Cast Your Mind Back

Published October 27, 2025 by helentastic67

Cast Your Mind Back

Who remembers the time back in early 2024, when I had a wound on my left side? It was a slow healing wound that was being poked and packed and prodded by my GP and a nurse twice weekly for months. I had described it to a family member as my left side due to the bad circulation as like being diabetic. Wounds on my left heal slowly. They asked, “But you don’t have diabetes, do you?”

You know those day’s people do not pick up what you’re putting down? If I can’t get a family member to understand what I’m dealing with, how do I get anybody else understand?

This is again relevant as I’ve been nursing along pressure wounds on my left foot and as my only course of exercise is walking, I really need my scooter to reduce this. I also need my left foot not to have me grunt or swear every single time I put weight on my left foot.

The last few months I’ve been managing the outside of my left foot. I wear different bandaids or second skin level bandaids every day. I’m lucky I don’t have any wounds as in broken skin. People may not realise this would be the beginning of the end. I would be on the couch, house-bound, feet up, eating, eating, eating. So, I’m told, and flinging rubbish on the floor until case managers apply for me to have new carpets. Again, the stories I hear. I like the fact I get out and do things and get motivation and inspiration from being around people. Also, people I encounter out would have NFI this is what’s going on under everything.

Circle Back to 2024 – Part 2

Published February 24, 2025 by helentastic67

Circle Back to 2024 Part 2

So, 2024 was weird also cause money became a huge topic and while I’ve always had an income from somewhere and five cents to my name it’s a weird space to find yourself in to have some actual money and options.

I wanted to blog about it last year but was up to my eyeballs in all the things, so had to let things play out and play catch up. This ergo-case-in-point is the catch up.

I guess, women of my generation, didn’t get educated about how to manage money. I’m Gen X remember. I did grow up with coins and handling money. My first paid job I picked up a yellow envelope with cash and coins in it. I had a paid job from around fifteen years old.

As an adult when you have household expenses you learn you need to have more coming in than going out. Sure, but on bigger expenses women my age was taught that we would marry and our husband would take care of it. Do you see me writing about a Husband? I have an Italian surname so it was largely assumed I would get a husband. Not bitter. Just making a point.

Some of the groups I’m in, some women will see and ask a friend who seems to manage her finances well and when asked she will be told “Oh, my husband does all of that!” So, it is to say I did consult a financial advisor. He’s in his late thirty’s, lovely man who I have not made proud. Yet. He wanted me to continue renting forever.

But as my next post will context women like myself when I reach sixty, are more than likely find themselves homeless. I’ve had to educate younger men on this topic.

I mean, C’mon! Do I have to do everything?

Circle Back to 2024

Published February 17, 2025 by helentastic67

Circle Back to 2024

So, I thought I should circle back to part of why 2024 was such a shit show. I started the year with a really good support coordinator. I thought no issues on the horizon so why not bring in a third carer agency to take the pressure off one of my other two, so I get some more variety with carers.

Since the start of Covid I was getting one carer for four shifts per week which I worked out quickly was three too many.

Having carers over the year you work out over time and pretty quickly who you mesh well with, who you can rely on and who you can be flexible, because sometimes it is me and my expectations. Can I work around different personalities, or should I not need too? When I asked if I could have less of this carer, I was told it was her or no one. I was also told they were recruiting. The number of times, I’ve been told they are recruiting in the last fifteen plus years, if I had a dollar for every time I’ve been told that I would be living in a house not an apartment.

Alas, my support coordinator No.1 for 2024, set me up with a new agency, we did the three-way zoom intro meet and greet thing. (Never done one of those before) Then I went to the countryside for about four days to help clear out my father’s house in late January. WHEN I RETURNED TO PULL THE TRIGGER ON THE NEW CARER, I WAS TOLD SHE HAD TAKEN EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE! Then, I was told they had a lack of carers in my area and would keep me on the books. You bet I was told they were recruiting in my area.

Just a FYI. It’s now a year later and I’ve not heard from them again. So, I digress, my really good support coordinator was promoted to Team Leader. It is the only progression for that position in a company, so I think it was my third in about five years I’d lost my Support Coordinator to being Team Leader. Although they always moved on, I gather soon after.

AND YES, IF I HAD A DOLLAR FOR EVERY TIME I’D BEEN TOLD THEY WERE RECRUITING MORE SUPPORT COORDINATORS ID HAVE A GOOD HANDFUL OF GOLD COINS.

The new support coordinator, in July we were already discussing and planning a request for a review of my NDIS funds.

Happy New Year – Here’s to 2024

Published January 1, 2024 by helentastic67

Happy New Year – Here’s to 2024

How is it 2024 already? Where does time go? I mean don’t answer that! I’m still trying to wrap up 2022 and ten years of my taxes, it’s on the list. I stopped doing those when I had to claim financial hardship about ten years ago, the last time I bothered to do my tax.

What? You think we get to start a New Year all rainbows and unicorns, since when? I’m still trying to get a better sleeping pattern and the right number of meals in a day. Let alone get through my Tim Tam collection in my fridge. I have implemented Tim Tam Sundays, if you’re in my area on a Sunday and want a hit of amazing goodness. Hit me up.

I want to propose less is more time for me in 2024, last year flew past with way too many appointments and zooms and less days just for me. Stuff gets thrown in the mix and I still deal with chronic pain and shit still hitting the fan, so what to do? Let’s put it out there that 2024 has more wins than losses.

I can’t see my schedule being any less hectic, so maybe there is always a way to make life more efficient and pain free. Hope everyone scraped through 2023 with more wins than losses.

Merry Christmas from Hellonwheels

Published December 24, 2023 by helentastic67

Merry Christmas from Hellonwheels

It’s that tough pointy end of the year again and I’m in a battle of Tetris-Like levels with my fridge and only me to eat it.

A conversation with my cousin on my birthday at the end of October instilled in me, I would be very happy to be able to sleep for the whole week of Christmas, eat and catch up on TV.

Here’s to staying home alone, where I don’t lose my independence and I already know I’m going to be spending time alone. Its weirdly better than being around family, but still being all alone.