My Diary - I'm back if anybody's interested :)

moremoneythansense

Well, whether anyone is or not - I'm back.

If you are reading, I will warn you there will be some 'ups' but there will be some very big 'downs' in this diary.

I am going to literally write this as a diary...every day if I can. I am going to write how much I have spent every single day - as I spend far too much money on I don't know what at all and hopefully this will help me identify where it's going. I am also going to write how I feel so I can see what/why I spend more (although I know this is comfort eating!:() I am also going to record on here all my different challenges as I am very very short of time and will find it too time consuming to visit each thread individually. (Maybe I could visit each thread once a week or twice a month just to keep the moderators informed?) I will of course, also get on the other threads to try to keep up with as many of you lot as possible too

A bit of background just so you know where I'm coming from...I have not been on here for maybe 12 months although I loved my time on here before and it really did help a lot but last year was taken up with studying.

I failed my exam in May but did a re-sit and another exam in November and passed them both:j. Leaving me only one exam left to sit and pass to become a member of the Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT).

I should have studied for that exam at the beginning of the year and sit it in May but in December my Dad was poorly and I had a shocking Christmas with him. He ended up in hospital in ICU with a chest infection and pneumonia (he just managed to avoid being intubated) anyway he was a little better by end of Jan but was having problems with his throat and his drinks were coming back out down his nose.

So, he was referred to ENT who found a tumour on his tonsil and a scan showed his soft palatte was affected. It is Cancer - non operable. He has had one course of radiotherapy but is now just in palliative care. In February he was given 6 months.

At the moment he is in the local Hospice (for which I fundraise) while they sort his medication out. He is being discharged tomorrow though but I'm not sure how long we've got. He is now in a wheelchair. He came out to play yesterday afternoon and was meant to be doing the same today but when we got there he said he was too tire and didn't want to come out.

Anyway, don't worry - this diary won't be all mawdlin' (although obviously there will be some sad times and I may also vent some frustration out somewhere - but I can do this and people can choose to read it or not but at least I can 'put pen to paper' so to speak without boring any of my facebook friends who must be sick of me by now - but there's nowhere to write a 'blog' on facebook)

Anyway, I am very pragmatic (is that the correct use of that word???) some may say I'm hard faced, but there is nothing I can do about it - it's the luck of the draw as to when each of us goes (he's 63) and I just have to get on with ferrying him about and doing what we can for him and being there for the fall-out for my mum - they've known each other 54 years!

On here I will also be writing my to do list and crossing it out etc when Ive done it - in a bid to keep me more organised and maybe even make my not forget to pay my credit card bill!!!

So, that's it...it's me...I'm back :T to do list to follow

nonnie44

Hi! Glad you decided to come back, I'm so sorry to hear about your dad, it's terrible being in that position but it sounds like you are being a fantastic support to both your mum and dad and I'm sure they both appreciate it. My dad died of a terminal illness aged 61 and it's heartbreaking but your doing amazingly well and feel free to vent any time - I really don't think anybody would mind in the least!

Take care

Valli

Sorry to hear about your dad, MMTS.

Well done on the fundraising.

Will watch with interest.

moremoneythansense

my to do list as I can remember at the moment but then it's bed time as I have work to do and as I haven't done it tonight so I'm going to have to get up early to get it done....

Anyway

take Dad home from hospice (God willing)
get someone to remind me what CCC means on here
find out if my nerd # remains the same or if I apply again
ring old insurance company to get my refund
take ironing to ironing lady (forgive me this one frippery - I have to delegate something and I have no siblings or children to help me)
re-register with SPC (which I thought was called SMP - sealed money pot)
buy some degreaser for hob
find out which abbreviation is about loose change
ring roofer re missing ridge tile (otherwise my cavity wall will be full of water with all the rain we're having!)
go to blind shop to pick up blind samples
register for NSD
enroll for 'make £5 per day'

Sunday
Total spend today
Mr T home delivery - £80.53 - card
donation to hospice kitchen for brew 0.90p - cash
bought mum's cough medicine - £2.58 - cash

Cash withdrawals £0
Money in purse - £52.43

change into pot 43p

Itsadogslife_2

Just wanted to pop in and say hi, I am in a similar boat as you and fully understand the ups and downs of having a close relative with cancer. My mom is an only child and there is only me and my brother and my nan has leukaemia and is on a downward spiral. She is currently in hospital as her kidneys have packed up now and she seems to be failing fast.

