u/Able-Explanation7835

I employ someone as a Personal Assistant. I get money from the council as a direct payment and I employ her and have to pay her every 4 weeks.

Today she just got landed with the UC trap of having 2 paydays fall within an assessment period.

As such, she has found herself in the position of having no money to support her through the month.

That seems damned wrong to me. Surely they can adjust for this or do something! I feel awful for her. She has 2 kids and is a single parent. I don't know what I can do.

Is there anything she can say to DWP or is it completely pointless? They haven't even paid for her childcare.

I rely on UC myself, but never had anything like this. She hasn't had the opportunity to budget for this as she hasn't worked for me for that long so it's a bit of a piss take.

Any advice I can give or do for her?

I enjoy sci fi, and SO MANY series are cancelled when it just starts getting good. I am also sick of the dead series on Netflix, where they have cancelled entire shows on cliffhangers. So, can I get some recommendations?

I love sci fi, not so much fantasy, but slightly "out there" shows. I just finished Person of Interest. Awesome show.

I have heard about 'Designated Survivor' but is it any good? I like the premise of it, but is it worth starting, because I am a bit tired of investing my time to have it go the way of the Dodo.

What else would you recommend to a sci fi geek like me?

Also...it needs to have a good final season and proper ending, non of that cancelled or shitty ending bollocks (Things like Truth Seekers and Game of Thrones... it still hurts.... 😭😭).

I may have already watched some series mentioned so please forgive me if I don't leap on the idea, but thank you for the suggestion anyway.

Gollum was less addicted than my cat is to Dreamies

She is a clever bugger, and keeps finding where I hide them. If I leave them out or in an easy to find spot, she rips the bag open and Hoover's them up. I don't think she even chews...

Yesterday I put them in the kitchen cupboard up high. At 3am EVERYTHING from on top of the cupboards and below came crashing to the floor, waking me up, sending the dog crazy. I rushed to the kitchen expecting an army of Orcs, but instead, there she was, on top of the cupboard where my stuff had been moments before, pawing at the door which hid the Precious.

Tonight I have put them in the fridge. I am guessing at least that will mask the aroma.

I feel I have created my very own furry little crack head...

What have I done?

What IS it with Dreamies?

So, as this is a proper long term thing, I decided to get a good grinder instead of the standard plastic 2 piece ones.

I went ahead and bought the Chongz 7 piece grinder. 3 years on, still going strong. Hands down, the BEST in my opinion. The screen captures the pollen perfectly, and you can change the grind size as well. Also allows for a small amount of storage. All in all. Best £30 I have spent.

What about you guys n gals, what do you use?

I was a chef many moons ago, my passion for food remains however. Cooking is great as a hobby, but not as a career I found!

But it doesn't stop me from "Cheffing the shit" out of stuff.

From salads to soups, breads to pulses.

We need to add protein and minerals and vitamins to our already reduced diets, so what are your tips and tricks for doing so?

One tip I have found (and please DO NOT hold it against me) is Mealworm powder.

It adds a lot of protein pound for pound than meat. You can add it to anything and it gives a lovely nutty flavour. Almost dissolves into whatever you are cooking. Make burgers, and use it as a binder. It's great!!

So... What are YOUR tips?

If you use one, you will know that the Freestyle Libre 2+ is about 95% packaging and 5% device. The applicators consist of 2 big pieces of plastic, why? One side holds the sticky bit and the other... I don't actually know.

Is this just a company trying to make their device more expensive than it needs to be?

So, initially it would sound as if he is wary, but this is behaviour he exhibits when he is putting himself in situations to be close to me.

He will literally come when he wants some affection, and put himself to be cuddled (and believe me, he gets stroppy if he doesn't get cuddles). Then when he gets snuggled, he turns his head away, whilst pushing into me for more affection. Then if I stop he starts nuzzling for more affection.

My dog has ZERO respect for personal space. He needs to be in constant contact sometimes. He has absolutely zero aggressiveness towards other people, but he switches with other dogs, so he won't socialise properly. He was a bait dog before being rescued and adopted by me, so his first 2 years were very traumatic for him. He is a big 6 boy now, but still gets PTSD flashbacks now and then, he just goes catatonic for a while, then hides in a dark corner shaking like a leaf. I keep emergency chicken on hand for days like that. Roasting it and prepping it makes him snap out of it, but it took a lot of time to find the right treatment to bring him back to reality. But he is safe and sound and as happy as can be.

