Spending October organising our spends - friendly frugaleers this way!

[ememem84]

New thread because old one is almost full. All welcome. fluffy can you be a doll and please post the helpful threads? X x

Quite I don't have a CFS diagnosis, but CremeEggThief on here told me about how my difficulties fit with CFS and that pacing was the thing to do, and she's right, it really works well. I just need to actually remember to do it properly.

My GP is very nice but there are so many things that I need to tell him about, and he has 1700 other patients, so I haven't really managed to ask about why pacing is so important for me yet. Maybe I could tell the Ados test person and she could put it in her report.

I find it is much more effective to go and see some other person and get them to write a report to send to the GP which he can then read. That's how things actually end up getting sorted usually. I have no idea whether that is how it is meant to work.

quite, that's brilliant re work. Most employers are far for accommodating these days. Your 'being defined comment' really resonates here, I think DH would absolutely identify and nod vigorously in agreement re his bipolar.

Thats not how it works Summer
There are all sorts of conditions that mimic CFS and all this self diagnosis doesnt seem to be helping you recover.
You did say friends need to say it like it is -so Im going to !
Your GP can do bloods, screen out lots of things and on the basis of that refer you to a Specialist to get a proper diagnosis and a plan to manage your condition.
Not sure why 1700 other patients are relevant to this if this is affecting your life so badly ?

Blimey you go to sleep, wake up and you lot are 4 pages into a new thread!!

Thanks for the new fred Em Good luck today with the house!!

This is a quick post to mark my place as am off to catch a train to Bath in a mo, its my friends 40th and we are going to the Bath Spa and stopping over night. Its cost a fortune but hotel and travel are already paid for so its just the spa itself and dinner tonight left to pay (approx £65.)

The weather is hideous though which is a shame!!

Quite how do I explain to the GP how this is affecting me? I find it really hard to put it into words that I can say in a short appointment. Just from talking to me on this thread today you have already spent a ton more time with me than a GP can, and I don't know how to give him the short version.

My GP really likes me to explain symptoms in layperson terms. If I used technical terms that I might have learned from googling, that goes down like a lead balloon.

Yesterday I had to make a list of ds's problems for a referral form. Do you think I should try to do the same for myself on paper and take it along?

I too suffer from terrible aches and pains, but I am reluctant to persue a diagnosis as it is manageable at the moment and I have a feeling it would be fibromyalgia that they say I have. I worry that once I have a diagnosis I would start thinking of all the things I can’t do rather than what I still can. I get that for some people it works the other way.

Summer I would start by telling him that you have to go back to bed for the entire school day in order to be able to have an outing at the weekend, as that is not normal to have to do that

Summer my lay-personadvice is to book a double appointment. Write a list of what you are experiencing and how it is affecting your day to day life. Dr Google is dangerous in my opinion and I’m sure the go would rather make their own diagnosis based on symptoms and impacts

So an example of what you could perhaps say - when I stand outside in winter to watch ds do an activity I feel x, that feeling gets worse over the course of x days and that stops me from doing x,y,z other things

When I do y I can do y fine but afterwards I feel z and I have to rest for x amount of time to get back to normal

I have trouble climbing stairs because x happens but once I get going I can walk for 3 miles on a flat surface at a steady pace

The Halifax banking app lets you photograph cheques to pay them in at home. I bet the others do too. It will save me loads in petrol & general hassle of finding a parking space & dashing in.

born and wolf yes I see what you mean. I'll have a think about that.

Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack the thread for a non-frugality topic.

Fluffy that’s brilliant. I’m going to be all over that one! I hope Nationwide jump on that bandwagon too

Summer you are not hijacking most of what we talk about is nothing to do with being frugal. It would be a dull thread otherwise 😉

Lloyd’s do that too fluffy it’s a revelation. Haven’t tried it yet though.

summer I’d book a double appointment with your gp. Stay away from dr Google. And just tell them what’s going on. It’s absolutely no good guessing and trying what other people do. You may have cfs you may not but you can’t diagnose yourself based on the advice from other people.

I’m not bashing those on here who have made suggestions as many are healthcare/nhs workers who are waaay more knowledgeable re medical stuff than me. But none of them is your doctor. And none have met you. So just go. Big girl pants on and just go.

