Tempest

Long story but basically after 4 years of working from home and being here constantly for the dogs I need to start supply teaching from next week (am hoping I'm only going to have to do 3 days a week) and a few months ago I started hunting down a dogwalker/sitter as I'd used one before and not been very pleased with them Anyway I found someone who I thought was absolutely fantastic, she's petsat for a couple of weekends away and been great and I really really like her. She totally understand the quirks my two both have and was just really brilliant. So with next week being the first week I need to use her regularly for 3 days a week she's basically just rang and said that she had to have xrays on her back last week and got the results yesterday and needs to have back surgery for a disc problem and can't walk the dogs for the foreseeable future At the moment she's got no idea when the op is or how long the recovery time is but it could be months (if ever) she is able to come back I'm having a major panic this morning as basically now I have no-one to use for the dogs from next week and the dogs had got to know her and I felt comfortable with her and tbh by next week I'm not going to feel comfortable just giving the house keys to someone I don't know and who doesn't know the dogs I really did feel worried about leaving the dogs anyway and going out 3 days a week and now I feel absolutely beside myself and not sure what to do Just wondering if anyone had any bright ideas? My mum can possible nip in to let them out for a loo break during the day but obviously that isn't ideal and I don't have any other friends/neighbours etc who could take them out as they all work.

For some reason I'm feeling at the moment that I need a bit of a 'life overhaul' and New Year seemed a pretty good time to start thinking about things I need to change My list seems scarily long but here goes........... 1) Get my job situation sorted - start supply teaching in Jan and look for fundraising jobs 2) Move to the country this year!!!! 3) Get myself fitter and lose weight 4) Organise some proper holiday time so that the year doesn't flit by and I've not had any again 5) Try and do more things that I'd usually feel 'nervous' about doing - just be a bit more couragous and try new things 6) The million dollar age old problem - worry less!!! So what resolutions is everyone making and are your lists as long as mine!!!!

I went to Asda yesterday lunchtime and weirdly enough it was absolutely fine. I parked easily, got round easily and only had one person in front of me at the checkout From the time I left home until I got back took 45 mins

I have to say I'm actually really really disappointed that Tom and Camilla won For me he's definately been the weakest candidate in the last 2 weeks and none of his dances have really blown me away at all whereas Rachael and Vincent really have I also think its a shame as he would have been the one to go in the semi final and now somehow he's ended up winning the bloomin' thing I think its one of those scenarios where everyone votes for the vaguely good looking bloke rather than the best dancer I always think that the girls struggle more with the public voting as it always seems to be the good looking men that do really well on that front I wasn't a big fan of their show dance either as I found it all a bit like watching a weird slapstick comedy thing

I went to the docs this morning and my chest is clear so that's good news - its just burst blood vessels the doc reckons. But on the downside my bloomin' urine infection is back so I'm on antibiotics for that again anyway

Awww no don't tell me that I'd not rung NHS direct as whenever I have in the past they've always just said to go to the GP about things anyway If its still the same tomorrow I'll make sure I call someone about it though

Thanks guys Its not tonnes of blood Ange but basically all the yucky stuff I'm coughing up has blood mingled in with it - although it probably looks worse than it is as I know only a few specks can make everything look red (gawd can't believe I'm describing my phlegm - yuck!!). Its a pain because Chris isn't getting in from work until about 7.30 and its too dark and icy to take the dogs out then (plus I feel kinda mean sending him out in the freezing cold after his long drive home) and unfortunately he was tied up with plans at the weekend so couldn't help with the hounds then and I feel soooo guilty they're not getting out properly. Mind you having said that I was probably insane to attempt to take them out today - what am I like?!!!

I've had a horrid virus thing since last Wednesday - started with a sore throat and cough and then broke into a horrid cold on Saturday with the shivers/shakes and achey bones so I've been in bed for a few days My cough was terrible over the weekend and Mon/Tues - I was literally coughing until I thought I'd be sick and now seem to have pulled muscles in my chest/side/back from just hacking so much I noticed on Monday night that when I was coughing up phlegm (sorry!!) there was some dark blood in it and the blood has been fairly persistant in the last couple of days and today its been more bright red but just a few specks and then the usual darker blood This probably sounds a LOT worse than it is as I'm sure I've just literally wrenched all my internal linings - hence the blood and its nothing to worry and today the cough feels a lot better and although I'm still feeling sore in my chest I'm not coughing as badly at all I really don't want to go to the docs as I only just had a course of antibiotics last week for a urine infection (lucky me!) and I seem to have had a few courses of the recently and I honestly don't think I've got a chest infection or anything that drastic but I am a tad worried about the blood but thought this might be to be expected if you're literally hacking your lungs up? I soooooooo can't wait to get back to normal though - the poor dogs have had hardly any walks for a week and today I only managed 30 mins with them onlead and felt like I'd run a bloomin' marathon

