So things didn't quite go as planned......

[Loobyloo]

........
Hi folks! Its been a while. Those of you that remember me and what I was planning to do will no doubt have assumed that my dissapearance was down to being on obscure organic farms accross the country. Unfortunately not. I'll keep it brief, if anyone wants more detail let me know. I don't want to bore you all!

So the day came, myself and OH had the landy all packed up and were ready to go wwoofing, then he started losing feeling in his feet. Next day he was in hospital and numb from the waist down by the end of the week. He was in hospital for 2 weeks, then discharged with no diagnosis or treatment. We are still living with his Mum and unemployed. Luckily he started to get better after about 3 weeks and he can now walk unaided and drive again. We've spent so much money sitting around doing nothing that we can't afford to go wwoofing anymore so we've been house hunting and will be moving into a (rental) cottage in Somerset in just over 3 weeks.

I still need a job but he has been able to get some work at his old company (but its probably temporary while they're busy).

So that's it! (hmm turned out to be quite a long explanation anyway, sorry!) I'll be around again as I have 3 more unemplyed weeks in SW London before we move and I'll be needing tips for the new house (big garden and rayburn!!)


Have missed you all!

Looyloo

xxxx

[ajs88]

im very sorry to hear the bad news, lots and lots of good luck and wishes

[Milims]

Good to see you back! Oh my goodness you've had a tough time of it! I hope that things improve very quickly.

[Helsbells]

What a shame, I hope things get better from here onwards.
xxx

[Annpan]

So sorry to hear that, but glad to have you back.

[Clara]

oh that's a real shame....he hadn't been foraging has he? sounds like hemlock poisoning (albeit very slow).

[Green Aura]

I'm glad he's on the mend LL. Sounds a bit scary.

Maybe next year, eh?

[MuddyWitch]

Oh Loobyloo big hugs

I have often thought about you & wondered where your were. I'm truly sorry things haven't been good lately but hopefull that's all your bad luck out of the way for a few years?

Here's hoping that the garden in Somerset is rich friable loam, ready for you to fill with lots of scrummy things!

MW

[Millymollymandy]

Sorry things didn't work out as planned LL but glad OH is better now and your new house sounds great!

[Loobyloo]

Thanks for all your kind words everyone!

I really should have come on here whilst it was all going on for some support but I was just too upset and tired of repeating the whole story to various friends and relatives.

Well heres hoping its all going to pick up from here on. Count down to moving to the country has started but I'll feel much happier once I've got a job. Am soooooo bored at the moment and I've got an appointment at the job centre to sign on tommorrow. Not looking forward to that at all. Have never had to claim benefits before and I don't really like doing it. Oh well, needs must and all that!

x

[the.fee.fairy]

Sorry to hear of your troubles LoobyLoo

Hope things start looking up for you soon.

The JobCentre is the most irritating palce possible to go to, but its a necessary evil. Good Luck x

[ina]

The JobCentre is the most irritating palce possible to go to, but its a necessary evil. Good Luck x

Couldn't agree more...

Have they ever found out what's wrong with your OH? I had a minor accident a few years back and am still numb in my leg, although I manage most stuff now. But I can feel with you - it must be bloody awful. Anything you could work from home - either of you - that might make it easier to cope?!

[Loobyloo]

The JobCentre is the most irritating palce possible to go to, but its a necessary evil. Good Luck x

Couldn't agree more...

Have they ever found out what's wrong with your OH? I had a minor accident a few years back and am still numb in my leg, although I manage most stuff now. But I can feel with you - it must be bloody awful. Anything you could work from home - either of you - that might make it easier to cope?!

Jobs centre was awful, appointment at 9.20, was seen (by a woman who insisted on sniffing revoltingly throughout ) at 10. The whole thing was just her telling me what to do to find a job, like I wasn't doing it all already! and to add to my frustration I won't find out what benefits I may or may not get for another 2 weeks!!


Aparantly what Aaron has is acute transverse myelitis and the doctors are very surprised that he has got better at all, so we really are quite lucky, its just difficult to think about it like that just now. Working from home might be an idea once we are moved into our own place but at the moment we're still with then in laws. 3 weeks till moving day!!

[ina]

Have been trying to sort my Jobcentre problems all day.... Never, never, never tell them anything that's not absolutely essential - they'll only get it wrong and cause weeks of hassle! I stupidly admitted doing voluntary work, and now they are trying to take money off my benefits, because some numpty there wrote down I was earning something for it... Although I filled in myself (online) that I wasn't earning money, I then told the same to that woman on the phone who goes through the same questions again, and again at the Jobcentre... Today the woman I'm doing the voluntary work for phoned - they'd contacted her, too, wasting her precious working time on filling in forms now.
And all that after they'd managed to mislay the application, so I've had to wait 5 weeks for the benefits. Well, I'd lived without for 6 months already anyway (that's the penalty for being stupid and scraping and saving every penny).

No, they are not in my good books. They are discouraging, don't want you to prioritise your work load (a skill which every employer demands - but not the Jobcentre), encourage time wasting (I know better than they for which jobs I'm in with a chance), and they make so many mistakes - if I had ever been that incompetent in any job, I wouldn't have spent much time working in my life!

Sorry. Rant over.

I wish I could just find one day's regular work per week - have just applied for a Saturday job at the library - that would pay me as much as I get in benefits, and I would then be free to take up casual work as and when it occurs.

[eccentric_emma]

Goodness getting Jobseekers sounds dreadful. I only ever had to sign on once, about 7 years ago and only for a fortnight. HOwever, my husband broke his leg whilst we were WWOOFing and has had no problem whatsoever getting support allowance. Although I guess breaking a leg really isn't a sensible option.....