It looks like I’ve had a bit of luck with my bank account.

Years ago I had a full Nationwide Flexaccount with debit card, chequebook etc.  I stopped using it long before my bankruptcy, but never closed the account.  I declared it on my bankruptcy forms, but it was never frozen by Nationwide, and the OR never showed any interest in it.

While I’ve been happy with my Co-op Cashminder account I’ve missed having a full debit card, rather than a Visa Electron, and I object to paying for a prepaid card.  As I knew no other bank was likely to consider giving me an account I decided to give Nationwide a call and ask if they could send me a card so that I could start using the account.

I’ve got a basic Flexaccount with Nationwide, which I opened after I was bankrupt, so I fully expected them to send me another cash card rather than a Visa debit card.  I was very surprised to see a nice shiny full Visa debit card when I opened the envelope!

When I went into Nationwide on Saturday I decided to ask for a chequebook as well.  After a nerve-wracking couple of minutes I was told it’ll be with me within 5-7 working days.  I don’t need to write a cheque very often, but every now and then it comes in handy, and it’ll be nice not to have to ask other people.

My salary will be paid into the full account, with my direct debits coming out of the cash account so I don’t have to worry about whether everything has been paid – I know what’s left is mine.

I now feel that I’ve got my financial life back on track.  I’ve got a full bank account, an ISA (Abbey) and an e savings account (also Abbey) – not that there’s much in either of them!  My credit files have been amended (apart from Tesco who I’ll be reporting to the Information Commissioner),  I’ve got 16 more payments into my IPA, which seems to be flying past, and I can’t believe it’s nearly 2 years since I went BR.

I hope no-one thinks I’m boasting or sounding smug as that’s not my intention.  I just want to show that there is life after bankruptcy, and while it’s not the solution for everyone, for some of us it’s the right decision.

I hope you don’t mind my blog taking a change of direction and being about how I feel, rather than my BR.  A lot of you have said how cathartic writing everything down is, so I thought I’d give it a go. 

I’m 33 years old, and for the first time in my life I’m scared.  I don’t mean scared as in not wanting to go to the dentist or because I’ve seen a spider, but I’m scared I’m going to lose my mum.  She had flu before Christmas, but this has left her with terrible pains in her shoulders, so bad she can’t sleep, and even has problems getting dressed. 

The doctor thought that mum had polymyalgia, but the blood tests came back clear.  She’s got all the symptoms – pain in her arms, unable to sleep, night sweats, depression, lack of appetite – but the doctor can’t treat her until they know what’s wrong.  Mum was given strong painkillers, but she can’t take them as they made her very sick.  She’s back on paracetomol, but this isn’t really doing anything for the pain. 

The thing that really scares me is the way mum has been talking – she can understand why people commit suicide if they have constant pain, and she can’t go on for however long she has left (her words) as she is.  She’s got another appointment with the doctor on Monday, but I don’t know what she’ll do if they can’t do something to help her.  I know mum has been very lonely since my dad died ten years ago, but I’ve never heard her talk like that before. 

I don’t know what I can do for her, partly because she won’t let me.  I’ve offered to walk the dog, but because I won’t do it at 7am in the morning I know she’ll do it anyway.  I offered to get some shopping for her, and she asked me to get a couple of things and then went herself the next morning and got the rest herself!  She might be 77, but she’s fiercely independent.  My dad had Multiple Sclerosis and she nursed him for 20 years until he died of cancer.  She then looked after her friend and her elderly neighbour until they died.  She’s good at looking after other people, but a lousy patient herself! 

To be honest, this sort of thing puts everything into perspective – it makes me realise that despite all my worrying about my debts, my IVA and being bankrupt nothing is more important than your family and health.   

Life is too short to worry, so I would say to anyone reading this – if you are in debt take steps to sort yourself out, and if you’re in an IVA or BR, be thankful that you have a second chance, and the chance to enjoy the rest of your life.