Patient Transport, Atos, Local Grants, Your own rights, your own safety blanket

[Catel]

Hiya folks,

Well, Im back in Worthing hospital, would you believe I had a spasm in my wet room, jerked quite powerfully onto one the of the handles from the wall, and cracked a rib. Most folk wont remember my rambling diatribes,so ill keep it quick

[- Patient transport- One of the marvelous systems that most folks are not using.

I had 3 hospital apps, all in middle london,Royal Brompton,no parking.NO way could I have managed this. They picked me up in a beautifully clean,wide, large car, with different well educated drivers, who ensured my whole day was panic and worry free, TY Guys you rock

[- Atos for ESA also for incapacity change over, weeks of worry, sending in all letters and communications. No Need, got both with no need to follow up every, terminal Gold Grade 4 { But cos we is Atos, you will need to prove this all an between now and 2015 to see if I qualify for the new non benefit debilitated payments

[- DSS for actually working out that I did need help, regardless of how many hoops etc

[-Arun Wheelchair service, getting me m lovely free wheelchair, enabling me to at lease get out. Government grants- Wet room, alarm, HC2 free prescriptions

Please, dont panic, My way of looking at it is that if you are worrying, then you need some help, and telling the truth, and a little digging there will unearth so many places to help. Your warm, cuddly blanket is right in front of you, you deserve all these aids, dont feel guilty they are there to see that we live a decent life, and a better life experience, ts the ones who dont deserve it snickering and laughing at all of us cos they spent 75% of the budget due to worriers,sufferers, carers and many others.

Dont be like me, and leave digging and asking too late. Ive managed to make sure I have a life jacket, and that ill die comfy, dont feel ghoulish, but copd grade 4 gold is not nice alone please use these shoulders.

If anyone wants to chat, or use my experiences with everything from first Atos letter, through to qualifying for benefits you are allowed and indeed need, the things guys, Its made to ensure anyone ill is given the best quality of life, Feel free to pm me

Its not begging, its yours by rights, and hidden away to add to their funds for the following seasons

[Toci]

Get well soon Catel - and STOP WORRYING! xx

[Hidden]

Hi Catel, sorry to hear you are back in hospital, but its great to hear you had such good help with the patient transport programme, from Arun wheel chair service and wet room alarm etc. Its good to know you have access all these. Congratulations also achieving Incapacity ESA changeover, it is worrying at the time for sure. So glad that worry is history now.

Thanks for sharing all your experiences and offer to help anyone, its good to know there are people like you around.

Take good care and wishing you a speedy recovery, hope that cracked rib heals good real soon.

Best wishes BC

[Catel]

Thanks, I was rather hoping this post would stop people from worrying a little,its not as bad as they say, and as long as you are honest and true, there's a mass of help there for everyone.

Im back in hospital btw, funny story, now dont laugh....

Sitting on loo, I had one of my spasms, no more than usual, though I was between standing up and such from loo seat, Gravity never fails and my um personal bits managed to get hooked between seat and loo rim, ensuring a tear of some size across said personals. The shock of this I smacked my head in to the under baton on the bath, and the 3 rd Act of rebound ensured I had a bath strut at a funny kinda angle going thru the wall of yet another buggered rib. Irony actually,they managed to nerve block lot, a few stitches and Im as beautiful as ever

Before fall, FEV 1 of 22%, After, FEV1 @24%....who is the worst off, me or that strut, now having gracefully been punted out of the window.

See everything has a funny story ,Chuckles ,guys thanks for reading

[Hidden in reply to Catel]

Ouch, ouch ouch, that just goes to show exercise is good for improving lung function

Well done Catel, your a real survivor

[Hidden in reply to Catel]

Read your messages with interest and an ouch! GSOH. Best wishes and love, from Annieseed xx

[phillips1]

Hiya Catel

You made me smile with your post and that is worth a medal in my book. Thanks for that and I wish you well in the future.