But it's the head away behaviour that puzzles me. I guess it is something in built rather than learned behaviour. I truly get so upset when I think what he had to endure. He is lucky to have survived. He is the gentlest, kindest, most beautiful soul I have ever met. He is SO good with kids, he is a Staffie, and my housekeeper and her kids adore him. Often, when he goes to stay overnight with her, it's her kids begging for him. She often finds him with the kids head laying on his chest (he doesn't do the head turning thing with them).

My boy is too good for this world sometimes. I am so proud of him and his temperament considering what he went through. So incredibly gentle and kind. So I just wonder why he turns his head...

Tyia

I have a domiciliary carer working for an agency, on sponsorship licence. She has worked for the agency for over 2 years on a zero hour contract.

She trusts me and has come to me with a query.

Today, she received a WhatsApp message from her employers that she needs to pay £85 for a DBS check.

I told her that she might need to pay, but several things stick out to me.

1. She has worked for them for over 2 years, why now?

2. It costs about £30, not £85.

3. What would it show, she has only lived in the UK for 2 years?

4. I believe the employers must be using an external agency. If she refuses to pay them, can she get one herself at the cheaper rate?

5. What is the likelihood that she be reimbursed?

Furthermore, the employer has used the company WhatsApp personal chat with the employee, she doesn't recognise his name, and he has put his PERSONAL bank details in, instead of the company's. I have told her not to pay anything and ask a colleague. I feel that if this person works for the care company, he is potentially scamming people unfamiliar with UK law and feeding on their insecurities.

She has asked for the request by email and the person just asked "Why?".

Any further advice I can pass on for her would be gratefully received.

My diabetes consultant has let me down today. He is saying his clinic do not dispense Mounjaro, and it needs to come from my GP.

My GP will only prescribe 5 units. Consultant pushed it to 7.5, and wanted it to 10.

GP would not prescribe more than 7.5, and wrote to my Consultant saying so, saying he wont prescribe more than 5.

Consultant now says he cannot do anything and that there is no difference between 7.5 and 10, and it won't matter. He can only prescribe a maximum of 5 (which I know is incorrect), so he CAN prescribe it, but won't.

Now am stuck on 7.5. I HAD thought I was 2 stone lighter, but I'm actually 27 stone, and it's not gone down since january. I have been on 7.5 since October. My insulin regimen went down, but now it has shit back up again.

I just don't know what to do. I can't afford to go private. I am disabled and this was my last, best hope of losing weight. I just feel as if I have been set up to fail. I just feel so gutted that I cannot get the help I so desperately need.

My GP and my consultant both say Mounjaro doesn't help, when it CLEARLY does! I just don't know where to go.

Weight management clinic has a 3 year waiting list. My mental health has taken a nosedive. Once I was SO full of hope, now it's back to "sort yourself out" medicine.

In 2015 I went through acute necrotising Pancreatitis and 90% of my pancreas was dissolved. The doctors told me I was diabetic for the rest of my life. I am morbidly obese.

I was diagnosed as T2.

Several months later, my GP took me OFF insulin because I had excellent control of my HBA1C. After a few days I started feeling very unwell. Fortunately, I had the noggin to contact my diabetic Nurse and asking this was correct. The Consultant put me back on insulin and I felt better very soon.

I am still diagnosed as T2.

Over 12 years later, and a change of consultants later and a different part of the country, I am hospitalised for a seperate matter entirely. Diabetes has been very difficult to control insulin wise. Up and down with the doses. I became very resistant to insulin.

My consultant decides to try me on Mounjaro. However, I am losing weight, just not enough. Both GP and Consultant are hesitant to continue based on having had Pancreatitis before.

I am still struggling with diabetes. Insulin is creeping up again having dropped dramatically with mounjaro use. I also dropped a load of weight but need to lose more.

Mounjaro is the only thing that has been successful, losing 10 stone in a year. It is losing its effect, and I need to increase the dose. But the doctors won't as I have T2 diabetes according to my notes.

I am pretty sure I have T3c brittle diabetes, but treated as T1. Unfortunately, doctors see T2 and think this is diet alone.

I feel my GP thinks my diabetes is T2 and diet controlled, that I can heal my diabetes. Same for my consultant.

They don't want to test my pancreatic function, or if they have, noone told me. I don't even know if it functions whatsoever. Noone will tell me or explain it to me.

Is a t2 to T3c change in diagnoses important or am I really, in fact, Type 2?

Hope this makes sense and if anyone else has had this, I would appreciate your input.

Seems I have put weight on. A LOT of weight on. 2 stone to be exact. I am fucking gutted.

I have also had to increase the amount of insulin I give myself which doesn't help and the spiral begins. More insulin means more weight gain which means more insulin.

I am utterly utterly gutted. I truly felt it was going the right way. I can only assume my scales were wrong last time. No way I could have put THAT much on in 3 weeks.

