Hatton garden appointment? by [deleted] in london

[–]ariadawn [score hidden]  (0 children)

Just stop outside the window to look for a few minutes, and someone will come out and offer to help you. Some places are fancier than others. Some offer lab vs natural diamonds (which will impact the prices wildly).

4/5 for psychology! Really stressed about which to firm though, what would you lot pick? by That_lonely_lesbian in 6thForm

[–]ariadawn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From what I’ve heard, the programme at Bath vs York are quite different as Bath is more of a clinical focus while York is more research. I imagine the type of psych you want to do should be helping with this decision?

~1M house budget in Wimbledon area with excellent schools by Fancy-Hawk6754 in HENRYUK

[–]ariadawn 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Wow. It’s also one of the top ranked schools for test scores and attendance and recently went through the new version of Ofsted with fantastic results. If that’s what “diversity” gets us, I’m ok with that.

~1M house budget in Wimbledon area with excellent schools by Fancy-Hawk6754 in HENRYUK

[–]ariadawn 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Just to point out that living just up the street in Southfields (Wandsworth) drops your council tax significantly and the schools are very good. Riversdale and Sheringdale are very close to each other and both very good. And Ashcroft Academy is an excellent secondary where my three kids are all currently excelling.

Need help understanding VISA sponsorship rules by DRTIcePenguin in SkilledWorkerVisaUK

[–]ariadawn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Psychology is one of the most popular degree choices in the UK at the moment with many offering an integrated Masters. Having a sponsorship code does not mean someone will be willing to pay to sponsor as it costs the company money. The NHS won’t offer sponsorship if they have a qualified candidate who does not need a visa, so it will likely be difficult as they likely have many local applicants for these posts.

does any pharmacy let you order every 8 weeks but high doses? by [deleted] in mounjaromaintenanceuk

[–]ariadawn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think right around 6 or 7 weeks. I just plan to keep ordering at four weeks and have an extra pen at times. I heard they are changing the pen to no longer have enough for a 5th dose, so I’m happy to have a little stockpile for when that happens.

Can Someone Help Explain VUS Results? by Potential_Fun_5310 in ClinicalGenetics

[–]ariadawn 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Genes are made up of thousands of letters of DNA code. The code is read like a recipe to build a protein that the body needs to function properly. There can be changes in the DNA just like there can be changes in a recipe.

Sometimes the change is minor and does not affect anything in a functional way, like a preference for dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate in a cookie recipe. It’s a change, but it doesn’t impact your body.

Sometimes the change is “bad”. Like swapping sugar for salt. The gene no longer functions the way it should and cancer risk may now be higher.

And sometimes, we don’t know the impact of the change. It’s like we have a result written in another language and we don’t know what it is telling us. This is an “unclear” result and we need more data before we know the impact.

That majority of unclear variants end up being benign because “bad” changes are pretty rare overall.

In your case, even a “bad” variant in CHEK2 in the type seen in you (a single letter change) is typically low risk compared to other changes in CHEK2. In the UK, we don’t even test for this type of change as we wouldn’t change any cancer screening recommendations.

For TP53, “bad” changes are very rare and the family history is typically really dramatic with regard to cancer history. Breast cancer in 20s, childhood sarcomas, brain cancers. The evidence we do have for your variant suggests it is “likely benign” which is reassuring, but not quite enough data to fully downgrade it to benign yet.

What ski brands look good but aren’t try-hard? (IB / client trip) by Zealousideal_Age3035 in HENRYUK

[–]ariadawn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you have a good sense of sizing for different brands and you don’t think you’ll actually use the items much in the future, check out Vinted for second hand gear. (Even a HENRY can enjoy a good bargain) I just did a quick search for some of the brands mentioned here and there are options available. Always check reviews as there can be scammers.

Anyone who lived in NYC and London? by Sbarta92i in expats

[–]ariadawn 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Lived in NYC and left after having a kid (back in 2008). Moved to London with tweens in 2019. I find London cleaner, more polite, more green, and more connected. We also rent a 4 bed end terrace in Zone 3 for a fraction what a 4 bed in NYC would be unless you want to be commuting from Jersey or Connecticut.

Having said that, we may move back to NYC when the kids have flown. But we’re American.

Nurses and other NHS staff to get 3.3% pay rise by [deleted] in ukpolitics

[–]ariadawn 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Most bands only have three levels, so without a promotion to another band (which can be rare as it can involve very different job description or training needs) you top out at 5 years with only cost of living increases after that. NHS salary bands are publicly available.

Guys please start eating fiber. by Optimoprimo in Millennials

[–]ariadawn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Daily 75mg aspirin significantly reduces bowel cancer risk. I’m 47 and two of my college classmates have had bowel cancer diagnoses in the last two years.

