The Mental Debt Struggle...

Keedie

I went to Specsavers about my blurry vision and stye that insists on hanging out on my left eyelid. The ophthalmologist said that I need to apply more heat and for about 10 minutes. I was using a hot flannel but hot tap water doesn't last long and so it was cooling too quickly. So I've brought a heated eye patch that goes in the microwave and makes my eyes water. Which is supposed to be a good thing as they're dry. Then I have to massage my lumpy friend in the hopes of unblocking the duct in my eyelid. It's not a cute look, so hopefully it goes away before my follow up appointment on 15 May. She said if it's still not going down they'll do a follow up eye test, and I may need to get referred for minor surgery for them to cut the eyelid and drain it. So yeah, that's a big motivator to get on top of it!

Hopefully I'll be able to get that partial refund @Baileys_Babe, as the lady at Specsavers said I should apply for the voucher from work and not to worry about the receipt as it's on their system, and then I can bring the voucher with me for the refund to be processed when I go in a few weeks. So I'll sort the voucher out this weekend. I've been so tired staring at the computer with blurry vision, I've not done it yet. But it's good that your husband is able to get such good bargains. Now that I've done my first varifocals in person, I'll be getting them online. I've got a tinted version as sunglasses to get as well, but they said they'd order that one once they were sure that I was happy with the standard pair. But I'm definitely looking forward to a cheaper way of doing it next year that's for sure.

I've also got fridge magnets from my travels @KajiKita, and pick them up whenever I go to a new country. Or I get gifted them when friends and family travel. My son used to collect footballs from around the world. Every time we went somewhere new, he brought a new one. So he's got footballs from Morocco, Cuba, Barcelona, Jamaica and a few other places. Funny enough, he was more into the genuine fakes and buying clothes and shoes when we went to Turkey last year, and seemed to forget all about his football collection 😂.

I've been quite tightly controlled with working out the budget for this month and it took me a little while yesterday evening, but it's all sorted now. And it includes money for a car service, as I'm driving to Manchester and I'm a bit wary about doing all that mileage without it being serviced. I also found out that the hotel I booked was cheaper directly with them than through Booking.com so I cancelled and booked directly. That £10 I saved will pay for a meal deal lunch on the Friday and a Wetherspoons breakfast on the Saturday. So I'm happy with that. 

But most excitingly, is that I get to continue emergency fund weekly savings and the money I'm setting aside for my son's 18th. I've decided to focus on those two, and when my son's birthday is over, I'll go back to building a buffer and the 50 envelope challenge. I was getting overwhelmed trying to do too many things at once when I ran out of money. So May is just focussing on the birthday and emergency fund and as June's budget will be more forgiving, I'll snowball the money I would have saved for the birthday, buffer and envelope challenge into the birthday and hit that target and take it from there.

PennysIntoPounds

If he's outgrown his football collection you could suggest he puts them on eBay?

One of my family members swears by Johnson's baby shampoo for styes, just gently washing the area with it a few times a day

Nice saving on the tenner

Keedie

Oh he'd never part with the footballs @PennysIntoPounds. He even still has his stuffed animals from when he was younger. They act all big, but they're still little kids at heart 🤣. Also, not heard of Johnson's shampoo and styes, but I'll check that out, thank you. 

I've been watching a great Netflix series called Unlocked, it's a jail experiment where they let inmates go from being locked up 23 hours a day with 1 hour of free roaming, to complete freedom 24/7 with no prison wardens. It's been so fascinating. It's my comfort programme right now and so funny too, without meaning to be, but the inmates have such strong personalities and they often clash. I'm halfway through, but loving it.

bamboo_socks

I've seen that advertised Keedie, I might give it a watch (I normally avoid that sort of thing but this sounds different enough to keep me engaged!)

LittleMissDetermined

Just catching up again.
I hope your stye manages to go naturally with the heat compresses, I 'm not sure I would fancy a scalpel near my eyelid either! I absolutely love that painting, it's such a fab back story and it clearly brings you vivid memories of your time there.

I agree that if you need the fridge and microwave then buy them. To be able o store and cook food safely is an essential and you don't want to be poorly from spoiled or uncooked food.  

Congrats on getting the EF to £300 mark, that's great and a decent amount for emergencies if needed early.  Also, how nice of Specsavers to sort the voucher situation for you, I'm certain not every sales assistant would be as helpful!

Have a lovely Friday Keedie
LMD x

Cherryfudge

I have a dry eye problem too - just woke up with it one day and am now on artificial tears and a gel. I'd been given advice on using heat but it didn't seem to make any difference so I'd given up. I think I need to take your lead and use it for a lot longer - thanks! I hope you manage to clear the duct and get it all working again.

Keedie

I've been sleeping on and off all day and I've done no food shopping so it looks like we're having saveloy and chips for dinner. Well my son will have saveloy, I think it's disgusting. And yes, proper storage and cooking of food is essential @LittleMissDetermined. I just need to find the correct one that fits the available credit on my Argos card.

Unlocked is a really good programme @bamboo_socks, because it's a psychological experiment as much, if not more so, than it is a true crime documentary in a sense. You see how people behave when they're used to know freedom and are suddenly faced with unlimited freedom (in as far as such freedom exists within a prison setting). I'm really enjoying it and the prisoners have comedic timing with their side quests and mini interviews. It's fascinating to watch.

The stye is still hanging around like a bad smell, but the heat compress is making a lot of difference. It helps my eyes to water @Cherryfudge, so you might find it useful in addition to the gels and artificial tears. This is the one that I have and my eyes are streaming after I sit with it for 10 minutes. Well, actually that's an exaggeration. The right eye is streaming whilst I'm using it and for a little while afterward. The left eye with the stye/blocked duct issue gets very watery and also streams but doesn't leak like a tap...


I went to my bipolar group last night and it was so nice to see everyone again, but I was so wiped out before I got there and felt progressively weaker as the meeting went on. I ended up going to the pub for one quick drink, which was an apple juice brought by one of the guys from the group. So I had a free night out. Which was nice. I left early though as I was feeling so weak and heavily dependent on my walking stick.

Things are not great mood wise at the moment. I'm just basically holding on as I feel so depleted. But at least I've not responded to the impending hypomanic episode with my usual tactics. I tend to spend away these bipolar episodes. But I've tried to be more conscious of not overspending and being reckless. It's a constant balancing act, and quite often, the scales are not really tilted in my favour... 🤦🏾‍♀️.

beanielou

Keep plodding. Xx

PennysIntoPounds

You've had an awful lot to deal with recently so it's no wonder your brain is feeling discombobulated and exhausted. Hopefully you got enough out of the bipolar group to keep you being able to be forgiving and kind to yourself whilst keeping on track, even if that track does have to be a little wider to accommodate your needs for now.
At least you know you actually need the fridgefreezer and microwave so if you do tip into a hypomanic spendy episode, you can hopefully focus it on things you require!
Apologies if any of that is ignorant of me. You're doing not just great but above and beyond.
Would this be a good time for your son to test his mac cheese making skills over the next few days? If so, send some here please 😁

Cherryfudge

Thanks so much for the details of the eye mask, @Keedie. I've had a look online and I think I can get them locally, so once our guests have left on Monday, I'll be down there.

I'm sorry you're so exhausted, though as PIP says, it's not surprising. If you have any chance for some downtime, grab hold of it. Easier said than done, of course, when there are people to look after. I like the idea of the track being a bit wider than usual when you have so many demands on you.