Jill Franks

[Totally Loopy Lou]

Lots of people allergic still like cats and even keep them taking antihistamine. I have sinus problems and hospital tests showed I was allergic to a number of things one was cats. They told be to get rid of my cats I said no! Up to me, I was told. So sinus inhaler and an over the counter generic allergy pill I am fine.

Now, I remember a friend when I was young who was terrified of cats, she nearly had a heart attack when she came to my house, and we had two cats wandering around. I thought she was weird at the time. But now know people can be frightened of dogs as well as cats.

I had lived with cats all of my life until I got my Alfie whereupon I had bad allergic reaction!


Had always had hay fever and allergies but not to a cat!
Not sure if it was a combination of living so close to him (he liked to be/sleep ON me and near my face if possible 24/7) and/or his coat which was like down and literally constantly coating me and my house LOL!
But there was no way on earth I was going to “remove the allergen” and just upped my anti-histamines!

Have to say though, my SIL who did own two rescue moggies when she was single but is really a dog person, had most extreme reaction to him too and another friend who is usually less allergic.. Bad!

But neither are fans anyway - not sure if the two facts are totally linked?

There are - typically amongst my close friends - lots of people who are scared of and hate cats!!!

I’ve always said you don’t have to be a cat OR a dog person, just be an animal person as I am, but there are plenty who love dogs and (therefore?) hate cats...

And of course, they’re the ones the cat climbs all over

Have had to lock Alfie away when certain people visit even though he just wanted to love them!

And the fuss some people make when a cat starts with the old paw-clawing - yes it’s a wee bit prickly but the over-reaction to it always shocks me!!

I do tell them the cat is happy and it’s how they got milk as a kitten but they take it they’re being attacked I think?!

I suppose if you’re not used to cats, they are quite unpredictable and they don’t know how to respond to them?

 

[Totally Loopy Lou]

Thanks TTL admittedly 30 years ago I'd never heard of it, and with no internet to investigate, it was down to research in the Library. I discovered it was (for some reason) mainly women of colour who suffered with it, and that the U.S were more on top of this auto immune disease than here in the UK. There are degrees of severity with it, and I've been fortunate (so far), in the early years my platelet count was so low it was rubbish, I bruised easily and the overwhelming tiredness difficult to cope with. Its once it attacks the organs that it becomes a serious problem. I've continued to live my life without 'it' defining me, but have been on medication to 'control' the symptoms every day since. Lupus is an amalgam of symptoms likened to MS and arthritis.

I would add that I was 43 when first diagnosed (severe bruising set off the alarm bells), and as I had been taking HRT for about 6 months preceded by a bad dose of flu, I was told that both had exacerbated the symptoms of Lupus so was immediately taken off HRT.

I know quite a lot about lupus from friends and family - and myself and half of my own family suffer from various other auto-immune diseases.
The joys!

I didn’t know it affected lot of women of colour? But def agree that the US was (and still is) more advanced at treatment of Lupus and all auto-immune diseases than us!!

My good friend got Lupus as a teenager and then when we went off to uni together (we’d also been at school together), she had a massive flare up.

As a result of various issues, many of her organs are now severely damaged as are her eyes despite so many surgeries on them...

She’s in hospital ATM yet again having a crisis and then she got sepsis...!

During lockdown she had to do her own IV immunoglobulin treatment at home poor thing.

Gosh you were put on HRT early - I didn’t know that it can affect lupus but know it has hormonal elements so I suppose that’s not surprising.

Am glad yours is generally well controlled and you manage life with it and are not defined by it...

Take care!

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I was a massive fan of House. Every single time they had to go through all the possible diagnosis, always nearly killing patient before miraculously finding some obscure virus, one of the first thing suggested was always Lupus. It got to the stage when watching it we were waiting for it and could have played the shot glass game !

Of course I’m not undermining anyone unfortunate to suffer but it was just something that came to mind. Hope you all can cope as best as is possible.

ps I’m a cat person but dogs make me uneasy, perhaps it’s because we didn’t have pets as a child and I never would have considered leaving a dog locked up in a small garden together with people who allow their unleashed large dogs to run and jump up on you when you are out walking and don’t know them from Adam.