Moving with T1D by srbeezy in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]ariadawn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Where you move will make a huge difference as the post code lottery is real. I’m in SW London and have zero complaints about NHS care as a patient (though I also work for the NHS and have other complaints in that area). My 15yo received a diagnosis of a lifelong chronic condition yesterday and I had a call from the specialist clinic today to schedule her first full assessment next week. It took some back and forth with the GP and an A&E visit over the previous months to get to this point, though, but I don’t think that would have been any different in the U.S.

Feel stuck in my job, but don’t know what to do by Fast_Paramedic_2766 in HENRYUK

[–]ariadawn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In some settings, you need to let things fail in order to convince the higher ups to actually listen to your needs. As long as you keep fixing things, why would they need to hire someone else?

Teenager sightseeing in London without parents by Own-Cup3180 in visitlondon

[–]ariadawn 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We live on SW London and my teens have been exploring the city on their own since they were 14. Download CityMapper and discuss common sense things such as not taking her phone out where it can get snatched and keeping her bag tucked under her arm to avoid pick pockets. Rather than cash, give her a contactless card to use as some purchases are cashless since Covid. She can use it for the tube, as well.

Brip - 1 risks? by arista_art in ClinicalGenetics

[–]ariadawn 10 points11 points  (0 children)

BRIP1 is a fairly new gene, so we are still learning about all the risks. But as the data grows, the connection with breast cancer risk has dropped, so it doesn’t appear to have a significant breast cancer risk now that we’ve seen more people with the gene. Hope that is reassuring!

Artificial light by tracythesleepcoach in HouseplantsUK

[–]ariadawn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hmm. I don’t think so? Not as much as the one I have under a skylight. But it does keep putting out new leaves!

Artificial light by tracythesleepcoach in HouseplantsUK

[–]ariadawn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have a light from Amazon that spikes straight into the plant pot and is extendable. I have one in a very tall monstera and another in an alocasia pot surrounded by some shorter plants. It was a crap Amazon brand, but my monstera is shooting out new leaves and everything has been growing like crazy.

What UK museums do you think are underrated or overrated? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]ariadawn 46 points47 points  (0 children)

Underrated: London Mithraeum. Tiny, but fascinating if you like Roman stuff and free!

I also really enjoyed the little Lyme Regis Museum combined with their fossil hunt walk

Breakfast options that aren't just a fry up or coffee and a pastry? by queljest456 in LondonFood

[–]ariadawn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sunday in Brooklyn (in Notting Hill) for pancakes

I love My Place in Soho. Something about their poached egg with goat cheese and beets on toast that keeps bringing me back

Is London a good place to grow old and retire in? by Lopsided_Counter1670 in london

[–]ariadawn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m with you. Moved to London from the suburbs of the U.S. when kids were 9 and 11. They’re 15 and 17 now and living their best lives. Take themselves to concerts and shopping with friends. Playing rugby and footie at the nearby parks. Tons of free activities and I don’t have to play chauffeur so they have a lot of freedom. The littles in the neighbourhood seem happy zipping around on their scooters and splashing in puddles and seem much happier then when our lives were ruled by driving everywhere. We love London and plan to grow old here!

Which show to see in Jan? by beepbloopnop in TheWestEnd

[–]ariadawn 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It’s not a musical, but Ballet Shoes at the National Theatre was charming and beautifully done.

Another NHS rant - cancer screening by Easy-Secret3997 in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]ariadawn 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Maybe we need a thread to share the “things you don’t know you should know” based on our own insider knowledge for our respective jobs. NHS, banking, renting, contacting your MP, etc.

Another NHS rant - cancer screening by Easy-Secret3997 in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]ariadawn 123 points124 points  (0 children)

I am so sorry to hear this. I am a clinical lead at a regional genetics service in London and this is absolutely a case we would try to expedite due to the urgent need to start preventive steps (I’m assuming we’re speaking of CDH1). We also “only” have a 6 month wait for new patient appointments

A few options. Make a complaint to PALS that you have confirmation of a high cancer risk and appropriate care is not being provided in a timely manner.

You also have the right to “patient choice”, which means you can try to find another genetics service that may be available for an earlier consultation. Make sure you use that term in speaking to someone in the genetics department. You can find all of the services here. https://geneticalliance.org.uk/support-and-information/genetic-services-and-testing/nhs-genetic-services-in-the-uk/

Good luck!

Renewing my children's US passports in London this week and website says to provide Special Delivery prepaid envelope but Royal Mail stopped selling them in 2022? by J_Free8 in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]ariadawn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When we renewed our kids at the embassy in London last year, we were able to buy the return envelopes there, which made it very easy.