Tag: psychology

Goals

A promise to myself

Mandy's Chitter Chatter

I am primarily writing this down so that I can hold myself accountable and actually do the things I say I am going to do!

Firstly I want to say sorry! I think the last post I wrote was back in 2023!! That’s insane!! To be fair I had a reason, I was fighting constantly with my GP and with the hospital doctors during the many admissions I had until finally I was listened to! So now it’s time to turn my life around and get better and start living my life!!

A bit of background about how I find myself in my current situation. After my assault, not only did my physical health suffer but my mental health took a huge bashing too.

I’ve been constantly depressed, feeling guilty for putting myself and Donald in the situation we are in, feeling worthless and quite frankly at times not wanting to be here. I also began (and still do) to rely on Donald far too much.

Then came the hospital admission for 7 weeks and I thought at least the physical.symptoms would be sorted, as depression is a huge part of my IIH. Currently I am.I’m hospital having had a third surgery as the new valve out in on the 23rd December failed and the tubing was blocked. They sorted that out. While I’ve been here I’ve been thinking of little things that I can do to make me feel better. This is where the list below comes in handy!!

So when I get out of hospital the following is my plan:

  • Cut down on biscuits/sugary food and drinks
  • Drink more water (during the hospital admissions I’ve been drinking more and it’s helped
  • Exercise more – do my bike every day
  • Do craft at least one/twice a week. Start using the recording equipment I got over a year ago!
  • Read more
  • Do at least one blog a week.
  • Have a self care day once a month – face masks etc.
  • Paint my nails every week
  • Do something new once a month in order to meet new people
  • Organise a date night once a month with Donald
  • Do more around the house
  • Start the Oxycodone withdrawal again
  • Start back on my radio show on K107fm
  • Do a fundraising event for the IIH association
  • Find a new volunteer opportunity involving dogs of possible
  • Listen to a new podcast every week
  • Save some money each month

I think that will do for the time being! If I do think anything else, I will be sure to update. Likewise if you guys have any advice on how I can achieve any of the above, please do get in touch, that would be great!

I promise I will be more active in here in the future!

Until th e next time

Stay safe and take care

A xxx

Mental Health, Physical Health

Getting back to normal

Mandy's Chitter Chatter

For those that know me, you know that I have always been honest in my writing. It is what I pride myself on, the raw, open, honesty that has been written on my blogs in the past. Well this one will be no different. Mainly because, quite frankly, I don’t know how to write any other way!

As some of you might know, I was assaulted in July 2020 by a resident in the care home I was working in at the time. The attack left me with physical and mental health difficulties. I was left with a severe shoulder injury. When I was initially attacked, my GP was very concerned and I had varying tests, x rays, ultrasounds etc but they couldn’t understand the cause of the pain.

It was only after some time that they finally realised that the tendons had been damaged  in my shoulder. have severe tendon damage to my shoulder and impingement syndrome.

I was referred to a specialist at Queen Margaret who suggested having a steroid injection. Oh I need to bring you back to the start here as when I was first attacked, I’d had a steroid injection from my GP, to be honest mainly I think because he didn’t know what else to do! He justified it pretty well though by saying….”if this steroid injection works, we’ll know it’s muscular, if not we’re back to square one”! It didn’t. But when the Specialist mentioned going for another round, I was ever the optimist and decided to get it. It didn’t work the second time either!

This is how to administered to steroid injections. Painful going in and for days afterwards 😦

So, now I am just starting to rebuild my life. I have a fantastic physiotherapist now (not that the others weren’t great, they were!).

The attack left me with a whole host of mental health difficulties. From simply blaming myself for being attacked to having to need so much support to cope with daily life. The biggest thing for me right now is that my fiancé still needs to helps me when I’m taking a shower. I’m 37 years old

In good news, because you know there is some actual good news to come out of all this. Actually when I sit writing this, some of the bad stuff that was happening at the time, turns out to be good news!

So firstly, I was dismissed from the job in the care home where I was attacked in December. To be honest, I was happy. For a long time I was very unhappy there so at least now I am free of all that.

Secondly, just after Christmas I applied for an internship with a TV production company. I was short listed and ask to come along for an interview. As part of that interview, I had to do a 3 minute pitch for a new gameshow. So I did it! We (myself and Don) created Monopoly Live! Unfortunately, I didn’t get the place on the scheme. However I had a telephone chat with the assistant producer today, who to be honest could not have said nicer things about me! She said that herself and Ryan (the producer) both loved me, my pitch was brilliant and really well executed, there was just someone else they gelled with that like bit more. She did say I should keep knocking on doors and harassing people though because I’m really good!

Now if that’s not a confidence boosting statement, I don’t know what is!!!

The plan now is, I got in touch with Fair Start Scotland who do fantastic work and offer incredible support. So I’m just waiting to hear back from them regarding being signed up on their scheme for a year. They have access to heaps of college courses etc too! There’s an Invigilator job at the local schools for the SQA exams which I’ve applied for and also The Works is looking someone for 8 hours per week which I’m going to apply for too!

I also had my psychology assessment with the NHS recently and they are willing to offer me 12-18 sessions which is really good news as I feel there is a lot of stuff that needs talked about and talked over with a stranger in order for it to make sense.

As the psychologist said today, in a period where the whole world has gone through hell and back, you’ve experienced you’re own personal hell on top of that. That must be unbearable at times! And yes, yes it is. But I am lucky enough to have the most amazing fiancé, Don(ald), in laws to be, especially my father in law to be who has taken me to every physio appointment, not everyone has that and I am eternally grateful for it. And even though my own Mum lives in Tenerife, she’s been nothing but supportive throughout this whole ordeal, which again is wonderful!

So, yes, times have been extra rough for me, for the both myself and Don(ald). But I’d like to think that I am now starting to Get back to Normal.

Until next time, stay safe, and don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t do something!

A xx