Sunday 19th February - a very important day!

Boyf asked me to marry him!! OMG, soooooo excited. It was lovely and very romantic - I had been staying at my parents house for the weekend because my parents were away and I was looking after the cat. I arrived home sunday morning and couldn't get my key in the door, I was cursing and wondering what was going on when the door was opened by boyf... he had left his keys in the door.... 'whats going on?' I asked, 'I've changed the locks', he replied, cheeky monkey! Then he started say I needed to close my eyes and telling me that he had wanted to buy a new TV - something bigger and better.... I was thinking 'oh no, what have you done, we don't need another TV'.... so anyway I obliged and shut my eyes and he took me into the lounge. I opened my eyes and I was really surprised! There were beautiful flowers everywhere all displyed in vases and purple and white helium balloons with 'Our Wedding Day' on, so I could hardly mistake what was happening! You can imagine I was getting a little choked at this point, Boyf said...'um well, you know I'm not very good at this romantic stuff' and led me over to the kitchen table where there were more flowers, a bottle of champagne and a black box. 'Open it' he said. I opened the box and there was a beautiful diamond ring in the box  - I could help myself I had a little cry and then gave him a huge hug and said I think you know the answer. I am so so happy and now all I can think about is wedding, wedding, wedding!

Hydrocortisone day curve test

I had my hydrocortisone day curve test done again on Monday. I've had it before but it doesn't get any easier. We (my mum and I) had to be in London at the hospital for 9am so they could take the first blood smaple after my morning pill. (I take 10mg at 8am, 5 at noon, 5 at 5.30ish). They then take blood an hour before your pill and an hour after your pill so as you can imagine its a loooooong day. Last blood gets taken at 6.30. So you have to sit with a canulla in your arm which make it easier to take blood at intervals, although unfortunately my canulla stopped working for the last two bloods so we had to swap arms! I must admit I felt really depressed when I arrived at the hospital because I knew I was going to be there all day, but I had to keep telling myself it was worth it and reminding myself that this test was for a purpose and if something positive came from it it would all be for the greater good; ie I will be the best I can be. So far I have had lots of blood taken, new MRI scans done, this day curve test and last but not least will be a dexa scan which will check my bone density. 14th March I then go back to the endocrine specialist in Hammersmith hospital and discuss the results.... I am not going to hope for anything because I will set myself up for dissapointment, but at least I will know definitely that I am the best that I can be.

Lottie is getting her car back!

So it would seem I am getting my car back; the insurance company refused to budge on thier pathetic offer and decided it was worth mending and giving back to me instead. To be honest its  a bit of a releif, I was not ready to start looking for another car, the hassle of finding one you like and then taxing and insuring it is all a bit of a pain! So I can go back to normal again soon. Phew!

The car is a write off....Lottie vs the insurance company

Gutted, my car is apparently a write off - the damage done by the chap who went into the back of me was a lotter greater than could be seen by eye. The whole back end has been crushed inside. So what happens next? The insurance company calls me to make me an offer of an amount they think is reasonable to get me a car of the same spec as the car I owned. This according to them was just £1600! I don't think so. Ok so it is quite an old car but it was in good condition, had four new tyres, a new gear box and had just been valeted! - All of that alone probably adds up to a good £1600. Also going onto Autotrader, trying to find a black 1.6 Privalege Clio of the same spec, even searching nationally is proving difficult. The insurance company found a 1.6 Clio but it is in Glasgow and is olive green with a brown interior! No wonder its going cheap! I don't know anyone who particularly wants a green car let alone an olive green one with a brown interior.... So alas its turning into a bit of a battle - me against the insurance company, let hope I win! Otherwise you may see me driving what I may have to call my new 'retro' car! Gaah!

My poor car!

Yesterday afternoon someone crashed into the back of my car. I slowed and stopped for a red light and the guy behind me didn't stop! I took his details, but I wish I had had a better idea of what to do in this situation. Here are some steps you should follow in the event of a minor accident:

Steps

1. Look for the other driver's license plate number, make, and model. There's a chance that the other driver may drive off, so it's good to immediately look at the back of their car, say their license plate number out loud, and keep repeating it until you can write it down.
2. Turn on your hazard lights.
3. Call the police as soon as possible. You might be under the impression that the police is called only if it's a major car accident or if somebody's hurt, when in actuality the police should be called no matter how minor the accident, particularly if repairs are going to be needed. The police report will help the insurance companies determine who is responsible for paying.
   • Ask the police if you should cautiously move the car out of the travel lane, if it will move and it is safe to do so. Do not move far lest the other driver think you are running away.
4. Get out of your car only if outside your car is reasonably safe or safer than in it. In a minor accident, your car is unlikely to be at risk of catching fire. Do not step out into fast-moving traffic--go out the opposite door if necessary. The police will be able to direct traffic away safely soon. Be especially careful at night. It is much better to have someone hit your car with you in it than to have him hit you unarmored. And it is much better to fail to attend to someone's minor injury very soon or to lose a witness who could say who should pay for car repairs than to have someone hit by a car.
5. Make sure nobody is hurt. Check yourself and the passengers in your vehicle for any injuries, scratches, bruises or disorientation.
6. Look for witnesses. If the accident happened in sight of a pedestrian, shop, or other drivers, ask them to stay on the scene until the police arrive so that they can provide statements. If possible, get their name and phone number.
7. Exchange information with the other driver. The following information should be exchanged:
   
   • Names, addresses, telephone numbers
   • Driver's license numbers
   • Each driver's automobile insurance company (including name, address, phone number, and policy number)
8. Tell the police officer exactly what happened. Be specific and don't exaggerate.
9. File a claim or a notification with your insurance company. There are insurance claims and insurance notifications. The last one is when you do notify your insurance company about the accident but do not claim repairs of your car. Depending on how high your insurance access is you might save a lot of money and no-claim years too. Example: replacing an indicator light unit at a local garage instead of claiming it on an insurance might save you something like £250. But do notify your insurance company about the accident anyway!

Tattoo zapped for the second time!

Ok so it looks pretty sore and red, and I'm not going to lie - it was pretty painful having this lasered. The tattoo is on my forearm so the skin is quite thin, it did bleed and blister but it's been a few days now and it has all scabbed over now. The lasering is a process so you don't see immediate results, the laser basically boils the ink which breaks it up into smaller particles; your body can then absorb and remove the ink particles. It should start to look a bit more faded in a couple of months time. I won't be having another zapping for about three months, this gives the skin a chance to completely heal and reduces the chance of scarring and skin damage. Also, the longer you leave it between treatments the more successful it will be. It's a pain both in the literal sense and the fact it takes so long but at least it can be done.