Awww thanks guys I've woken up this morning with the horrid lurgy though so am about to crawl back into bed and die BUT I did find some diamond earrings under my pillow when I woke up so that's made me feel a whole lot better I've never had *proper* jewellery before so am going to see how long it takes before I lose one in the shower

Just a quick update........... I've just had a long chat with HR as they wanted to go through all the issues in the department. The HR lady has been lovely and had said that they were aware that there are issues in the fundraising dept and they'd hoped that I'd bring the kind of professionalism they needed but could also see why I wasn't happy to stay there. I spoke to her quite frankly about it all and she seemed to appreciate that and said they really want to try and sort the department out. She said she felt really sorry that I was in effect now jobless and was I going to be okay (I said I'll be fine and will do some supply teaching) and that I should take a lot of confidence from my application with them as she thought I'd be absolutely excellent and very professional and she'd rather have 5 of me working in the dept than the people they have there now (which was very nice to hear) Also at least now I know there were issues and it wasn't just me jumping to conclusions. I think my gut feeling was definately right!

They asked if I had one but never asked to see it

Just thought I'd update to say that I've emailled in my resignation and given all the reasons and told HR that I'm happy to go through all my concerns with them. I've got appointments at agencies to get some supply teaching work tomorrow for after Xmas and all the agencies seem to say there's tonnes of supply work around so I'm hoping I can just work 3 days a week while I look for something else

I think the lifting issue is probably something that I could work around by speaking to HR and trying to ensure that I'm not lifting anything that's excessively heavy. I do think the content of the job does contain a fair bit that wasn't mentioned in the job description tbh - for example I'm to be responsible for the 'lockup' where all stock etc is stored so its my responsibility to get all boxes and donations received loaded into the van and taken down there and I've also been asked to 'spring clean' the place on my own on a Saturday too and take all the rubbish to the local dump I think what has really worried me is the type of enviroment the place seems to be rather than the work itself (if that makes sense) - I'm not used to people yelling and swearing at each other in the office over petty things and don't feel at all comfortable working in an enviroment like that. I've also just left a job in which I was bullied by the MD and his 'partner' who also worked for the company and I think to be told in my first week by another fundraiser that the HOD is a 'bully' and basically bullied the last employee out of the job just makes me feel like I want to run for the hills really I know that I'm quite a sensitive soul and I think that dealing with someone like that in the long term will be something I find very stressful. I'm also not v. comfortable going to HR and complaining about the arguing and what I see as v. unprofessional behaviour after just 1 week. I think the HOD has been there 15 years!!

Oh no!! :laugh: Hope you're feeling better though

Awwww fab piccies Billy - looks like they had a whale of a time So glad that Sparks is settling in so well

Fab pics Wendy - I'll bookmark that cottage as it looks ace - I sooooooo want to go to the lakes

Its literally just occurred to us that we could go away with the dogs after Xmas (27/28) December for a few days or even a week which I know would be over the new year period and probably cost a fortune but hey ho its worth a try I think we'd just be looking for somewhere nice and rural with a big enclosed garden and lots of nice walks and wouldn't be too bothered where we were geographically. Bit of a long shot but I don't suppose anyone has any ideas/recommendations?

Yep the head of dept was on the interview panel and one of my main concerns was that I didn't think she came over as being particularly likeable but then I thought she may well have had her interview 'hat' on and it wouldn't be fair to make a judgement based on that. Tbh I'm not too worried about explaining that I left quickly as if I only end up being there a week I wouldn't even put it on my CV I don't think I know you're right about the economic climate and if I didn't have teaching as a back up I wouldn't even consider not going back on Tuesday but as I should be able to supply teach fairly easily I think that makes me feel as though its not like I'd have nothing else I could do

Hi Liz, I think that's part of the problem - the 'physical' aspect of the job wasn't mentioned at all at the interview, neither was the van driving and I think if I'd known about it I'd have given the job offer v. serious consideration as I wouldn't be sure that would be for me. So I think in that aspect I feel slightly misled I did have to complete a health questionnaire before I started that was screened but there was nothing on there about back injuries from what I can remember (as I know I would have filled that out). There was something about 'joint' problems but as my issue is soft tissue related it wasn't relevant to the question.

