Thursday, December 13, 2007

One Month On

...and working is still going well for me.

My cold is getting better - thanks mostly to Steve, who is being great about making sure that I get a chance to recover properly, get plenty of sleep, enough drinks and so on. If I was on my own and having to deal with cooking and grocery-shopping and laundry and washing-up as well as work, I wouldn't be managing and the cold would have been the final straw to see me land flat on my face.

If I had landed flat on my face... well, I'd have got up again soon enough. The people at work, up to and including The Boss, repeatedly reassured me from day one of my cold that if I had to take a day or two off, it would be fine, they know I work hard and that I'm not going to take the mickey. Apparently I really did look worryingly ill though.

I am managing to not get too anxious about the muppetry of the Incapacity Benefit bunch.

The taxi driver I have hired to get me to and from work is lovely. He's provided the paperwork I need without batting an eyelid, he's friendly, he turns up on time, and on the one or two occasions he personally hasn't been available to pick me up, he's arranged a different driver, he's sorted out payment with them directly (so I just stay on the simple fuss-free written invoice with him), and he's phoned me to let me know the type of car and name of driver. It's going incredibly smoothly.

I got my paycheque, early so it clears before Christmas. It's all sorted out now for PAYE tax and National Insurance contributions (so there's really no excuse for the Incap muppets). It feels good.

So now, there's just a week and a day of work left to do, and then I have a break for Christmas! Steve and I are going to see my family and friends, I'm really looking forward to it. I think my mum is looking forward to it as well - she's even added my favourite type of orange juice to her shopping list for the week, awbless!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm glad it's all going well.

Maggie said...

Well done to you! Here's hoping the ICB idiots get their fingers out soon!

Just in case I don't get a chance to comment again before, here's hoping you have a wonderful Christmas.

Hugs from Liverpool, where I just hear a few strains of birdsong, despite it being pitch black still

Pandora Caitiff said...

Hooray! Looks like things are picking up again.

And Merry Christmas to you and the Evil one :)

BenefitScroungingScum said...

I'm so pleased to hear things are going so well, despite the beauracratic muppets! BG x

Mary said...

Thanks all. I'm not sure life has ever been this good :D

Mandy said...

Aaaaw, (re, your life has never been so good comment) how lovely.

Have a wonderful Christmas Mary and Steve, see you in the new year. :)

Supermouse said...

I've just caught up on all your archives. I read Random Reality and saw you on there being the sane face of CFS/ME.

I wish you a happy and prosperous new year.

Anonymous said...

@supermouse: she's the *sane* face of CFS/ME??? I dread to think of what the insane face looks like then :P
/good crimbo, glad we're back now though.

Supermouse said...

Being very ill and treated as a malingerer by any or all of doctors, family and friends can turn some PWME a little funny, quite understandably. Desperate searches for anything that will help, rants on certain doctors or organisations, all of these can make someone seem less than balanced.

It's very difficult to communicate the many petty frustrations of something like ME without sounding like one of the tin hat brigade, or self-pitying and wanting attention, or even just like a broken record.

Batsgirl succeeds admirably in conveying what living with ME is like without sounding paranoid or whiny. I couldn't be so balanced and informative, so I'm impressed. That's really what I meant by 'the sane face of CFS/ME'.

Mary said...

@supermouse: It's really nice of you to say that!

Just to reassure you, "evilstevie" is Steve The Boyfriend and a big part of what keeps me balanced. He's the one who gets to listen to it and apply tea and tissues on the super-painful days when I'm swearing and sobbing at the world and everything in it... but also the one who helps me take full advantage of the better days.

Supermouse said...

Ah well, then, obviously what I actually meant to say was that Batsgirl is clearly as mad as a brush. A mad brush with bristle issues and a warped handle.