Quiet News Day!!

Today is what they call in “The Trade” as a quiet news day.  What’s all that about then “The Trade” hey what blinking trade???  Anyhow…  Not a lot has been happening today really apart from the much awaited Chancellors Budget Speech that is and to be honest there wasn’t much of any significance in there just the usual things like, money on fags and a freeze on spirits.  More road tax on gas guzzling 4x4 monsters. Some extra cash for children and not much really for pensioners and people like me, Nutters that is!!!!!  So really I guess not even worth talking about!!

We’re looking to have some work done around the house at the moment such as fitting a new Bathroom and new worktops and Hob & Hood in the Kitchen.  Prior to being robbed of my health by the dreaded lurgy I would not have thought twice about taking on this work myself, in fact I along with Judith’s help of course just prior to this had replaced the entire kitchen from top to bottom on our own.  It may take us slightly longer than a builder say may take but I recon you will not tell the difference in the end result as we would take our time and do the job properly.   The point is that now because of my condition and the fact the job is really way too much for Judith to do on her own we are having to get a builder in to do the job at a cost of around £600 and that’s only for labour as we will be providing all materials involved.  All this on top of the extra outgoings like Travel Expenses, drug expenses, adaptations that the NHS or Local Social Services will not provide, even down to all the extra phone calls to the hospital etc and the additional food consumed due to the Steroids I’m on is never taken into account.  If you consider that I probably bring in about a 1/3 of my meagre salary prior to this too it all leads to a pretty major headache at times.  It makes you mad because they have deemed that due to our circumstances and income we are what is known as a Low Income Family ( Well What A Surprise!!!!!) there is little or no help with these cost apart from applying for grants from the likes of George Thomas Hospice or Macmillan etc which although provide an extremely amazing worthwhile service are obviously over subscribed and the little funds available could be more well spent elsewhere on much more needy things.

Having said all this I have been very fortunate to have had a pretty amazing team fighting my corner so to speak from Nurses, Social Worker, Macmillan & George Thomas Nurses  & Councillors etc and Doctors too.  They have never ceased to amaze me with their ability to get results and their commitment to my care in whatever form it may take.  But it makes me think, what sort of service all those people out there going through similar things who have not asked for such help are getting.  Sadly t is not generally offered per say!! And to be honest both Me and Judith had to fight damn hard to get the service that I now have apart from the Doctors & Nurses at the hospital that is who Obviously give the same high standard of care and support to all their patients.  I know after speaking to the Ward Sister the last time I was in The Big House that the next thing they are trying to combat is this very same matter and in a form something like a ward councillor I think who hopefully will be able to let patients know what sort of help is available to them and from whom so things should be changing in the future which can only be praised   Well Done!!!!

I better go tend to my ducks, I’ll catch you guys later.

See Ya !!