Because of the diabetes and insulin I have been told to get my claim re-looked at to include the deteriation in my health!
Has anyone ever done this?
I have the forms and I kept a photocopy of my original forms for the claim with my Brittle asthma but Im just wondering if it is all worth it?
Because of the insulin I need telling to eat, take jab (hate needles) etc should this be put on it or not - I just feel kinda like a child needing to be told or ordered to eat (I hypo if I dont)!
Im worried about the forms and changes making me seem to dependent on someone telling me what to do - call it pride I dont know why I am just scared of filling it in!
Most diabetics don't get DLA I know a couple who are very unstable including one who has epilepsy and they don't get DLA. You should be able to recognise for yourself when you need to eat unless you have a severe mental health problem which means you do not know when to eat and then need to be told. From when I was gestational diabetic and injecting insulin going hypo was pretty recognisable. It might be worth asking if you can do a controlled hypo with your DNS so you know roughly how it feels and get get a better idea about what warnings you get. From what I recall and seeing my friends sweat pouring off and light headedness were a pretty big clue even my T1 most unstable freind has some kind of warning and is able to much on a mini mars bar (his favourite hypo stop remedy)
Bex
Bex not everyone has the same warnings as your friends. Most do but both my bro's are isuling diabetic, one goes into a hypo so fast and so severely that 90% of the time you only have chance to inject him because he also is thrashing around at the time. It took 3 adults to hold him to get the injection in let alone get him in a position where he wasnt going hurt himself or us. My other bro does have some warnings but the longer they are diabetic the less warning you have. Fortunately his wife tells him to eat or as he works with my father they tell him. Although it has taken on occasions 2 grown men to get him to have a sweet drink.
Mum was discussing this with Davids DNS she said they have just brought out new study that shows the brain over time gets used to less and less sugar and therefore more likely to go into a severe hypo. It is possible to retrain the brain but very hard to do so.
Donna i would apply having thought about the problems you have been having with your sugar levels, it could be something to do with the steriods and nebs that are causing the problems with sugar levels. Also when you add this to the severity of your asthma that you may have developed more severe hypos due to other meds you are on. Also as with asthma, diabetes affects everyone differently. There is no reason when added to your other problens that the diabetes has increased your need for help and care. You must make the decision based on advice from your Gp and DNS. I hope you get the help you need.
Sorry not sure if i have explained myself properly Donna. I will be thinking of you.
It is probably worth putting everything down that you feel may be relevant, Donna - each case is judged on its merits. Pride can be a bit of an obstacle, but I'd go for the ""swallow it and bear it"" approach on this occasion! The DLA will request a report from your GP/consultant anyhow to assess how (medically) severe your ""disability"" is in order to process your claim.
I can't remember what rate of DLA you said you had gained previously. The diabetes alone may not be sufficient to gain DLA but in conjunction with your other health problems it may be taken into consideration. But saying that, I don't want to get your hopes up because I'm not a DLA assessor! Needle phobia, if psychiatrically assessed and diagnosed, has certainly been taken account of in at least one patient's claim that I know of.
Regarding going hypo, it is imminently possible to have no symptoms of hypoglygaemia until it has progressed sufficiently to impair congnitive (and indeed physical) function and, therefore, judgement and recognition of the situation and subsequent reaction to it. This tend to happen more in insulin-controlled diabetics, but may also occur in diabetics on tablets, particularly the older types such as Tolbutamide.
I know the forms are off-putting and can be a lot of hard work, but it is certainly worth submitting an application - if they decide it doesn't warrant any extra DLA then so be it, but if you don't ask you don't get. Good luck.
I already get DLA mobility just getting it re-looked into on advice of DSN/GP!
The thing with hypo's is a have ""Hypo Unawareness"" - I can drop below 2mmol and not know about it!
And eating is made seriously hard since I had two lots of major bowel surgery last yr (if anyone remembers - I had adhesions that blocked my bowl and twisted then had a massive abscess that needed an emergency operation)!
The diet I have to follow (with the allergies and diabetes) actually causes me agonising stomach pains which really seriously put u off eating!
Being reminded to take ur Insulin because you haven't slept in days for peeing all night with high sugars and asthma attacks isnt fun its essential!
My DSN team isnt happy as even on mega doses of Lantus they cant get my fasting levels stable so are looking at short acting with meals now (going upto 4 to 6 injections)!
Bar the brittle asthma, diabetes and other medical conditions u do tend to need help whether you like it or not!
As I said I already get DLA but its being reviewed to include the diabetes and other issues!
I just wanted to know if anyone here had been through the process of getting it review to include a deteriation?