I feel desperately sorry for my mom having to bear this burden all on her own as an only child and this is the only reason why I feel I should have another child so that my daughter will not be an only child (which isn't a good reason to have another child).

Feel free to ramble away and if you need to vent you know where I am

moremoneythansense

Hiya its a dogs life - so sorry to hear you are going through similar problems - its tough being an only child and whilst my mum can do some stuff she is going to need a lot of company at some point - I will hate leaving her alone. Both her and my dad's parents were cared for by their children and had plenty of people round them as my mum is one of 5 and my dad is one of 10!!! - does that make you want to have that many??? LOL. Anyway, thanks for the kind words and I hope things don;t get too tough for you over the coming months:(

Thanks Valli - did a 5 hour Zumbathon 2 weeks ago - 4 of us raised £683 which we were very proud of. It was really hard work but really different. I am also doing an 8 mile overnight walk in 2 weeks with 3 other girlfriends (must be mad - but gotta do my bit )

Thanks to you too Nonnie. I have no idea how it will affect me going forward but at the moment I just get on with it because there is nothing else I can do. It's too early these days isnt it - early 60s? when some people get an extra 40 years in. But, by the same token some people get taken far too soon as children or in their teens etc - its the luck of the draw (and in my Dad's case the lifestyle!!)


well - today didn't quite go to plan....it never does you know!

My to do list yesterday was as below and I have only actually managed to do the ones I've struck through
[STRIKE]take Dad home from hospice (God willing)[/STRIKE] - settled
[STRIKE]get someone to remind me what CCC means on here[/STRIKE] - remembered Crazy Clothes Challenge
find out if my nerd # remains the same or if I apply again
ring old insurance company to get my refund
take ironing to ironing lady (forgive me this one frippery - I have to delegate something and I have no siblings or children to help me)
[STRIKE]re-register with SPC (which I thought was called SMP - sealed money pot)[/STRIKE]
buy some degreaser for hob - forgot - doh!
find out which abbreviation is about loose change - no time
ring roofer re missing ridge tile (otherwise my cavity wall will be full of water with all the rain we're having!)
go to blind shop to pick up blind samples - forgot
register for NSD - no time
enroll for 'make £5 per day' - no time

Monday
Total spend today
New Morr's opened near me today - £10.10 - card
bought milk and bananas for week for work £2.70p - cash
bought slimming world magazine at class - £1.95 - cash
bought slimming world sausages outside class £11.00 - cash:eek:

Cash withdrawals £0
Money in purse - £31.23

change into pot 23p
£2's into pot - 2

Dad came home and had a visit from the district nurse. He's home and settled so that's the main thing for now:). I went to see him after work.

I did remember to go to Slimming World (as I have already pre-paid - I think I've got 3 weeks left now) and was happy to find I'd lost 2 and 1/2 lbs:j - which is brilliant for me as I am a comfort eater and am always rushing about so eat all the wrong foods. Anyway, tonight I made salmon, peas, onions and mushrooms in rice - all free on SW I've also made a salad for tomorrow's lunch and chopped up some fruit too - oo get me;)

Hope to strike a few more things off my to do list and I plan to have a NSD tomorrow - all being well (yeah right - I hear you cry?!):rotfl:

well, off to bed for me as I'm permanently shattered at the moment:(

Night all x

chevalier

hi there
sorry to hear that your dad is so ill. Just makes me realise that having my dad till he was 76 (he has just passed away), was a blessing. I had been seeing it as too soon....

good luck on getting your debt down, but be gentle on yourself, you have another very stressful thing happening, and if you can just maintain your current position that will be good enough...
chev

Itsadogslife_2

Are slimming world sausages made of gold??? :rotfl:

Well done on the two and a half pound. I am exactly the same as you and if I feel fed up or down, food becomes my new best friend. Although afterwards I feel even worse for binging