Bobby

[Puffthemagicdragon]

I had my stent put in at Worthing and after an overnight stay they said community transport would be arranged to take me back to Selsey. After waiting for 8 hours they said there was no transport and I would have to make my own way back. I said I'll have to walk to the railway station. They said " Oh that's not advisable so soon after your op ! " This just less than 24 hours after my op. Although the surgeon and ward staff were excellent, the backup needs a bit of work. I was not pleased I can tell you !! I paid £30 odd pound for a cab in the end.

[Catel in reply to Puffthemagicdragon]

Im so sorry to see my local has managed to raise this sort of kick-up, but Ill put hand on heart and agree with you. Worthing Hospital is by far the worst for disabled parking, by far the most expensive per capita car park. And by far the most ignorant staffing where arse meets Spanish archer smiling at his reflection in the Adur.

Im fortunate in that I gave a disabled badge, and a form HC2 which enables be to get every penny of transport and parking charges from the wothing cash office. Everyone with a HC2 gets all back, Disabled doesnt have to pay, but by dint of being disabled, I think the powers that be assume each and t'other have the form/certificate. My simple advice is to apply for an HC2, this automatically enable you to reclam at the hospital immediately. If however it is a matter of being unable to drive, or find a convention bus stop or station would have given you the link that helped me so much'.but this has been removed, so Id suggest a google for sussex.nhs.uk/patient-trasnsport, hope this may help

[Puffthemagicdragon in reply to Catel]

I visit down there about once every two months so it was a bit of a one-off. I first went to the local doctors who said I had indigestion ! My daughters pushed me to go to A&E at St.Richards hospital in Chichester. There they found I had angina and also a mild heart attack about a week before that I didn't know about. St. Richards only has a license for the angiograph and not for placing the stent otherwise they would have done it while the tube was in place. I got taken by ambulance to Worthing who then had to make another hole in my groin in the femoral artery to put the stent in. After the op as I sat in bed it felt quite wet around my nether regions so I felt down and the sheet was wet with blood. Nurse, I said, I do believe I'm leaking ! I held a wad of cotton stuff over it for about 5 minutes and the bleeding stopped. A good job I wasn't asleep as it don't take long for bleeding from the artery to cause unconsciousness and the body to stop working.

[cofdrop-UK]

OUCH Catel- crikey what a time you have been having, but what a great attitude you have - RESPECT.

love cx

[hufferpuffer]

Oh Catel ! what are you like!!!! that must have hurt!! hope you are recovering well, I so admire your brave take on things and the fact that though you are so poorly you take the time to offer help to others, you are a shining star, if only there were more people like you about,this world would be a much better place! get better and better soon,love huff xxxxx

[sadie1951]

This is a great post Catel. Sorry to hear about your "bits and pieces" though (glad I'm female!!). You sound so positive. All the very best. Sadie x

[appyalison]

Catel. Great post. Fantastic attitude. Can I have a slice of you to cheer me up when I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed? Hope you feel better soon. xxx Alison

[undine]

Thank you, I am stage 3 COPD and looking after my elderly Mum (currently bedridden more or less - recovering from a broken hip) and have been worrying about what it will be like for me at stage 4 as no children no husband etc. no one to be there for me so good to know there is still help out there. Thanks again and Good luck xx

[Catel in reply to undine]

Please, please ring Citizens Advice,they are in most towns, and if not are a call away, and in some circumstances will come you ou. They are now fully trained to help, and support you all the way through your very sad problem. Please, dont EVER feel alone there are so many sites such as this which will provide comfort, advice and an ear to listen to. Try calling the BLF Cal line, such nice people, who will bring back the sun-filled sky. That first call is the hardest but 2 minutes into your chat youll feel the worry slowly edge away.,Please take care,

Cate

[undine in reply to Catel]

Thank you for your concern and advice, am OK I think at present but as I said nice to know there is help out there. xx

[Hidden]

You have such a strong positive attitude Catel. I really admire you for that. And for being able to think of others at a time like this is great. Keep rocking!

Bev x

[Hidden]

Just saw your post Catel,so sorry to hear of your rather painful situations!!

Do take care,& get better soon.We missed you,

Hugs,Wendells xxx

[Catel]

Many thanks for the replies guys, Im just about to start another little bug bear, which Im sure will be linked here somehow, I can do the typing bit not too good on putting in right bi,hope than made sense