My DMP Journey...

Sazzie23

Hey MB I was looking for Puzz's diary and found yours instead. Sorry to hear about the laptop trouble, fortunate you were able to get some sort of replacement or we'd have had to come round wiv the boys to get you back on track:rotfl:

Bad news about the cronky back, you may have read mine is also a bit of a tricky dickey and have reinjured myself this week, good job you couldn't hear me cursing myself...very unladylike:o

In the past I've found acupuncture successful, but it's not all the same, so don't be disheartened if the one you had didn't work, try another! I also went to see a sports massage specialist, he explained that I was creating problems by the way I walked - this was the key to me finding relief. I'll have a cronky back forever but I can live it now.
Finally I lost the tramadol and gained gabapentin, it's not for everyone, but it's much more effective for me than the tramadol was. I only got it when the physio insisted I tell the GP I needed it!

So it's just some suggestions to help you move forward, there is no one answer to debt problems, and backs are the same, you just have keep at it and see what works for you.

Good luck and may you regain debt busting fire power again soon

Monkeyballs

Morning Sazzie,

Thanks for the words back pain, it's a right pain aint it?

I've had loads of appointments with physio and had numerous acupuncture sessions and while they were helping now the effects seem to be very short lived... Actually I'd say when I leave the house the pain is minimal then in the 15 mins it takes to walk to the hospital I'm crippled up, then I have an half hour session which eases my beck then I walk home and I'm back to square one! LOL, it feels a lot like I've not gained anything...

I have also paid for a few different types of massage, hot stone was best while deep tissue laid me out for almost 3 days straight I had been warned but "ouch!" I've also had an assessment from my niece's chiropractor who could feel something which he suspects is scar tissue but also commented on my walk - ignoring the limp I've always put pressure on the outside of my foot before putting it down flat (left foot only, right seems fine) and has told me to raise this with the physiotherapist.

Gabapentin? Not heard of that one nut I'll ask about it as I'm at physio on Tuesday morning... If I could just walk comfortably then I'd be happy because then I could be a bit more active at least - thank god for my gym ball!!! LOL

As for debt, it's going in the right direction... I'm trying not to worry about it for the moment as I know SC have my back and will help me with any changes that I need to make although on the plus side I did manage to pay off one of my small debts this week

Welcome Finance was getting £36 per month and the balance was at £48 so I combined my birthday money with a bit of my wages and paid it off!!! Yay, one more down and it was much better than buying boring old clothes for myself LOL

Hope you keep seeing improvements with your back and chat again soon!

MB x

in_need_of_direction

well done on clearing welcome, don't you just love the names of these companies

Monkeyballs

Yup, top 5 fantasy lender names;

1. Welcome (To hell) Finance...
2. Quick (Grab all your) Quid...
3. TSB, the bank that likes to sayyyy... Up yours!
4. Wonga, by one they all come back for more...
5. Amigo loans, wee eez jost bandheets gringo...

MB

Monkeyballs

Thursday 8th of May

So, just been to physio and have seen an orthopedic specialist and after some (painful) manipulation they think that my back pain could be something called SJD?

She did explain that it's something to do with the joint where coccyx joins the pelvis and takes the brunt of any jolts from the bottom half of the body to the spine and often feels like lower back pain and can be brought on by a disc fracture!!! Sounds good so far eh?

So, I've stumbled back (45 mins!!!!!) from the hospital and looked online (which I know is never a good idea) but everything seems to fit although confirming it can be difficult and can involve shoving a chuffing great needle into my back to inject steroids into the joint (eep!!!) all while under local anesthetic.

Feels good to think it might be something different to what I've been getting treatment for as I've been feeling like I've being doing something wrong the last month or so, so while I'm in quite a lot of pain as I type this I'm grinning

The only problem is going to be getting to the various places for scans and tests an so on... Why can't anything be in the town centre?!?!?!? Everything is on the outskirts and as I can't walk that far or get a bus I'm looking at taxi fares (or possibly scrounging a lift one way and a taxi back) which I can't really afford as I'm down in pay this month and didn't factor them in to my budget oh well, I'll figure it out somehow...

Finances? Ha ha ha ha... Taxi! I'll live, just gonna be tight

MB

in_need_of_direction

Maybe a chat to step change would help. I know what you mean though. I was misdiagnosed with my knee prob. When it all got sorted, I think I was the happiest person to be told I needed surgery as it meant that someone had actually identified exactly what the problem was.

Monkeyballs

Hi INoD

Today I ache like I've been hit like a car lol, but it's day two in trying to treat something different so I don't mind if it means the beginning of the end

I was considering Step Change, the problem is that I've already made a payment this month... They already have the money as my budget should have worked out ok, it's just travel fares grrrrr... I guess I could try calling them and asking for some back lol but I can't see them taking it too well, I guess it's a free phone number eh? The worst is they say no?

Anyhoo, I'll keep posting with how I get on

Edit: I frikken love Step Change!!! I've just spoken to them and they have agreed to refund £100 to help me cover transport costs :j HUGE relief!!!! Sadly it means that I need to edit my signature (boooo) they also told me to expect a couple of creditors to maybe get in touch but comments will be sent with payment so hopefully not and as I've repaid Welcome Finance it's actually just an underpayment of about £62 which spread over 13 creditors isn't going to be much Thank you Step Change!!!

MB x

Puzzcat

Hi MB,


Glad you got it sorted with SC, I have read of others having to make occasional monthly reduced payments and requesting money back from SC.. I think they 'allow' it twice a year, but only for emergencies... Do you think a sunshine holiday counts as an emergency??? :rotfl:

in_need_of_direction

Good news mb. You've obviously built up a good history.

Monkeyballs

Puzzcat wrote: »

Hi MB,


Glad you got it sorted with SC, I have read of others having to make occasional monthly reduced payments and requesting money back from SC.. I think they 'allow' it twice a year, but only for emergencies... Do you think a sunshine holiday counts as an emergency??? :rotfl:

Hi Puzz,

Yeah, it's either two or three... But either way the chappy said I was due a review next month anyway time flies when you're paying your debts!!!

Next month I'll have even less than this month so I think my repayment will be maybe a couple of hundred at most? I just want to get everything back on track and make the maximum repayments I can afford again but I'm now in a position which I have no emergency fund as my £300 was swallowed up a while ago...

If you were in my shoes would you spin out your reduced payments for a further couple of months to rebuild an emergency fund or just go back to full payments ASAP and hope for the best?

As for sunny holidays counting as an emergency? Aaahhhhh... holidays... I need a vacation! STAT!

MB x