I started my new job this week and was sooooooo looking forward to it and thought it would be my dream job but its basically been a nightmare I working as a fundraiser for a local charity and am basically finding the dept as a whole to be very bitchy and unprofessional and I'm just not used to it. I pretty much took an instant dislike to my head of dept and had quite a few concerns and then yesterday I had 1-2-1s with all the other fundraisers individually and one said to me outright that the head of dept is a 'bully' and the reason the previous fundraiser left and that they are currently looking for a new job and are on anti-depressents from their GP due to all the stress at work Normally I'd take this as just one person's opinion but after being there a week I have to say it tallies up exactly with my own impressions. I've seen full on arguements in the office over petty minor things with raised voices and shouting and had people slating others in the dept to me behind each other's back and have been told to just keep my head down and ignore it. On top of all this the fundraisers also seem to have quite 'manual' jobs in that for an event the other night we had to load vans with boxes, carry tables and set up stalls and I'd had no kind of health and safety training or any kind of instruction on how to lift. I've previously had a back injury so this is quite a big issue for me and I did mention it and they seem to think I should just get on with it regardless which I'm not prepared to do. The office is full of boxes of donations and the like and I've seen them being lugged to the lockup and loaded into vans and I'm just not prepared to risk my back doing this unsure.gif I've also been told that I'll be responsible for the lockup and getting deliveries to it and driving the van they use for events (I'm only used to driving an automatic car). None of this side of the job was mentioned in the job description and if I'd known about it I wouldn't have taken the job I've not yet had my HR induction and haven't signed any employment contract as yet so I'm seriously thinking about not going back next week and looking for something else. I'm really upset as I was desperate to get into fundraising as a career and on paper this is my perfect job but I don't honestly think I can stand it there The other issue is obviously money if I jack it in as I've got nothing else to go to and in this economic climate there's not going to be much else around. One thing I can do though is supply teach as I'm a qualified teacher so there is that option to at least bring the cash in while I look for something else. Just after some advice really as I've no idea what to do

That's where our vets have suggested taking him Dawn (we're in Essex). At the moment I'm still undecided about what to do for the best tbh. He's been very very wobbly since the anaesthetic bless him - I got him out for a very short walk today (about 10 mins) but he wasn't very up for it at all and I didn't want to force him to go out He's on the meds to help any brain swelling (if it is that) but as he's so wobbly from the anesthetic its impossible to say if they're having an effect. I think part of me is thinking that his hips are probably v. sore bless him and perhaps he's just more wobbly now he's old? I'm not convinced about the brain problem theory as he is quite alert. I think I'm kind of equating it to the fact that if I was in my 80's I'd probably have a couple of falls and be quite wobbly but that wouldn't mean I had brain problems?

Back from the vets and Olls is home Bit of a mixed bag on the results front tbh Basically his spine looks absolutely fine on the xrays, his hips do have arthritis in them quite badly (although the vet says he has seen worse) and the left hip is much worse and the vet said it looked 'odd' but it could be the angle of the xray As the unsteadiness is effecting his front legs too the vet is now thinking that it could be somekind of neurological condition He's concerned that the metacam made no difference as if it is just his hips causing the problem that should have provided a fair bit of a pain relief. Also there could still be a spine problem that just hasn't shown on xrays He said there are numerous neurological conditions that could cause problems (worst scenario being something like a brain tumour) but it also could just be that he's old and feeling weak and unsteady in his limbs and its nothing to do with his brain at all So at the moment I'm not sure what to make of it at all and it feels like there's more questions than answers He suggested that we try some anti-inflamatories that would treat the brain if there is any swelling or anything there and see how that goes and then maybe refer him for an MRI, although that would mean lots of travelling and yet more anaesthetic for him I'm honestly not sure what to do tbh - we'll try the anti-inflamatories and see if that makes any difference but I'm starting to think maybe his hips are just really bad and he 'buckles' sometimes

Excellent news that he's had such a good weekend Alex

Well he's all dropped off now and we have an appointment with the vet at 5.40 to collect him and go through the xrays

Thanks Dee Shall do it now