Portia

Tea, toast & marmite, knitting, Lego, time away in Corfu & those I love, these are a few of my favourite things...45yrs in NHS, now a Licensed Lay Minister

[Portia @PortiaSC]

@1goodtern 93 yr old mother has 24hrs of intermittent dry cough & feels fine, infects me & I’m still symptomatic on day 9. She’s had more vaccines than me due to her age. Coincidence?

[Neil Stone @DrNeilStone]

You think measles is benign until you've seen a case of SSPE - an incurable complication of measles which causes kids to develop dementia, seizures and death.

It's preventable by the vaccine.

Anti vaxxers are deadly.

And now they are in charge.

[Bodmin Hermit @TheCarceri]

MORNING PRAYER:
Lord of the Morning, I trust in Your perfect timing. Help me to remain patient and faithful, even when it feels difficult or uncertain, so, may your will be done.

[Graham Peacock @revgpp]

Always...

[Portia @PortiaSC]

Trenchard street car park #Bristol appears to be at a standstill....can't get out 😱

[karen thompson @karenfthompson]

They call us "The Elderly"
We were born in the 40-50-60’s.
We grew up in the 50-60-70's.
We studied in the 60-70-80's.
We were dating in the 70-80-90's.
We got married and discovered the world in the 70-80-90's.
We venture into the 80-90’s.
We stabilize in the 2000’s.
We got wiser in the 2010’s.
And we are going firmly through and beyond 2020.
Turns out we've lived through EIGHT different decades...
TWO different centuries...
TWO different millennia...
We have gone from the telephone with an operator for long–distance calls to video calls to anywhere in the world.
We have gone from slides to YouTube, from vinyl records to online music, from handwritten letters to email and Whats App.
From live matches on the radio, to black and white TV, colour TV and then to 3D HD TV.
We went to the Video store and now we watch Netflix.
We got to know the first computers, punch cards, floppy disks and now we have gigabytes and megabytes on our smartphones.
We wore shorts throughout our childhood and then long trousers, Oxfords, flares, shell suits & blue jeans.
We dodged infantile paralysis, meningitis, polio, tuberculosis, swine flu and now COVID-19.
We rode skates, tricycles, bicycles, mopeds, petrol or diesel cars and now we drive hybrids or electric.
Yes, we've been through a lot but what a great life we've had!
They could describe us as "exennials," people who were born in that world of the sixties , who had an analog childhood and a digital adulthood.
We've kind of "Seen-It-All"!
Our generation has literally lived through and witnessed more than any other in every dimension of life.
It is our generation that has literally adapted to "CHANGE."
A big round of applause to all the members of a very special generation, which will always be UNIQUE!

Class dismissed…

[Tony Duffy @Existential_Doc]

I meet people who are nearing the end of their life every day when working.
Maybe 2 or 3 people over the years have voiced strong persisting wishes to have things “sped up” or to go to Switzerland.
Some have started with this view and it faded away as their symptoms are controlled and they have time to adjust a little more to the new reality they find themselves living in.
Every day I meet people who want to live as long as possible, their families want this too. People are willing to undergo difficult chemotherapy that may offer only a few more weeks or short months. They ask about trials and supplements that might help. Their loved one encourage them to eat and build themselves up, to keep fighting and to keep going. Part of my job is to help people navigate this ever changing tidal wave of information and emotions alongside other health care professionals.
I also meet people who do not prioritise time but wish to maximise the quality of the time they have left. Accepting that not having a medical or surgical treatment may shorten their life, they value the shorter time at home over a longer time that involves hospitals and medicalisation.
Those who want to live longer and those who want to focus on quality of life both require optimal control of symptoms. As a medic this forms the biggest part of my work alongside the conversations around realistic medicine and humanity’s response to terminal diagnoses.
For the small number of people who have persisting wishes to pursue assisted dying there is massive political and media interest ongoing. Where it will end up remains to be seen.
Meanwhile let’s not lose sight of the overwhelming majority of people who need good symptom control to achieve their wishes. Those who need someone to talk to about their last weeks, days and hours. Who require timely access to hands on care, nursing care, medications and medical review. Those who require spiritual support, company when isolated and bereavement support when someone dies.
All of this is required thousands of times every day in the UK and the need continues to grow. Regardless of what happens with assisted dying we need good palliative care across all care settings. Without this then countless people will experience distress that could have been alleviated or prevented. We do not know the true limits of palliative care as its provision and reach has never got anywhere close to its full potential. Lack of funding, challenges with research, reliance on charity and a medical model that has kept dying at arms length have all played a role.
For decades palliative care professionals and many other health care professionals have campaigned for improved end of life care. Change has been slow despite the UK being a proclaimed world leader in palliative care. Now we wait to see what becomes of the renewed political interest in end of life care expressed by so many in parliament recently.
Many promises have been made and sentiments shared.
I hope this is seen through and translates to the practical care of those in need, its a long way from parliament to the small home of someone dying on the margins of society or someone brought to A+E by ambulance at 2am on bank holiday as they are unable to die at home without overnight care.
You won’t hear as big an uproar about these realities in care gaps despite it affecting so many every day. People’s stories turn into statistics while “how people die lives on in the memory of those left behind.”
Let’s not lose sight of the noble ambition to provide equitable, timely end of life care and bereavement support for those who need this. Never losing sight that this kind of caring is what the majority of people want, need and will continue to require in the future

[Alison Davies @alijzimmerman]

Just saying, this pretty much sums up all airborne pathogens!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Portia @PortiaSC]

I like my #nespresso machine very much, but there's one function missing....it should remind me to put a mug underneath before I walk away and let it do its thing.
#messy

[Super Spaniels @SpanielsSuper]

This is a fantastic UK initiative which needs to be publicised
Please could anyone in the UK retweet & circulate it wherever possible
You might help to save a life #EndDomesticAbuse
#DomesticAbuseKills

[MrsChickens @birdwoman1966]

I can’t work out whether the breakdown of society in the UK was mainly caused by suddenly piping half a pound of icing on top of cupcakes; flavoured gins; or messing about with hot cross buns so you have to make sure you haven’t bought chocolate chip or Marmite flavour.

[Portia @PortiaSC]

@FrDidymus 🤣🤣🤣

[Portia @PortiaSC]

@buitengebieden A years supply of knitting

[Portia @PortiaSC]

@JillMansell Happy Christmas to you & yours too x

[jeremy thomas-artist @jezthomasart]

Born for us all... Merry Christmas!

[Bodmin Hermit @TheCarceri]

PONDER
"Be still" can mean to be calm, trust in God and rest in his presence.
MORNING PRAYER
Lord, help me to be ready for whatever comes. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently.

[Portia @PortiaSC]

@autcareandshare Happy Christmas Ryan 🌟

[Portia @PortiaSC]

@MthrJacquiT Stunning

[Portia @PortiaSC]

@scattysmum @DreyfusJames Absolutely

[Portia @PortiaSC]

@FrDidymus Holy Trinity Parish Church Westbury on Trym, Bristol is holding its Blue Christmas Service this evening at 8pm, led by myself and another Licensed Lay Minister (aka Readers)