I understand some of you are missing me on the recent Drops?
Just a little headsup, so you know I'm not ignoring you.
Two main things have stopped me attending Drops since D*Con; health and finances.
1. Health. As some of you may know, I have a hereditary condition called Gorlin's Syndrome. Linky here: http://www.gorlingroup.org/About-the-Syndrome.php
Sometimes the syndrome appears in stages, sometimes all at once, either from birth or later in life.
I've got it in stages since birth.
The current stage I'm in is the frequent growth of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). They are a benign skin cancer, but they can be very destructive (dependent on where they grow, such as around the eyes), so they have to be treated/removed.
I started a new treatment (new for me, anyway) before D*Con, just trying a special cream (Aldara)on some BCCs on my upper arms.
It worked a treat, so I was pencilled in for further treatment after D*Con.
I'm now at the end of that treatment, with a check up appointment with the dermatologist in mid December.
Here's what my left wrist looked like a fortnight ago:
http://www.medwaypvb.pwp.blueyonder.co. ... wrist3.jpg
I've also got a little operation on 3rd December, to remove two BCCs from my face. It'll be under general anaesthetic, but only in the day surgery unit, so back home the same day.
2. Financial. Shortly after paying for my flights to D*Con, my job conditions changed;
Usually I drive around my borough area inspecting roadworks.
I use my own car, but get a mileage allowance. This allowance pays for the petrol and upkeep of the car, so is a nice 'bonus' on top of my regular wage.
In May I was delegated to a 'temporary' office-bound position, so have lost the mileage allowance, making my monthly take-home pay drop from around £1,700 to about £1,400 a month. That £300 drop has hit me hard, as a lot of my debts, such as mortgage payments and such like, were based on my gross pay with mileage.
So I've had to reign in my finances a bit.
I knew about both of these 'problems' during D*Con, which is probably why I came out of my shell a little, making sure it was a trip to remember.
I hope both situations will clear up in the new year, but don't expect to be back to 'normal' until May at the earliest.
D*Con next year is now looking doubtful for me.
