The Mental Debt Struggle...

Keedie

I slept much better thanks @LittleMissDetermined as I was able to fall asleep about 01:45 but I didn't wake up until 08:15 when my alarm went off, aside from shuffling to the toilet half asleep at some random point in time.Those dreams are really comforting but sad aren't they? Hugs to you too. x

I've got physiotherapy today which I'm really excited about, as I'm finally getting some support and interventions to help with the chronic pain. I'm cautiously optimistic about the licodaine treatment on Thursday and really hope that things will reset with my pain levels.

beanielou

Hope the physio goes well.

Keedie

Thanks @beanielou, the physio went really well. I was late because I got confused by the time of my appointment 😬, but I arrived just as she was completing a Did Not Attend form, so that was lucky for me! The physiotherapist was really nice and she's booked me for a follow up appointment next Wednesday afternoon. She said that they have a fibromyalgia clinic run by physiotherapists at the centre and she'll refer me to that after she completes the assessment next week. I'm very excited, as the Rheumatologist said that there was no more fibro clinics and I just basically had to suck it up, so I'm glad that she was wrong.

I'm waiting on my referral to the foot clinic to come through so that I can see the podiatrist, as I have tendinopathy in both my feet which the rheumatologist said was contributing to my pain when walking and that I need specialist insoles to take the pressure off my ankles, knees and hips.

All these treatment options are like buses, nothing for ages, then they all come along at once. I'm really happy as the INPUT programme from the Pain Management Clinic also called me yesterday to make an appointment on 8 December 2022. The INPUT programme is a clinic that deals with lifestyle changes and behaviours that can improve quality of life for people with chronic conditions. I waited a long time and it's been a very painful few years, but it's coming together. So for that I am really grateful 🤗.

Keedie

I did it!

Yesterday I paid my normal fixed direct debit of £102.33 to MBNA and payment took me just over 25% of my debt repaid since 1 August 2022! 🎉🎉🎉  I had great fun colouring in the tiles on my Debtris Debt Free Tracker. Level 1 cleared! 💃🏽



I've also been working on the penny challenge in a random order thanks to @AntoMac's advice and this has helped because I have used a random number generator to work out how much to pay each day, with the range from £0.01 to £3.65. Because I do love a good spreadsheet and tracker, I have matched Day 1 of the challenge (27 October 2022) up to Day 365 (26 October 2023) against the order that the generator gave me, and I have a separate overview in numerical order from £0.01 to £3.65. These dates coincide with declaration day for the sealed pot challenge #16, and is separate to my £500 target. So fingers crossed it'll work out.

That way I can check what I need to transfer each day, and cross it off the daily list and colour in the relevant tile on my payment tracker. As I had gotten overwhelmed trying to do the challenge in reverse, I'd abandoned it at £18.52 saved. But this way, I can complete each day as it happens, and if the value is low enough, I can go back and check off a previous day that I've missed. 

Today's amount was £3.52 so I put that in the virtual pot and crossed it off the challenge tracker. In time, my little squares will slowly but randomly be filled in 🤗.


This feels a lot more manageable and Christmas 2023 will be sorted. Yay!

Debsnewbudget

I am in awe ….
well done

Keedie

Ahh thank you @Debsnewbudget, that's really kind of you to say. x

cinnamon123

Popping in to say how happy I am that your health appointments are finally getting sorted! There's a lot to grumble about healthcare but it is so nice to see things moving forward for you in a positive way. Keeping my fingers crossed that health-wise things continue to improve and you receive more pain relief and help. Hang in there!

beanielou

Good news on the physio & health appointments.

Great news on the debt.

LittleMissDetermined

Such great news that they are finally sorting your medical appointments @Keedie! I really hope that they can start to help you manage the pain and help with the symptoms to make life easier.

I love that you’ve done those charts, it’s definitely something like I would do! Congratulations on reaching 25%, it’s an amazing amount and the way you have been going I’m certain you’ll be debt free ahead of schedule.

LMD x

Sun_Addict

Wow I love your charts, how motivating to colour in the squares. Great news about your medical appointments, sounds like things are finally coming together.

I lost my mum 22 years ago and she still appears in my dreams regularly so it's only natural your dad appears in yours. It used to unsettle me a fair bit at first but now my sub-conscious knows it's just a dream. It just shows they are always with us even if it's just in our hearts and thoughts.