Hi Wheezer, I have recently asked for my DLA to be reviewed - it took some time to fill in the forms and as of yet I haven't had a response from apart from the general letters telling me that they are processing the claim etc. Anyway if your GP and DNS are advising you to ask for a review then I would go for it - the only thing to be wary of is that they can overturn the previous claim, for eg they might decide you no longer meet the criteria - I am sure that this won't happen but it is something that they advise you of when you phone for the forms.rusty
I've been told I am ""Hypo Unaware"" Cathbear!
From what was told to me it's simply that my body doesn't recognise when a hypo is happening!
I've had 2 serious hypo's and I didnt know anything about it till it was below 1.7mmol and needed someone else to sort it out!
When I go onto rapid-acting as well they are going to give/train me on is it ""Glucagon"" injections - the ones the paramedics use!
I got low rate mobility Cathbear when I finally applied with the encouragement I got on here (it took years but I did do it and got it)!
When I spoke to the DLA advisor she said added on to everything its definitely worth applying as things have deteriated along with the diabetes!
It is the DNS and GP pushing me because of the deteriation!
Donna
Please remember that if you ask for your circumstances to be relooked at then it is up to you to provide the medical evidence. So if you can get any supporitng letters from GP nurse etc it will help.
Caroline
They are backing me up Speedy its them wanting me to do it too!
Hi again Wheezer. Don't quote me as gospel on this, but I believe unawareness of hypoglycaemia is something that is definitely taken into consideration for DLA. I'd go for it, particularly as your own doctors and nurse are encouraging you to do so - and again, good luck with it.
PS Yes it is glucagon!
gluagon is what we inject david with, its no different to your ordinary injection. i am sure you will manage fine. You may have to train you mum as well as any carers you have.
I hope things work out for you!
I dont think your diabetes will effect your rate of DLA mobility but you should be entitled to help with care part? Dont forget your circumatances and care rate need to have changed for 3mths before they will consider looking again.
good luck
Andrea xx
I waited till over the 3mths before calling them Andrea as I was advised needed to have been diagnosed at least 3 months!
Well got 3 weeks to get forms done so have enough time at least!
Hi Wheezer,
Why don't you ask for advice on filling in the forms on one of the diabetes forums you recommended a few weeks ago? People there would probably be better placed to give you advice and tips on what to write on the forms from the diabetes side.
Anyway, just a thought...
xx
Sorry wheezer didnt mean to insult just didnt want you wasting your time!
The citizens advice are great at filling in the forms with you aswell as going over all your finances and benefits to make sure you are getting all your entitled to, they do home visits but get booked quick so when making an appt be sure to tell them when your form has to be back.
good luck
andrea xx
One of the things to remeber with DLA is that it is not given out on the basis of a diagnosis.
The awards are given to people based on how the illness affects you as a person day to day. As we all know one perosn may struggle with an illness and need lots of help but another may need far less help even with the same diagnosis. Asthma is a prime example how it vaires in how disabling it is from one preosn to another. Therefore noone can judge what the DLA will or will not award to anyone only the rpeson or their advisor involved will be able to judge whether it is realistic or not.
When I phoned a few years ago with regards my own claim I pointed out the level of medication should prove something but was told no because it could mean that even though you take all the medication you do that may make you illness stable and would mean you did not need much help. Once I thought about it I could totally see the point.
True speedy, but its getting that someone to read your form. A family friend used to work for the DLA up her, before i needed it, and told me its a points scheme? your answers are scored which is read by a lay clesrk, its only if you score so many points its then looked at specifically by someone that knows. The citezins advice told me that at the mo asthma is very hard to claimfor due to people in the part expecting it and getting it just on trhe diagnosis when not really needed? they just felt it was something they were entitled to and because of this its now more difficult for us to claim. They along with may other agancies dont see asthma as such a broad diagnosis, that why many asthmatics have had to go to panal ony for them to take one look and see how sever they are? but on the whole its for our bebifit i suppose, if many more cheated it then it would prob have to stop and that would leave many of us that need it in dire straights?
Just another of life little battle het?
Andrea
All I was pointing out is that it is not our place to be saying what Donna will or will not get in her application as every illness affects people differently. We do not know her medical details fully.
I to understand the workings of the DLA system due to my previous work as well as my own experiences.
Many people are cheating the system and also being unfairly treated not just asthma, bascially because it is so badly set up and monitored with no independant complaints system. There are also not many specialist soclicitors trained in this area so the results are not being challenged enough and taken higher than appeal hearings. There are changes in the pipeline and new benefit sytem being discussed to replace DLA that in theory will be fairer.
Speedy has put what I was trying to say more eloquently than I could whilst i was blethering on the other night - ie it is about how the illness affects you; hence my saying about the hypo unawareness. Thanks speedy.
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