I promised I'd check back in to give an update on what my GP said.
First of all, she was really reassuring and kind about the whole thing - I had wondered if she'd brush it all off as a waste of time, but she didn't, which was a great relief.
She asked about my symptoms (chest pain and nausea) and if I experienced any anxiety or panic feelings when I tried a mask (I don't). She advised that breathing exercises & calming exercises can be useful when anxiety is experienced, but in my case, she didn't think it would be helpful. She suggested I try one of those cycling bandana/snood things, which fit tightly over the nose but are loose at the bottom - I had thought they wouldn't be good enough, but she said it was fine if I was struggling with the proper 3-ply masks. She also sent me a link to an exemption card to print out and advised me to carry that on a lanyard if the bandana thing doesn't work. She said that it would be good to have the card anyway, so that if I'm challenged for not wearing a 'proper' mask, I can produce it and explain that this is the best I can do.
Her final advice was that while it's important to wear a face covering if at all possible, when it causes extreme physical or mental distress, it's better to wear what you can and live as normal a life as possible than to cut yourself off completely, due to the mental health issues that total isolation can cause.
I've ordered a 'cycling gaiter' (that was what those things were described as) which should arrive by the weekend, so I'll see how I get on with it. Really hoping it will work, but if not, I feel a bit more comfortable using the exemption card now it's been recommended by my GP.
Definitely need to get something that works...we ran out of milk this week and I had to wait for my OH to bring some home from work. A day without a cuppa? Now that IS an emergency