I feel so low and helpless. Can't get in touch with diabetes doctor, can't get my GP on board with my Mounjaro, he firmly believes weight loss can only be achieved with diets I think (also, I don't drink, don't eat fatty foods but I DO smoke 3 or 4 rollies a day but he berates me for that as well as not losing weight). Just can't win. Can't change surgery either unfortunately!

So, my only hope is that my diabetes Consultant does something. I truly feel if I don't continue losing weight, I have 5 or 6 years left, I feel THAT poorly all the time. Trapped in my own house for 6 years, I've become the poster boy for being pathetic.

I'm on 7.5. been on this level since August, went from 2.5 to 5 in the space of 6 weeks from June to August and been on 7.5 ever since. No interaction with ANY medical professional asking how it is working. My GP wants me off it and won't support increasing it despite literal evidence, and my diabetic consultant won't engage with my GP, despite writing to them several times about it (he says that the surgery won't pay for it over 5 units as proscribed by NHS England).

I feel like I am fighting a losing battle, not only with myself, but with the system. I can't afford to do it privately and I have clearly become used to my current dose as I am not losing weight. I was 27 stone in January, and am STILL 27 now. I was SO excited when I thought I was down to 25, but it's clear they were wrong today has utterly floored me.

Sorry for the moan. I'm just really upset. Don't know how to come back from this or what more I can do. My calorific intake is around 1500 - 2000 per day at MOST. My body just won't shed the weight...

As it says on the tin. What should I say to the doctors? I KNOW it should be up to 10, but they are very apprehensive and a bit unhelpful.

Last check on HBA1C was it was under control, but in recent weeks it seems to be having less of an effect. Not feeling as full, hungrier as well. I am ignoring it as much as possible, trying to keep my food training under control.

My biggest fear is being taken off it and regaining all my weight. My previous weight loss plans have all failed. Been that way for over 40 years. This is my last chance at being able to have a somewhat normal life. I can't afford it privately. I am so scared.

So, I registered my PA onto my Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle. And as she is under 30, I was required to use a drive smart.

My car has had no use for the past few months. Been too poorly. As such, I would get threats from Direct Line and Drivesmart for not registering any journeys, and if it continues, they will remove all drivers from the policy.

I contacted them and explained no one was making any journeys, so they said just to connect to the app, and that should solve the issue and the letters should stop. So I did. Yet, the letters and messages keep coming.

I rang again and I was assured that it ONLY referred to the PA for removal, and as she wasn't using it, that was fine. I am over 30, so don't need to use the Drivesmart.

But today I received a letter informing me there are now NO insured drivers due to lack of use of the Drivesmart!!

So I rang Direct Line again, and was told that I could get back on. No problem.

"Can I get your driving licence number." He asked. I explained that it has expired a few weeks ago. As a diabetic, I need to replace mine every 3 years. I sent off for the replacement several months ago, and I am still waiting for it to be returned.

But without my driving licence number, Direct Line won't insure me as I don't have a valid licence.

So, now I have no car until DVLA return my new licence, which could be over a year.

On one occasion, I had nothing for over a year, and I had to reapply because DVLA lost the application!

WHAT the actual hell am I supposed to do now?? I have to get to the hospital tomorrow, but I can't use my damned car. I live on my own, and have no support network capable of driving. I am ABSOLUTELY furious!!

Can anyone offer any advice? I rang the DVLA but they said that I am legally able to drive, and that the licence will be returned in due course, and it was an insurance issue, not a DVLA issue. No date for renewal available. Absolutely nothing.

What can I do? I am so angry right now! WHY does EVERYTHING have to be a fight when you are already struggling with life being crippled??

Absolutely unbelievable!

Just.. I spent over 40 years having never seen a white hens egg outside of TV, then suddenly, my eggs are normally white instead of the usual brown.

Afaik, the eggs are naturally white, but I'm the UK it was deemed more palatable to see brown eggs, associating with countryside's etc, so white egg shells weren't sold.

However, in the US, White egg shells were seen as 'cleaner' than the brown ones, so became more popular.

Is our modern way of associating foods now to the point that noone cares what an egg looks like, so it's now just a free for all? Or am I totally incorrect on everything I said?

Please lay your answers on here, I am eggcited to see what the crack is.

Further egg puns are also allowed.

Simple request (I hope). I am wondering what would be the best coin at a relatively reasonable price, but from the BC era. I just want to own a coin, from an ancient civilisation, that is over 2,000 years old.

Where would I get one and how much should I expect to pay?

It doesn't need to be gold or silver, just a coin with some features, that I can display as being from the time when Jesus was still mooching around in God's gonads.

Thank you in advance 😊