Debt and Caring

Cherryfudge

Happy Christmas! I hope your brother liked his ice thingy (which would give me nightmares ).

Have a good evening.

WelshmansDaughter

Well that's over thankfully.
I had not anticipated how sad I would be and quite frankly, the pressure of Christmas makes me hate it already. 
I did spend the week before completing details for a support letter for disability which maybe wasn't the best idea. I have done all I am going to do for that as I think it is honestly making me more disabled than I actually am. 
It's really difficult to summarize the points that actually make you disabled on a form that breaks everything down. 
I have to put some kind of timeframe on being able to work as I get too used to doing nothing and going nowhere.

PennysIntoPounds

Well done for getting through it. The first occasions without someone are always very hard. Thats great you've put the effort in getting the letter together

Cherryfudge

It must have been a tough time. As PiP says, those first times are particularly difficult.

Re: the letter, I think the negative focus is possibly what's more disabling, but as you'll know, you need to get those worst days onto the official document because that's what you are sometimes having to cope with.

I know what you mean about getting used to doing nothing and going no where. Don't lose track of the fact that looking after your sister's children is work, though, even if it's not a paid job. What you're doing has value and requires skills and experience. 

savingholmes

Well done on surviving Xmas. Firsts are hard.

Definitely - looking after kids can be tiring and you are doing a grand job there. I'd struggle I think now to do that regularly. Glad it's behind me.

On the disability stuff - to get the financial support you need - you have to document what you struggle with. It was very eye opening to me and confronting when I did mine - as you are used to your own life and it's weird to write stuff down that we normally deny to ourselves. My financial position though has transformed now I'm getting the extra help and it has been so worthwhile. Also once I 'owned' my struggles and started writing down things I regularly do that may then result in injury or sensory overload etc - it has also become easier to ask for help, pay for help, buy prepared veg or ready meals etc to reduce the frequency of issues etc. My life therefore has been improving - as I let myself have more recovery time, am more selective about what I expose myself to that I'm likely to find over-stimulating, get more food delivered so I can know the price up front and take things out of my basket - as well as reducing the 'load' of being around others in the supermarket. Well done on what you've done so far - keep going - you will get there.

Well done on the decluttering and organising too.

WelshmansDaughter

I'm feeling chatty this morning (on here anyway) which may or may not be related to the two very large glasses of wine I had at 10pm last night.
It's slightly annoying as I thought I was going to spend the day reading. Instead I'm drinking another coffee and typing.
I had a mental image of going to the beach yesterday so I persuaded Teacup to drive us out there. I also spent the evening filling out some of the disability form which wasn't as bad as the last time. I was thinking more about it in terms of trying to figure out how it actually works rather than a list of failures. 
The wine may have helped. 

Cherryfudge

Task change... I was watching someone's Instagram about it and the more I think about it, the more I realise it affects me (ADHD aspects of me) - so I can see it could be disconcerting not to spend the day doing what you thought you'd be doing. Perhaps the reading day could float about waiting to land on another day?

Good work on getting down to the form. It may be worth asking people who know you well if they can think of any examples to back up what you're putting. Sometimes others remember or observe things that we don't, and it's all useful to help you get what you're entitled to. Only don't let their observations get you down - other people can also misremember or misunderstand, and we all see things through our own biases.

WelshmansDaughter

I went out today to spend money. 
I had a voucher from Christmas 2022 with €43 left on it and I was determined to use it. It's for a small local bookshop with Very Large Prices. I already did my scouting visit so I made, I mean asked nicely, Teacup drive me to it so I could use the voucher. And buy the nice red wine (mcguigan black label merlot). The wine was a big motivator.
As I went round the shop, it hit me again how impactful executive dysfunction is. Without the comfort of rules like Too Expensive, I had to make decisions based on multiple factors 😱
In the end, I came out with two books for myself, a card with symbolic artwork and teacup's birthday present. And used the entire voucher plus the ten euro I had in my pocket.
The wine was also bought as well as various things that have been considered on other trips but not bought because it was Not the Right Time. 
Side note before I go and check that Heavy's ice bath has not overflowed. Sister Act got me sketchers boots for Christmas. I mean Small One and Very Small One did 🙄. They are the ones that you put on without having to bend, you can just put your feet straight in. Highly recommend them.

PennysIntoPounds

That sounds like a most excellent shopping trip- not letting a voucher go to waste, getting nice things for you, sorting out a pressie, and getting nice wine in. What a day!

What a fab gift too, thanks for the recommendation, they sound very EDS- friendly. Flagging to @CRANKY40 for her and her HT in case it's of use! 

WelshmansDaughter

You know what made me think they are brilliant? When you have to go outside to put something in the bin 🤣🤣🤣