Glad to hear your dad is home, hospitals are horrible places and my nan complains that she can never sleep due to people coming and going through the night, the lights being on and people around her moaning and groaning I am hoping to go and see her at the weekend, daughters chicken pox will definitely be gone by then

moremoneythansense

thanks for posting guys :T

Chevalier, 76 is not a bad age but I am sure it is hard at any age - it just seems a bit unfair when some people get to 100 and some get 40 years less (which is almost another lifetime!) but, if you choose to live the high life so to speak and drink and smoke all of your life then I suppose you pay the biggest price of all.

However, having said that, I think your signature motto is brilliant and I think that's my dad's outlook:D. He always says - "we have nowt, cause we've had it and spent it and had a good time doing it" (not that they've ever had a great deal but they've always been out to the pub very regularly for all their lives together). And if that's what they've enjoyed doing then who can tell them any different...they've not done anybody any harm:)

IADL, I'm a serial slimmer - my DH says I've started 235 diets since I've been with him :rotfl: Don't get me wrong...I'm not a yo-yo dieter - I just start a diet on a monday and fall off it by Wednesday and say I'm starting again properly on Monday;) I pay my money each week to SW and thinks it's gonna come off by psychic powers or something (hence my more money than sense username!)

The slimming world sausages are made by a local butcher (they are 'free') and I stocked up and bought three different flavours - so I won't need to buy any more for at least a couple of months and can make lots of nice filling free meals (to eat in between the biscuits:rotfl:)

Sorry to hear about your daughter having chickenpox:( I had them when I was 7 - hope she recovers from them soon and without leaving too many little scars behind;)

Well, the good thing about today....it was a NSD yippee!

So, money in purse is as was - £27 (after tipping up my £2 coins and loose change last night)

didn't get much more of my list done but I will update that in a minute (and add more things I've thought of :eek:)

The bad thing about today is that my Dad has decided he hasn't got long left (I think he's just scared but it's not my body) and that he wants to go back into the hospice:( His macmillan nurse has been and has said she will make enquiries but I don't think he is ill enough to go into the hospice personally and I don't think they will take him until he IS poorly enough - but I have to leave it to the powers that be for the moment.

Well, not much to report now so going to sign off a bit earlier than usual. Did I mention DH is poorly as well (I know I didn't cause I didn't want to frighten you all off) but he's been mainly in bed since last Wednesday and doesn't show much signs of recovery He's been for a blood test today but got to wait for the results - I could do with him being healthy to pick up some of my stresses at the moment but instead I am running round checking on my Dad and then coming home and seeing to DH:( moan moan moan - sorry.

AND, to top it all my friend has asked me to look after my God-daughter tomorrow night for an hour while they go the open night of the school she is starting in September - talk about giving me some notice:(

Anyway, enough moaning and feeling fed up...

Hope you all have a great evening (think I might get the ironing board out:j) and a good day tomorrow.

xx

Itsadogslife_2

Sorry you are having a rough day. It's horrid when the people we love are unwell.

Before we went on holiday I had to go to the problem with pains in my chest like heartburn type thing. Quack said they thought it was a gastric reflux type thing. I went away had a relaxing week in Menorca and didnt suffer with it once, back home with all the stresses and strains and it's back again :mad:

Even though DD is back at school and not contagious my mom is saying that we won't be able to go to the hospital until all of DDs spots have disappeared, so it looks like I won't be able to get over to the hospital this week

Hope your OH feels better soon

moremoneythansense

aw fanx

Just wanted to pop on quickly to say thanks but am now rushing off to work...oh to be a lady of leisure in times like these

Yeah - best to stay clear of the hospital I think for now. I am sure your mum is doing a fine job visiting. I hope your nan doesn't fail too fast and you get plenty of time with her. x

I'm going to get DH stuff together to leave by the bedside and then setting off - I'm meant to be at work by 8.45 (but I'm always on last minute...(doesn't help coming on here I suppose;))

Have a good day, and hope it doesn't rain too much where you are (terrible thunder and lightning here yesterday!)