woah... are those MY finances??

stewby

I don't think our one shuts that early. I think it is 20:00 or 21:00 i think.


I do love a good shop in tescimos. Aim is to try and just spend £20.00 so we remain within our weeks budget.
:doh:

I am thinking about weighing myself in the morning (sadly after a whole pizza). but I think I might do my diet differently to normal and just measure myself all over and see if it improves with all the walking I am doing. I really hope it does.


scubaangel: you ran 3km and swam 1.5km?? that is unreal!!
:O

scubaangel

No I've signed up to do it, happily its over a weekend towards the end of March so the swim is Friday night 1.5km or about 60 lengths of a 25m pool and a 3 mile (5km) run on the Sunday morning, not sure why they're measuring it all in different units it's a bit annoying!

Once upon a time I could happily swim 150-200 lengths of a 25m pool in 90 minutes, but thats quite a while ago now so I need to get back in to swimming regularly, my sister wants us both to sign up for one of the 'Great Swim' events later in the year - she did the Windermere swim last summer so it can be a start towards training for that. I reckon if I can get myself off the sofa I should be able to do the run comfortably in under 30 minutes, last 3 min run I did was a couple of weeks ago and took me 36 minutes after not running for months.

So time to start training I guess.

stewby

One of my friends was going to be doing the tough mudder challenge but she broke her leg quite badly (it's going to take about a year of rehab).

I have a lot of admiration for people who can challenge their body like that. I always get the urge to want to try the london marathon when I watch it on TV but I am nowhere near fit enough for it (not to mention the fact that I can't really run properly. I look a bit like a numpty).


You will have to keep us up to date with how you are doing. Please.

kissjenn

Hi Stewby.

I've just caught up with your diary and think you're doing great.

You mentioned you're a nurse and vilified by the press. Well I'm just back at work after 2 rounds of cancer in 2 years. This time round I went off on the 1st Feb and the district nurses came in every day for 5 months to change my syringe driver, bleed and flush Hickman etc. when I had surgery that team made sure I was never in pain and knew everything that would happen so drains, catheters etc...all the scary stuff to wimps like me.

I'd give you all the biggest pay rise going. I was looked after like the most important person in their world. I still speak to the district staff as they looked after me physically, mentally and spiritually. I can never properly articulate how their involvement this time round made my life so much easier.

Send the press my way...I'll happily confirm your collective "saint" status.

KJ

stewby

Congratulations on returning to work kissjen. (I am going to take it that it's a good thing but if you hate work then sorry you had to go back so soon).


I am glad to hear that you are improving and that you had such a good experience with the nurses. It made me smile.


I have always prided myself on caring for people and I firmly believe that you shouldn't be in this career path if you don't have that skill so to keep reading such awful stories is quite soul-destroying... then the comments that follow are just awful. Some of them call us lazy and heartless and cruel, only after the money. These are things that are just untrue and are quite upsetting (I am such an over-sensitive person).


One of my mentors when I was training told me something very valuable about the press: You could have 100 operations in one day, 99 could go brilliantly but it will the the 1 that went wrong that makes the papers as the press thrive on negativity. So I try to remember that but it is hard when you see that so many people have the same opinion.
However, patients I have looked after have mainly all reported being cared for very well (you can't win it all, sometimes people just want to complain for complainings sake). This, and how hard I fought to gain my registration, (I am not an academic nurse, I am a hands on nurse) is the reason I have not left the profession. Money has nothing to do with it and never has nor will. Not everyone is in the job just for the money.
:mad:

Anyways, look at this rant. What a disgrace. Sorry everybody. I guess I am still de-stressing a bit.

kissjenn

Hi.

I love my job. We hear a lot about survival rates but I wanted to live again not merely survive. The nurses understood that and got me going again. I had some really dark days in the period when everything stops....appointments, treatments, visits but these guys, especially a male nurse, kept popping in just to say "hi".

They did tell me that they dealt with numerous petty complaints and that gob smacked me. I did the first cancer on my own and was very ill with chemo. I don't think I could have got through this second time without these people.

Like you they never became nurses to make money. They genuinely care about people and on that intimate one-to-one level, making a difference in someone's life.

I'm grateful everyday. And tbh the worse treatment was from one nurse who was very by the book and not too chatty...if that's the worse then I think we should be cheering from the mountain tops.

You do an amazing thing. There isn't a salary that could tempt me to do what you do, I'd be appalling at it. Everyone I know in my profession admires those who care for others. Most of my lot are doing what we do precisely because we don't have your patience or empathy, but for some reason our sector is well rewarded financially. It does make you question on what criteria we compensate. Cynic in my would say mine is traditionally a "male" field (finance) where a nursing was traditionally "female" and by extension less well rewarded.

KJ xx

stewby

I have heard quite a few people say that... particularly due to the adverts that talk about being a cancer survivor. A lot of people have started saying that they don't want to be labelled like that. "When people look at me, I want them to see Bessie the dinnerlady, not a cancer survivor" (career and name made up obviously).
I find that amazing that someone, like yourself, can go through such a traumatic journey and yet still want to not be defined by it.
:lovethoug

Ah, see, I am the complete opposite. You can't get rid of me for chatting and I am quite nosey. I want to know everything, from partners right the way to your kid's dogs favouite chew toy. I love speaking to people and hearing their stories about growing up and their work. I'm surprised I get any work done.


I always thought that male nurses would be less accepted by older people (not calling you old, this is just in my experience) but little old ladies love having a young man on the go. It's amazing how much they perk up and try to do more, almost like showing off.


Glad you are happy to be back at work. Ah, the joys of being cynical. I would probably agree with that thought.


Anyways, I am getting moaned at so am away to sleep. Chat to you later and have a good rest of your night... erm, morning.

MatyMoo

Fell across your diary and have read through. Well done on trying so hard to sort out your finances, it is tough to climb your way out of debt but so worth it in the end.

The cottage is gorgeous and just so Scottish to me, we don't have anything like them down here. It made me smile too as I have many happy memories of Banchory. My Uncle lived on Watson Street for many years and we visited often. Luckily my sister moved to Finzean and the Monboddo so we still had reason to come up. I can find my way about there far easier than I do in my adopted Hertfordshire.

I even won an award at the annual agricultural show once, wish I could remember what for!

[Deleted User]

MatyMoo wrote: »

I even won an award at the annual agricultural show once, wish I could remember what for!

Growing Forget-me-nots?

stewby

Hiya and thanks for reading matymoo.


My OH comes from Herts originally, he now lives up here. I love the pink granite, it is just gorgeous and I have always imagined living in a pink granite house when I was older. I love cottages but as I matured, I realised that a farm is just not suitable for my lifestyle (I enjoy travelling) so want a small cottage with a garden large enough for gardening. One of my childhood memories is my Dad having a vegetable plot and me trying to help get the "tatties" (potatoes) to the top of the soil with a fork. I wasn't very successful so got to "supervise" instead, my first (and only) promotion at about the age of eight.


Banchory is an amazing village, approximately 90% of my family live here or within 30 miles of it so it made sense to settle here. Plus, I already had a house whereas my OH lived with his parents so it also made sense for him to move up here (which is good cause I love Scotland and would be quite gutted to have to move away).
:happyhear

What made you move to Herts?? I must agree it is nothing like Banchory in all aspects. When I was considering moving to that area, it was Codicote that I settled on, just for that villagey feel. But instead, OH moved up here. It was a lot cheaper an option. (I can't believe how expensive houses are down there, it's shocking).