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Self reported health/mental health [ Back to Health and Social Consequences ]I mean A"s got a friend M . . . .they lost all theirs, now her parents nearly split up over it, and M is eighteen the same age as A. We felt so bad, because she had her own cattle, farming them along side and lost the lot, and she"s an eighteen year old and she"s on antidepressants. (Front line worker, interview, 2002)
A farm that went into voluntary isolation speaks positively of health: . . . . in fact, they were more healthy, because ever since they"ve started school and nursery we just never seem to be able to shake a cold or they"ve always got runny noses and bad colds, and then 10 or 15 weeks they were off school, there was no colds, so (laughs)…no nothing really, we felt up here we were safe, there wasnobody to bother us like. (Farm, interview, 2002)
Another speaks of the difficulty of accessing healthcare: We couldn"t go off the farm to do anything (. . .) I was talking to her(neighbour) over the phone, “how"s your blood pressure “(she said), I said, “ it isn"t doing it any good at all,” she said, “ get on the phone to "B",” that is the doctor, “and tell him.” And anyway I did I phoned "B" up he said, “ I will send you some foot and mouth pills.” So I said, “well I can"t come out” – he said, “ well I will get them to you” so actually this (neighbour) went down for them and left them at the road end and I collected them from there. They certainly did help I think they were just a little bit more pills than what I was on. So I refer to them as my foot and mouth pills forthe rest of the spring. (Farm, interview, 2002)
For some, recovery meant a change of lifestyle: I was at another farm today who had meningitis a year ago, and has still not really recovered properly. He is still finding it hard to get going. He lost all his animals and all his work during FMD, and the additional strain has meant he has lost a lot of interest in the farming side. He can"t be bothered with all the hassle and paper work of farming sheep and cattle and so is growing a lot of veg which he and his wife have always enjoyed growing. They just retail at the farm gate. It doesn"t make much money but as he says it just keeps things turning over and he and his wife have time for each other and no hassle. Life is more important than making a living. Very profound. (Health and Veterinary , diary, 2003)
. . .the farmer"s wife was saying that the kids were all off school and nursery with ‘Hand foot and mouth’2. She had taken the youngest who was ill, with the middle kid to the doctor. The doctor had said what it was and the middle kid burst into tears as he thought they were going to take her baby brother outside and shoot him!! It is funny but also very sad. (Health and veterinary, diary, 2002)
There were also ‘FMD babies’, those born during the crisis and for some panel members whose home lives were disrupted by long working hours, there is a sense of losing a significant period which can never be regained: G’s 1st birthday [. . .] Feel very glad I bought the video camera because after the last year on FMD, I feel as if I"ve missed out on him growing in his first year of life – which makes me feel sad. (Frontline worker, diary, 2002)
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