Dealing with illness - being prepared can save your day
"Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Hicks regret that due to an illness in the
family, the invitation to their daughter's wedding on Saturday, the
fourth of August, must be cancelled.”
It’s the ultimate nightmare, isn’t it? All that planning and expense, and then having to cancel due to illness. When serious illness strikes out of the blue, there’s nothing you can do other than rally round and put your plans on hold until the crisis is over, but that’s a rare event, and most of the risks associated with weddings and illness can be prevented, avoided, or minimised. Here’s now:
It’s all about you
Every bride wants to look perfect on her wedding day and about half the women planning their wedding are reckoned to be on a diet – so that’s a lot of brides-to-be who are unhappy with their shape! Wanting to look your best is important, but too much focus on your appearance can actually make you ill. Here are a few ways to get the maximum benefit whilst avoiding the pitfalls
Do it now or don’t do it at all
Unless you have three months in hand, the only thing you’ll get from a diet or exercise regime is grief. You need twelve clear weeks to gain the benefits, both physical and psychological, of a new diet or a gym class. If you don’t have those twelve weeks, give yourself a break and go to a really top class corsetiere with your wedding dress in hand – a well fitted basque, or corset, will do you more good in the time available than any amount of huffing and puffing or celery munching.
Do it every day
It’s very tempting to say "I don’t have time to exercise” or "I’m too busy with the wedding” but exercise is crucial to your physical and mental health. It doesn’t just help you lose weight, it also releases endorphins into your body and those are the things that make you feel good and help boost your immune system. So whether it’s a quick bop round the living room to your favourite music (what about using this time to plan your reception playlist?) or an hour of squash, try and find time for some exercise every day. In the last few weeks, when you might find you’re not sleeping well, a trip to the swimming pool will help relax you and ease your muscles into sleep.
Skipping meals
Don’t do it. Just don’t. You’ll only fill up with something less healthy, like chocolate or chips. And a fainting bride might sound romantic, but the actual fact of it, when you’re pale green and sweaty and feel like throwing up, is just not attractive at all. Three squares a day, or at least a cereal bar and a drink, should be your minimum at this stressful time.
It’s all about them
Dear old Gran with her beta-blockers, Mum’s HRT, cousin Althea’s inhaler ... when you start to add the medicines up, you’ll realise your family could stock a pharmacy! And that’s without his Uncle Bert who’s on ulcer medication and his Mum’s Prozac, and that weird old school-friend of his who claims to have caught something peculiar in South America ....
Check your list – now check theirs – you can’t have too many lists!
When you know somebody is on medication, just ask them to drop you a line with what they’re taking and what it’s for. Consolidate all those little notes into one big document and give a copy to each mum to tuck in her handbag – don’t forget to include yourself and your hubby to be. On the day, should the worst happen, there will be two sets of chapter and verse to hand to the paramedic if that weird old school-friend develops an allergy to champagne ....
From CPR to Collagen – first aid on the day.
Pack first aid basics in a pretty bag or hatbox. Detail a reliable member of the family to make sure it goes everywhere with the bridal party: eg back pew of the church, back seat of the car, under the top table ... then you know that you’re prepared for everything.
Suggested contents: plasters, medical tape and gauze, antibacterial solution, aspirin (including child safe aspirin or paracetamol), smelling salts, pain spray (the ‘ice in a can’ kind) , hand wipes, eye-drops and an eyebath (you’d be amazed how often folk get rice or confetti in their eyes), tampons and sanitary towels, safety pins, tissues, baby powder, thermometer, tweezers and throat lozenges.
If you still have room, add deodorant (make sure its ‘no white marks’), breath spray and breath mints, cotton buds and balls, a pen, spare earring backs, and a little card of fuse wire (great for repairing broken necklaces and bracelets). Superglue is wonderful for putting shoes back together!
Listmania continues ....
Make sure you list the following and give them to your Best Man. Landline and mobile numbers for an: electrician, plumber, locksmith, GP, the local police station. There may be a child who gets locked in a bedroom, a broken ball-cock, or a power cut. You may need to know if your Auntie Violet’s medication is okay to take with aspirin as she’s complaining of a headache, or you might want to call the local police to ask whether the home football crowd really are all going to walk past your reception hall on their way to the match ... whatever the reason, be prepared.
The masses – not the messes
Do you know what the biggest health risk to you, and your guests, is? It could be the catering. Talk to professional caterers about their hygiene procedures: they should mention hand-washing, gloves, storing cooked and raw meats separately, and not keeping meat products lukewarm after cooking. If you’re handling catering yourself, remember that hot food has to be HOT and cold foods have to be COLD. Consider avoiding cooked chicken dishes altogether, poultry is the most likely host to a range of bacteria from E. coli to Salmonella.
The bacteria you’re most likely to encounter are:
To avoid such issues, make sure food is stored in sealable containers before being served, that hotplates are hot and refrigerated units are cold, that cutlery is clean and that food handlers are washing their hands frequently, especially when moving from serving one food type to another.
