly controlled in who can buy and why. For example – the blocks of flats overlooking Lords Cricket ground in London were originally owned by the council. Under Right to Buy they were sold to the tenants, many of whom (I imagine) sold them on at a vast profit.

Right to buy could be used to adjust a Council’s stock of housing, increasing or decreasing a certain type of property depending on fluctuating demographics.

However, I do think that it’s wrong to have RTB without a corresponding building programme as well.

I also think (not connected really with RTB but a particular hate of mine) that these programmes on TV about buying to let are wrong. People with money are preventing people with much less money from getting on the ladder by snapping up properties at auction to renovate and sell on or let.

[don]

The mother of the baby seems to have taken her stance and behaviors from her own family
Is your son named on the birth certificate, as it may well make it easier for him to gain contact with his son on his release? It may be that he has to see his child in a contact centre to begin with, but it is unusual for the courts to not allow a parent any contact with their child, unless they are a proven risk to children, which I understand your son isn’t. I do hope you get to spend some time with your grandson

[don]

@janey I vote for you for the next PM! My OH says that whereas all animals are evolved purely to pass on their genes, politicians have evolved solely to get voted back in, and they do not care about anything or anyone as long as they achieve their aim.

[don]

Check the MoneySavingExpert PPI forum…it’s easy as anything (they have templates for letters & even a free service to help.

Definitely worth doing, your first step is a SAR which is a request for info from the financial institutions you think you had loan/card with.
If you know you definitely had borrowing with say Santander, they have a phone line or online form to reclaim & they will track down your reference numbers.

Good luck!

[don]

I hire a lady who runs a cleaning company, to help Mum with her flat. Kitchen, 3 living rooms, bathroom and bedroom. Vaccuums, washes tiled floors, dusts, cleans bathroom and kitchen. Two hours a fortnight, £12.50 per hour. Best cleaner ever; she admits to being OCD with cleaning and loves doing a good job of it.

[don]

@fi do you not trust your ex to care for his child? Is there a lack of care concern? I am only asking as in this case the care cannot be faulted.

Another argument has come up now that because one parent is scared of flying they now do not want the child to go. Now the anger is that the child is now missing out on a family holiday with their other sibling and grandparents.

[don]

Thank you for your replies. I cannot find anything unlawful about taking a child abroad. The new excuse is that the child is too young but my relatives are taking their child ( who is more than a year younger) on holidays to the other side of the world. I think the other parent is just being nasty for the sake of it.

How expensive is it to go through the courts? Earnings I think take legal aid out of the equation but not a high enough earner to be spending a fortune on lawyers letter. Other parent on benefits so will get all legal fees paid

[don]

hmm, if I were you I would think of going to the Isle of Mull. Its perfect for a short break, lots of nice places to eat both in Tobermory and elsewhere, nice walks, great wildlife and great estates/castles to visit. There is a bit of driving though but there are some lovely cottages and its not so far you’ll spend ages travelling. Obviously with the West coast you take your chances a bit with weather and midges but I’ve never been much bothered by them in Mull.

eta for me the best time to visit is either autumn or spring and often the weather is somewhat better and the tourists/midges less prevalent.

[don]

I am shocked your local foodbanks and food kitchens etc won’t take them, ours are desperate for anything useable
As suggested, drop them into a Supermarket Food Bin, save them for when you next fancy something, take them to work/yard.
Even some old peoples homes will take and appreciate unopened and in date products (most will still be perfectly safe long past BBE date)

Give them to me, I got nothing!!!!! (No,d on’t give them to me)

[don]

I don’t think I used much in my bag…disposable but decent quality pants definitely. I second the winged variety – spent ££ on fancy eco friendly ones which turned out to be like matresses whereas Tescos own brand were far more effective and comfortable. A fancy shower gel; I treated myself to some L’Occitane plus your usual basic toiletries. I packed books and a tablet but never looked at them. Once baby arrives you’ll be entranced! Never used nipple cream, etc, and baby NB still feeds at 18 months

Food wise I wasn’t allowed any in labour and afterwards the hospital food was surprisingly good. Maybe it was the joy of not feeling sick. A few babygros and vests, hat and cardi, a couple of cellular blankets (sooooo useful) and a nice blanket for the car seat and that’s about all baby needs. I think I took one pack of nappies and that was enough.
Enjoy!! It’s a lovely experience.

[don]

@sarah I’ve since googled similar recipes to yours (not with ginger though – but does sound good), and have all those ingredients in so will be giving it a go. Thanks.

You’ve given me an idea though – a hemisphere of boozey soften date topped with a hemisphere of your truffle recipe…

@sue they look good but I really want to make my own.