In other news....im currently selling my completely trashed leopard print shoes on eBay. Four messages this morning from people who like old smelly battered shoes a bit too much. I’ve answered politely about the shoes themselves but draw the line at answering “how stiff would I get if I gave the shoes a sniff....?!” 😱😂 this person is bidding £15 for them. And they’ve had 56 views since last night....

Wolf I know. You just need to keep the cheque for reference.

I wonder if PayPal would make you give a partial refund if the quality of the erection was not as described? 50% if they only got a semi?. 25% if it was serviceable but nothing to write home about?.

born, I totally and utterly get that about putting limits on yourself.

It’s my genuine and fundamental belief that you should never put limits on what you can achieve, whatever the barrier. I could give some unbelievable examples of some of my running friends obstacles, physically and mentally, that reinforce this opinion. You only have to look about in RL to see this is true though. The mental hurdle is often the largest. Often you might call it bloodymindesness...

I’d hate for my dc to see me have this attitude or, worse, have the attitude themselves. I’ve seen DH drag himself to work in some terrible states being honest, as he feels once he gives in once, it will be easier to go back to bed again.

Anyway, that might not suit us all, but I get what you mean!!

OMG I’ve just read the sniff comment em, no words, simply no words........

Nope just I haven’t replied. I can’t. I’m giggling too much and also appalled about how innapropriate it is!

fluffy haha!!!!

Em that's quite strange.

Yes I see what you mean about just getting on with it. I'll have a ponder about how to word it and about what's actually going on and get onto that.

Thanks

In frugal news and always worth a try, DH phoned Holiday Inn and asked for extra discount on the London room we've booked for the marathon. They've treated Dd as a child out of goodwill, given he spends so much with them and got us an extra £450 off!!

Oh Em that’s hilarious, creepy as hell but it’s realy cheered me up along with Fluffy’s refund comments

Meter readings done. Finally back in credit after last winter just in time to blow it all again. Working at home is a bit of a bugger for that even though I try not to put the heating on unless I’m shivering. What I forget is that I’m spending half to two thirds less on petrol than I used to be.

I have polished ds’s competition shoes but think I may need to do a Pretty Woman on them.

Just letting the kitchen floor dry and then it’s competition outfit ironing time. Thrilling

A nice thing just happened here.

A very reclusive elderly man who lives at the top of my road just came to the door and asked if I would like some quinces. I always see him around, and have done for years. I always smile, as I don't think he has family or anyone to talk to really. I'm glad he plucked up the courage to come to the door. I gave him my best smile.

I would agree with em
Perhaps in some way we and the internet have done you disservice in trying to help if you dont actually have a diagnosis of CFS.
I wasnt aware that you didnt.
I can see why its tempting to go that route but its been going on for the 4 years ish or so Ive been on the thread with no improvement and while we are a nice helpful lot your GP should be managing this.
"Im exhausted all the time and its affecting my daily life" should do it !
I think you know that though
Good luck !

Thanks Quite.

Thinking back about it, I did actually have this discussion with the GP some months ago and I have a list from him as long as my arm of things that I'm doing to sort my health out. It just all takes a bit of time.

The vitamin D deficiency is now fixed. The GP thinks everything else is caused by anxiety and I'm bashing away at sorting that out, and having time to rest and reflect is hugely helpful for that, which is why I started having a couple of days off a week. It really makes me feel brand new, to have time to sit and rest after 8 years of relentless grind and worry about ds.

The clarinet playing is to get a grip on chronic hyperventlation which is a side effect of anxiety, but which causes a lot of symptoms of its own. I've seen a specialist this summer about that, and he said "Yes you should absolutely learn the clarinet. Do it." So I'm doing it. I also have breathing exercises.

It also just makes me hugely happy to play a musical instrument, and that is a good thing and the orchestra we've joined is getting me nice company and a bit of a giggle each week, which is all to the good.

The Ados test was also on the GP's instructions and that completes next week.

So I think I'm on the right track and just need to keep at it.

I've made a new spreadsheet where I can keep a daily record of my activity levels so I can show the GP where I have got to, so I will fill that in each day.

Does that sound good?

Jolly good Summer
Im going to step back from discussing your health issues as Im not sure its very helpful to you or for me either .
Good luck I do hope you get things sorted out.