It’s the ultimate nightmare, isn’t it? All that planning and expense, and then having to cancel due to illness. When serious illness strikes out of the blue, there’s nothing you can do other than rally round and put your plans on hold until the crisis is over, but that’s a rare event, and most of the risks associated with weddings and illness can be prevented, avoided, or minimised. Here’s now:
It’s all about you
Every bride wants to look perfect on her wedding day and about half the women planning their wedding are reckoned to be on a diet – so that’s a lot of brides-to-be who are unhappy with their shape! Wanting to look your best is important, but too much focus on your appearance can actually make you ill. Here are a few ways to get the maximum benefit whilst avoiding the pitfalls
Do it now or don’t do it at all
Unless you have three months in hand, the only thing you’ll get from a diet or exercise regime is grief. You need twelve clear weeks to gain the benefits, both physical and psychological, of a new diet or a gym class. If you don’t have those twelve weeks, give yourself a break and go to a really top class corsetiere with your wedding dress in hand – a well fitted basque, or corset, will do you more good in the time available than any amount of huffing and puffing or celery munching.
Do it every day
It’s very tempting to say "I don’t have time to exercise” or "I’m too busy with the wedding” but exercise is crucial to your physical and mental health. It doesn’t just help you lose weight, it also releases endorphins into your body and those are the things that make you feel good and help boost your immune system. So whether it’s a quick bop round the living room to your favourite music (what about using this time to plan your reception playlist?) or an hour of squash, try and find time for some exercise every day. In the last few weeks, when you might find you’re not sleeping well, a trip to the swimming pool will help relax you and ease your muscles into sleep.
Skipping meals
Don’t do it. Just don’t. You’ll only fill up with something less healthy, like chocolate or chips. And a fainting bride might sound romantic, but the actual fact of it, when you’re pale green and sweaty and feel like throwing up, is just not attractive at all. Three squares a day, or at least a cereal bar and a drink, should be your minimum at this stressful time.
It’s all about them
Dear old Gran with her beta-blockers, Mum’s HRT, cousin Althea’s inhaler ... when you start to add the medicines up, you’ll realise your family could stock a pharmacy! And that’s without his Uncle Bert who’s on ulcer medication and his Mum’s Prozac, and that weird old school-friend of his who claims to have caught something peculiar in South America ....
Check your list – now check theirs – you can’t have too many lists!
When you know somebody is on medication, just ask them to drop you a line with what they’re taking and what it’s for. Consolidate all those little notes into one big document and give a copy to each mum to tuck in her handbag – don’t forget to include yourself and your hubby to be. On the day, should the worst happen, there will be two sets of chapter and verse to hand to the paramedic if that weird old school-friend develops an allergy to champagne ....
From CPR to Collagen – first aid on the day.
Pack first aid basics in a pretty bag or hatbox. Detail a reliable member of the family to make sure it goes everywhere with the bridal party: eg back pew of the church, back seat of the car, under the top table ... then you know that you’re prepared for everything.
Suggested contents: plasters, medical tape and gauze, antibacterial solution, aspirin (including child safe aspirin or paracetamol), smelling salts, pain spray (the ‘ice in a can’ kind) , hand wipes, eye-drops and an eyebath (you’d be amazed how often folk get rice or confetti in their eyes), tampons and sanitary towels, safety pins, tissues, baby powder, thermometer, tweezers and throat lozenges.
If you still have room, add deodorant (make sure its ‘no white marks’), breath spray and breath mints, cotton buds and balls, a pen, spare earring backs, and a little card of fuse wire (great for repairing broken necklaces and bracelets). Superglue is wonderful for putting shoes back together!
Listmania continues ....
Make sure you list the following and give them to your Best Man. Landline and mobile numbers for an: electrician, plumber, locksmith, GP, the local police station. There may be a child who gets locked in a bedroom, a broken ball-cock, or a power cut. You may need to know if your Auntie Violet’s medication is okay to take with aspirin as she’s complaining of a headache, or you might want to call the local police to ask whether the home football crowd really are all going to walk past your reception hall on their way to the match ... whatever the reason, be prepared.
The masses – not the messes
Do you know what the biggest health risk to you, and your guests, is? It could be the catering. Talk to professional caterers about their hygiene procedures: they should mention hand-washing, gloves, storing cooked and raw meats separately, and not keeping meat products lukewarm after cooking. If you’re handling catering yourself, remember that hot food has to be HOT and cold foods have to be COLD. Consider avoiding cooked chicken dishes altogether, poultry is the most likely host to a range of bacteria from E. coli to Salmonella.
The bacteria you’re most likely to encounter are:
- E.
coli in undercooked meat, unpasteurised apple juice or cider, raw milk,
contaminated water or ice; and it can be spread from person to person
- Listeria monocytogene can be found in coleslaw, dairy products (mostly soft cheeses), and cold, processed meats
- Salmonella lurks in poultry, beef, eggs, or dairy products
- Shigella
is rare in the UK but turns up on raw vegetables or cool, moist foods
(such as potato and egg salads) that are handled after cooking
- Staphylococcus aureus hides in protein-rich foods, especially ham, eggs, custard-filled pastries, mayonnaise, and potato salad, especially those that are served by food handlers as this is the prime way of spreading the bug.
To avoid such issues, make sure food is stored in sealable containers before being served, that hotplates are hot and refrigerated units are cold, that cutlery is clean and that food handlers are washing their hands frequently, especially when moving from serving one food type to another.
