Lived Experience Forum

[Powderfinger]

I'm not sure if anyone here has ever reupholstered a chair before, this is the seat with the padding and covering I have done so far. I ran into issues doing the trim which will go round the perimeter of the cushion at about 1  or 1.5 cm with towards the outer rim of the chair. 

I've never done it before and my attempt wasn't working out very well. I'm not worried, it will get sorted. I'm just so tired. I'm going to have a nap soon. 

Has anyone done this before? 

I'm in touch with a few people who will assist me anyhow. 

[Powderfinger]

I miss being hugged. Thank you @Anastasia 

[Anastasia]

I haven't ever tried. I'll pop back to see piccy shortly x

[Gwynn]

Sounds like you've been through the wars, @Powderfinger ! Your poor sore foot, on top of everything else that's going on with you. I have been thinking of you these last few days. You are such an inspiration to me because even when life throws you a curveball, you're there figuring out how to do things to the best of your ability, while lifting your community. Or... something like that, anyway! I'm not the most eloquent of people these days. Your dedication and your perseverance and your care is really inspiring. Best of luck with the chairs, and the move and all the other sh*t that's going on.

[Powderfinger]

@Gwynn 

Hi. My entire life has been the wars, though this last year and currently is no different. I think even a blind man could see change is needed and a lot of it. I am tired of fighting wars. Wars that others create and that I create with myself. 

I read your response which was so lovely and thought about it. It conincides with a few realisations I have had today about myself. I focus more on everything that is wrong with me, mor so that what is right with me. I am very hard on myself and have high expectations. The thing is I only do this with myself. I am very gentle with other people and don't have unusually high expectations of anyone else. I am going to continue therapy next year. 

Back to what you wrote. You put it in a way I understand. To learn that I am in inspiration to yourself and @Anastasia and the other things you have said are true has lifted my spirits a little bit. You have pointed things out that I need to hear. Thank you for a positive response and for lifting my spirits a bit. 

[Anastasia]

That makes me happy to hear @Powderfinger that @Gwynn  and I were able to lift your spirits just a little. Sleep well friends x

[Powderfinger]

A bit of an update. 

I took a full day off today. I am going to take another full day off tomorrow. I managed to get a telehealth appt with a doctor through health direct this morning. I had tried to see one before everything was going to close down and I just couldnt manage to get in to a see a doctor. My doctor was fully booked out. 

Long story cut short, he diagnosed possible plantar fasciatis. his advice. Strict instructions to rest my feet. I can take pain meds at the same time. Ice my feet. Go and get a compression sock. Get in to see a doctor as soon as possible. The possible diagnosis makes sense to me. 

Here is a link so I dont need to explain it. 
Plantar Fasciitis | What is Plantar Fasciitis by Sydney Heel Pain

So I am going to call the surgery I attend on Monday and try get into see a doctor. I wont be able to see my doctor though. 

I will not be able to stop working. I need income, but I will reduce my activities and I will change my work policies around a bit so I can also spend time on my recovery. I work for myself thankfully, so I can call the shots within being reasonable of course. 

I am on holidays till the 16th anyway. 

I have been reflecting. I have worked damn hard on these chairs and for long hours on some days. I realise that I did not take care of myself very well. Too many very late nights and little sleep. No days off. Stressed myself out and so on. I was using the chairs as a distraction too for things I am not coping with. I guess I just put everything I ahd into them and neglected myself, thinking I was taking care of myself. In some ways I was, in others I was not. 

It is what it is. I am going to make changes and I have again learnt a lesson/s.

[Powderfinger]

@Anastasia 

You both really did. Thank you. What goes around comes around. Goodnight myboy. 

[Powderfinger]

I wanted to leave this news separate, even though it is to do with the chairs. 

As most of you know, I bought a workbench. I included photos here in this thread in one of my posts. I am not sure if I mentioned it at the time, but the guy I bought it from also fixes furntiure. He buys it, does it up and sells it. A bit different to what I do, but nevertheless does the same as I do. Anyway, when he dropped the work bench off, we got talking for a bit. He saw the chairs and we had a bit of a chat about it. 

After that chat he said to stay in touch and let him know if I needed anything. He was really nice. I said I would send him a photo of the finished chairs as we had exchanged phone numbers and thought hey could eb a new friend for me.  Later that day I found hoim on Facebook and added him as a friend. We hadnt spoken for a week or two and on Thursday I got a tect message from him. He was asking how I went with the chairs. 

So, we had a min conversation via text. Long story cut short. He is snowed under with work and just not able to get around to jobs that need doing. He asked me to come around and have a chat to see if we can work something out, so he can pass some of the workload onto me. I was a bit blown away, I wasn't expecting that to happen at all. 

I have arranged to go over to his house, which is not far from me. I will be going there on Monday. That is the thing about small regional towns. People think there is no work. I can tell you, there is plenty of work to be had here. Some people I think just miss city life. I do not miss city life. I can go to Perth anytime I need to, but I do not go often. 

One of the things of the many that I love about living here is that there are no Huge places near me for four hours either way. I think it is lovely. I live in one of the most beautiful places in Australia and it is really all about community where I live. 

I have not decided what I am going to do moving forward. I have been reflecting a lot and I am going to making some big changes. It is not about new years resolutions at all. I do not do new years resolutions. It is about seeing that my life desperately needs change and that I want change for me. 

So, I will see what happens on Monday and ask him to give me some time to think things over after we have   met and chatted. 

[Gwynn]

@Powderfinger , I'm so glad you're going to start taking better care of yourself, and to be kinder to yourself rather than measuring yourself by your high expectations. My friend tells me over and over again that "self-care is not selfish" and that was something I really needed to hear. I can relate about doing the chairs as self-care but neglecting other parts of self-care. Even if this lead with the bloke doesn't work out for whatever reason, you can still run @Powderfinger's Repair and Restoration Service through Facebook on your own bat. 🙂 Best wishes.