Kate's Journey

pickle_me

Belated happy birthday Kate, and well done on ditching a credit card! I hope you continue to recover well. Your tenacity is tremendous - stick with it

beanielou

Glad to read that all went well & the pain is decreasing
Good news on not spending money & enjoy the course

in_need_of_direction

Things definitely seem to be on the up. Just don't try to do too much.

Kate_fixing_it

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

Things definitely seem to be on the up. Just don't try to do too much.

Me? Never although I did bake my first ever SW cake today and I'm really proud of it! I've been craving chocolate cake for a week and even the daily kitkat isn't helping. Will not be moving again today, kids are in bed, DH has popped out to see a friend and I am on the sofa indulging my new found passion for The Good Wife... with cake

Kate x

Fortune_Smiles

A belated happy birthday Kate. So pleased to hear the op was a success. You certainly sound very upbeat - lovely to hear.


Fortune x

Skinnylatte

welcome back, great news about the op and the debt busting x

Kate_fixing_it

Thank you everyone for your well wishes and birthday wishes. The day itself wasn't the disaster I expected - mostly due to having a really easy time with the anaesthetic. I think they must have given me chloroform the previous time

I'm still feeling pretty good although the cake baking yesterday has taken it's toll, I had a terrible night and in a lot of pain today. My little brother has been coming over daily to help with the smaller children and look after me so I asked him to pop to tesco and get us something nice for lunch (and some decent coffee ) so whilst I have spent today I'm still feeling quite virtuous. I also have some friends coming to see me in a couple ofhours - my first ppost-op visitors which I'm looking forward to.

I've been reading quite a bit across all the forums over the last few days and I've picked up some very valuable information. Nothing I need to immediately get onto but definitely a hrlp for the future.

One thing that's jumping out (especially in DFW) is using milestones and I got to thinking, I will be 40 in 4 years. In that time I'd like to think I'll have completed my studies and can get promoted. Whilst it has occurred to me that a promotion would mean more income it's never really clicked that I could get myself debt free in that time. So here's my new challenge for myself; can I turn 78 more repayments into 48? The maths tells me I need to increase the DMP payment to £211 (currently £130). That isn't possible...yet but it's perfectly feasible that in a year's time I'll have increased my salary a little (big praise to annual payrises) and even if I can make a sideways move at work I could potentially earn another 8-9k a year without stepping up a pay grade.

All fantasy in the current moment but certainly worth pondering. My current role doesn't challenge me, I have a plan in place to gain more experience when I go back and I'm feeling really fired up about the whole idea of it. Especially the thought of turning 40 with no debts AND a bigger income. So I'm finding myself feeling actually grateful for all this extra thinking/planning time.

Health wise I'm getting a bit of a reality check. I used to love running. Even a cold, wet and windy evening would see me out there but it's time to face facts. It's possible that I won't be able to go again. A very hard fact to accept. My left leg has already been out of action for a year, the likelihood is it'll take that long to regain the lost functionality so I need a plan. A very long and well thought out plan. I'm beginning to get arthritic pains in my knees and hips too so running needs to be put aside as a goal for now. DH and I have talked and come up with another option, cycling. I'm a Tour de France zealot, why have I spent 3 weeks each year of the last decade watching others do something that I can do myself? (Obviously on a MUCH smaller scale ) So DH is taking me out once the crutches have been abandoned and getting me a belated birthday present - my very own bike! I haven't had one since I was a child and it's so very very obvious!

So, I'm looking forward and I'm excited for my future. I'm making plans again for the long term and looking at ways to get there whilst keeping one foot firmly in the present and enjoying the pretty damn wonderful life that I already have

Kate x

EssexHebridean

Hello! I stumbled upon you elsewhere on the boards this morning, and thought I'd see if you had a diary as I liked the way you posted and your positivity - there's an attitude I can be doing with!

Great idea on the bike. What would also be a great idea for me would be to get out the bike I have sitting outside the house, clean and oil it, and actually RIDE the wretched thing. Hmmm. The weekend may be the time for this.

*subscribed*

Kate_fixing_it

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Hello! I stumbled upon you elsewhere on the boards this morning, and thought I'd see if you had a diary as I liked the way you posted and your positivity - there's an attitude I can be doing with!

Great idea on the bike. What would also be a great idea for me would be to get out the bike I have sitting outside the house, clean and oil it, and actually RIDE the wretched thing. Hmmm. The weekend may be the time for this.

*subscribed*

Hi there! I've just been thinking how similar our posts are - I think I've thanked every post of yours I've read this week!

DH actually has a bike in the garage he bought last year and never uses but its no use to me! He has shorter than average legs whereas mine are ridiculously long and I look like I'm riding a kids bike when I use it! I've got at least a month before I'm allowed to do any sport and should probably wait until I've checked with my consultant in the appointment at the end of June but I'm loving the idea and greedily thinking of the money not needed for petrol and parking if I'm cycling to work that can be put towards debt clearing. And you never know - I might just end up being the first woman rider in the TdF PMSL!

Kate x

EssexHebridean

Aim high! Aim high! :rotfl:

Seriously - what's the cycling equivalent of trying to run before you can walk....hmmm?! Loving the mental picture of you cycling along on DH's bike with your knees up round your earholes, too! :rotfl:

I tend to use my bike for popping into town, but it doesn't save me anything as otherwise I'd just walk, anyway. Cycling to work might not be such an option for me - 20 miles on the M11, I'd get arrested and fined! :eek: (or more likely just flattened by a truck, actually! )

Been reading back a bit too - glad your op was successful and here's to a pain-free future with everything you are working for! :T