Taking control of my life

redsquirrel80

It all sounds so frustrating - but the courses sound like a bit of progress, the 'headspace' one sounds really good, and yay for lovely DFWers :T

Ames

Just found some jam tarts as well that the lovely DFW'ers might want to help with! They were whoopsied a few days ago, I thought ex had got them for himself but they're still here. I'm sure they'll still be fine on Saturday, they're mr kipling ones so a few days longer shouldn't be a problem.

I think I've had my bloods done.

Quick recap - I was referred to the ME clinic who asked for bloods, which I had done. A couple of weeks later I got a letter from my GP saying to go for blood tests as per hospital letter, but when I tried to make an appointment they had no record of it, so I assumed the letter was just delayed about the first lot of bloods. Fast forward a month to twuntish social worker seeing ME clinic as the cure for all my problems, phoning them up and being told they're waiting for the second lot of bloods. Ok, made an appointment. But the GP surgery still has no record at all of any second request for bloods - the nurse went all through my computerised file, and even went to ask someone else. So she's had to guess what tests the ME clinic need. I've got to go in next week to get the results and make sure they're faxed to the clinic.

Why can nothing to do with my treatment be simple and straightforward?! I'm I just unlucky, or is the NHS this incompetent with everyone?!

Anyway, looking forward to sorting thingsn out next week. Squizz, I agree about the Headspace course, apparantly it's really informal, chatting and doing group activities and stuff (I wont be able to do anything sporty, but I can cheer on other people!). and it's good that the courses and stuff are there as a backup for falling through the holes in the 'official' net, yet again.

It's funny, in June I was a bit manic and wrote a book (well, novella. Well, more long essay, about 11000 words) called 'Complex Needs' about the trouble I have being both physically and mentally ill and how that hinders treatment and other help, it was really therapeutic going through all my past experiences and coming to terms with them. Stupidly though, I still expected things to be different this time! But having gotten it all out and thought it through I've now got a better idea of how to challenge things.

Actually, I think it's time for an 'update' chapter...

dancingfairy

It does all sound very circular and frustrating as all bureaucratic things seem to be. At least it does sound like the courses might be helpful though.
Also glad you can have someone with you when assessment is done as a witness and for moral support and wow to the friendly MSE'rs - hope you have a productive weekend.
df

Ames

Back from the health trainer. She's going to phone the social worker's manager and give her a piece of her mind, she's champing at the bit to do it! So that's good, another professional saying that the suggestions are detrimental to my progress. She's also referring me to a 'travel trainer' to help me get out and about. I need to think of a regular journey to make to get help with and someone to go with me. I can't think of anything though! The most exotic journey I make is to the supermarket. Maybe a trip out to the charity shops in Wetherby or Otley, with a coffee thrown in or something like that. Not MSE, but getting out and keeping the depression at bay is just as important as debt busting to my mind.

Ames

Good day all round today.

Went into town this morning to put money in my credit union account - the £25 towards OU fees, and a tenner towads xmas. But then I decided to see if I could buy one of the presents instead, then I'm not tempted to raid the xmas fund for anythiing. A gift type shop's having a closing down sale and I got a big ceramic jar/vase/thing for mum, reduced from £25 to £7.50. I kept thinking that I was spending so little I should get her something else as well, but convinced myself that she's getting something better than my usual budget would get here, and she wont know it was so cheap. I think it's a big step in debtbusting, and dealing with my family, in changing my way of thinking like that. I'm not going to be 'guilted' into spending more than I can afford anymore.

So to treat myself I went and had my free Starbucks - the biggest, almost most expensive one I could get! The only way I could have wrung more value out of it would be to get cream, which is no good for my diet and kind of negates the 'skinny sugar free' part of the order. So sat and read and drank coffee for an hour.

Then the new social worker called, he's coming to assess me next Friday, assuming my outreach worker can be there. He's also bringing a witness, so it should be interesting! At least this time I know what I'm up against. Now I've seen a report I know what the questions are really getting at, and how vague ones can fit several specific descriptors, so I can answer properly. Probably my fault for being naive last time, after years of claiming benefits I should have realised how sneaky they'd be!

Ames

Not sure I've got any readers left, but I'm carrying on with this just for myself.

Things are really looking up. Yesterday two wonderful DFW'ers came round and we got my flat tidied and a lot of cleaning done. On monday I'll contact a cleaning firm so that it gets kept up to, so that's a massive job done. They were really nice about it too, not criticising or judging me (to my face at least), they just got on and sorted it out. Their ideas have really made a big difference, simple things like moving the fridge freezer to make it easier to get into, which I should have thought of myself, but I have no common sense!

Also yesterday I picked up some freecycled shelves. Two 2m ones, and two 1m ones. Ever since I first viewed this flat I've wanted the big hallway to be a 'library'. I've got low bookcases around the walls, then above them is a handrail, and above those I want shelves. Then all my books can go there, and I can look for a cheap/free second hand armchair, and snuggle up there with a good book. Dad's going to come round in a few weeks and put up the shelves and do a little bit of plastering that needs doing. I've got a couple of other tiny jobs for him too.

Today I finally got round to ordering a new settee and bed. I got a grant for them a couple of months ago, but couldn't order them until the flat was sorted so they can come in and the old ones go out, that's sorted now. The settee had a third off so was £190 and the bed was only £60. They're from tesco too, so I got clubcard points which are worth four times as much when used to pay for OU courses, so that's £20 towards that.

I really can't believe how quickly everything's got sorted, after living here for 3 years I'm finally about to get everything how I've wanted it from the start, I really can't wait. A few weeks and it'll all be sorted and brilliant, and properly a home.

I've got a lot on next week, but hopefully I've got it all set up so that I can get plenty of rest between things.

And it looks like sister has found a job, which removes a lot of stress and our relationship should get better.

The next social services assessment is on friday, hopefully it'll go well, if not I need to think of other ways of coping.

GeorgeUK

Hi Ames, great news that things are looking up. Don't know who those 2 DFW'ers are but i'm taking my hat off to them. Well done guys.

I'm sure you've still got plenty of people following the thread Ames - can't get rid of us that easy.

Just try to take things slowly and good luck for Friday.

Ames

It was Becky and bank_of_slate, they're real stars. I'm still finding little things that they did, spots they dusted as they went past and things.

ChocChip26

Hi Ames!

Just popping in to see how you are! Great to hear things are looking up & fab news about all the happenings in your flat, it sounds as if it is all coming together nicely

Best of luck for Friday!

ChocChip xxx

p.s Love the sound of your 'library' & am very jealous- if I want peace & quiet to read I have to wait until my boyfriend goes out or goes to bed otherwise there is constant background noise from his playstation!!! If only I could get him interested in reading as well :rotfl:

Ames

Ah, the 'library', I'm not sure I'll be able to have a chair or anything to read in, I'll have to do the measurements first, but since I live alone I don't have to worry about finding peace and quiet. But if I read in bed I tend to fall asleep, and if I read in the living room the internet (and MSE) call and I end up on here instead! So a comfy little armchair would be perfect.

Right, I've got at leasdt three phonecalls to make today (eek). I need to phone my outreach worker to see if she can be there on friday, if not I need to phone social services to change the assessment date. I need to phone the cleaning firm and arrange a time and stuff with them. And I need to phone the furniture charity about them coming to pick up the old sofa before the new one gets here. Although I could go into them and speak to them in person about that. Having issues with the phone really is a pain sometimes!