 

[Totally Loopy Lou]

I was a massive fan of House. Every single time they had to go through all the possible diagnosis, always nearly killing patient before miraculously finding some obscure virus, one of the first thing suggested was always Lupus. It got to the stage when watching it we were waiting for it and could have played the shot glass game !

Of course I’m not undermining anyone unfortunate to suffer but it was just something that came to mind. Hope you all can cope as best as is possible.

ps I’m a cat person but dogs make me uneasy, perhaps it’s because we didn’t have pets as a child and I never would have considered leaving a dog locked up in a small garden together with people who allow their unleashed large dogs to run and jump up on you when you are out walking and don’t know them from Adam.

Oh yes I remember that on House! Did make me smile too (not smiling at Lupus obvs!)

Also understand where you’re coming from with dogs.
I love them and encountered them with grandparents, but lots of people esp children are fearful of them, and letting your dog run up to strangers is really not on - never mind how much they try to reassure you “that he’s really friendly”, it doesn’t feel like that if you don’t know them or the dog!

I think it’s important for kids to meet and mix with animals (safely!) when they’re your so they know how to react and when to be careful etc.

 

[SisterBliss]

My doctor does that!!! He's totally not bothered that I can see him doing it and he's not young/newly trained either!

CC

Fuckwit.

My doctor does that!!! He's totally not bothered that I can see him doing it and he's not young/newly trained either!

CC

I complained (to her face) when doctor didn't know something - she said that 'doctors don't know everything'

 

[Twilight]

Fuckwit.


I complained (to her face) when doctor didn't know something - she said that 'doctors don't know everything'

The ones I've met believe they do. I have total faith in our vet, in fact she's aware of my opinion of doctors & has told me that if I ever have a serious health concern I'm to go to her. I'm not sure she'd be able to do anything, however, her concern is touching.

 

[maymorganlondon]

I'd rather they go online and research something they don't know or are unsure of than plough on, possibly with disastrous consequences.

 

[candycane]

I'd rather they go online and research something they don't know or are unsure of than plough on, possibly with disastrous consequences.

There's so many new illnesses and terminology I suppose they need to keep up. Lots of people get misdiagnosed with poor outcomes.

CC

 

[Dream Girl]

During the midnight eek hour Jill said she had x in stock then quickly corrected herself saying that she didn’t have x in stock that Q did, adding she hadn’t the stock in her own wardrobe.

 

[Totally Loopy Lou]

During the midnight eek hour Jill said she had x in stock then quickly corrected herself saying that she didn’t have x in stock that Q did, adding she hadn’t the stock in her own wardrobe.

Yes that’s just what I wrote on this thread a few posts back!

And I wondered if it meant that she or someone else at Qvc had read this thread?!

 

[maymorganlondon]

Yes that’s just what I wrote on this thread a few posts back!

And I wondered if it meant that she or someone else at Qvc had read this thread?!

Sensible. Coming here is a good thing.
Do you suppose any of the presenters rue the the end of the days of being professional, rather than having to blather on about your personal life?

 

[Deleted member 21102]

Yes, I do. Who in their right mind would willingly tell the world everything that's going on - where they live, their family etc? Having said that, there are one or two who do it with more abandon than others, for whatever reason. But they're sales people and they follow the money, which in Q's case is very good so they'll just do as they're told and pocket the cash, thank you very much. Knowing that a particular presenter had toast for breakfast isn't going to make me buy a toaster from them, so I think it's a silly policy and it's time the QVC bosses changed it.

 

[candycane]

I think it's pretty stupid to advertise to the whole of shopping telly viewers where you live and to even show photos of your house! Worse (IMO) is showing pictures of your children. There's a lot of weird folk out there who think they know you just because you present on the telly and they buy things from you and I certainly wouldn't want them to know where I live and what my kids look like. Just me though, it might be perfectly OK in most people's world.

CC