Skip the primary navigation if you do not want to read it as the next section.
Primary Navigation
|
Home
|
|
Skip the main content if you do not want to read it as the next section.
Debbie Catt lives in Chester. She is 57, and has osteoarthritis.
‘I went into public relations, which is in no way a 9 to 5 job. In 2000 I started getting aches in my back and knees. Within three or four months I was in agony.
I spent two years trying to cope with the pain before I found out about hip resurfacing. It was a living hell. Work took every ounce of my strength. When I got home I fed the cats and dragged myself up to bed – I even struggled to cook. I couldn’t afford not to work. I took time off to recover from the operations, but that was it.
I had a big wake-up call, and I took note. I have changed my lifestyle completely, and now I have no pain from my arthritis. I took a conscious decision to ease up. In my case, going freelance became a possibility.
Now I feel better and more me than I have for a long time. I’m vice president of the Professional Speakers’ Association in north west England, and I’m working towards being a full-time public speaker. I talk about being the best you can be, to all sorts of audiences. I’m also a visiting lecturer at the University of Chester.
Being self-employed does mean that I can pick and choose a lot more. It’s not such a stressful environment. I’ve moved from hands-on, hectic PR into the training side, putting my 30 years of experience to good use.
My customers get leaflets direct from the printer so I don’t have to lift them. My back is very arthritic so I look after it like a prize car – you wouldn’t belt up and down the motorway at 100 miles per hour in a vintage car.’
