Occupational health report - follow up from my post angry😠😠😠😠

Morning all.

Hope you all had a restful night

Last week I posted how angry I was following my occupational health visit.

I received the report and am angered again.

I'd like to see what you think

Love and light

Julie x

[0101]

Hi Julie. Firstly I hope you're doing something nice now? Drinking tea? Something to spoil yourself?

I'm not surprised you're angry. The above shows a lot of wordy words... and not much substance! I won't pick holes in the logic of the statements and I share your anger - where are you in all this? It's written in a way that doesn't lead to relieving you of your symptoms but looks like justification for inaction.

A lot of people with health issues are facing this - the inferences are that it's our fault or made up or... psychiatric...or...etc.

As strange as it may sound...please ignore it for the time being. Park it. Concentrate on what you can do to relieve things and make yourself feel as well as you can until you speak to/get assessed by someone who listens and acts on what you say.

You have justifiable anger but try to direct that for now - use it to motivate you to putting that precious energy to helping you. Can you identify anyone who seems more adept or able to help you?

Sending energy and smiles to you

XXX

[Hidden in reply to 0101]

Thank you 0101

The letter came yesterday so I have had time to digest it.

The whole consultation was awful, he was so dismissive of Fibro, he told me there is no such condition.

I have filed a report against him.

Luckily he's just an occupational health doctor so I will never have to see him again. Lol

CAB have told me not to worry about the content of the report that work will not be interested in that, just his opinion on whether I can get back to work or not

Julie x

[0101 in reply to Hidden]

You've filed a report? Good for you and for making a stand :-D. And well done on keeping your goals in sight.

[bluebell99]

Hi Julie

I can understand your anger and frustration at such a non commital report. It seems as though he is dragging out the sentences to justify his assessment of you.

He is guessing what the consultant may diagnose, although you haven't had the appointment yet, is he a mind reader? He says it is a possibility but not yet confirmed so

I wonder why he felt the need to write the definition of fibro? Is it because he had nothing else to say?

I would have thought he would have concentrated and described your symptoms, fatigue, pain, mood, mobility etc rather than give a generalised statement.

As far as being able to say if you can work or not, he hasn't really answered one way or the other, talk about sitting on the fence!

I do hope it goes in your favour, your employer will be just as annoyed as you that the OH's report is so vague.

X

[Hidden in reply to bluebell99]

Hi bluebell99

The report does go on to say he doesn't think i'miss fit for work but I thought i'd share his quote about fibro. The whole appointment he was so dismissive of the illness andhe told me several times there is no such condition, the name is just made up to give people a label. He tried asking questions that made it obvious that he wanted put everythingdown to stress and depression and I told him in uncertain terms I am not and he hasn't put anything of that on the report thankfully.

I think he just doesn't recognise it as an illness even though it's in the WHO register of diseases

Love and light

Julie x

[Lou1062]

I am seen periodically by a neurologist who would not be involved if the condition were not real, this report was clearly written by a jobsworth with no knowledge of the facts and will hopefully be seen as such. I do hope you get all the help you deserve. Lou xxx

[Hidden]

Well I think that's a big pile of poo!!! You are obviously dealing with ignorant people who know b*** all about this condition and they need to get their noses into some serious studying instead of speculating I bet I know more about diagnosing the condition than they do... Good luck our friend don't give in!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you caz-54 I have requested an information pack and I will post it too him lol x

[Em08]

Hi I'm so sorry this has happened to you. I'm wondering like other post has said maybe he just doesn't have enough knowledge about our health? Sending you lots of hugs 🤗 xxx

[michaelf43]

Hi Julie,

Hope you feeling less stressed today and sorry you had to go through this with the Occupational Health. I recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and been of work for 2months now . I have an appointment with Occupational Health next month and I hope I don't have to go through what you have had to go through.

Best wishes for future

[Hidden in reply to michaelf43]

Good luck michaelf43 I hope no one has to be subjected to that ever

Julie x

[furgus]

Did the O/H doctor receive a letter from your consultant or is the letter based on what you said during the assessment? I don't see too much wrong in the report. It's the reality of the condition at present for a lot of people. There isn't a simple blood test or a scan used to confirm fibromyalgia. It is usually diagnosed after other conditions which can be tested for are ruled out and is diagnosed based on the patient's description of symptoms.

The way I read the last part is that medical knowledge is limited at the present time. It says "understood medical causes have been ruled out". Focus on "understood". The medics haven't yet worked out what is going on, they don't completely understand it, they can't yet test for it but they diagnose based on the fact that you experience pain and other symptoms.

This occupational health doctor may not believe it exists, I expect many doctors still don't believe that it exists, but I see that as their problem. The pain exists, the other symptoms exist and doctors can either call it fibromyalgia and try to treat that or say that fibromyalgia doesn't exist, but accept that you still experience pain and other symptoms and try to treat you as an individual. Either way it's the symptoms that are important. If the doctor had said he didn't believe you suffered any symptoms I'd view it differently.

He said "there is no such condition, the name is just made up to give people a label". I think this is the case with most conditions. People with similar symptoms were lumped together and given a 'label'. Over time these people were investigated and understanding of the condition grew and tests and treatments were developed. An obvious example is epilepsy which used to be considered a mental illness but knowledge and tests are better now and it's accepted that it's physical. It's possible in time that tests for fibromyalgia will be developed and hopefully treatments will be available. It's quite possible that as the research is done that people who are currently 'labelled' with fibromyalgia actually don't all have the same single condition, they might find different causes resulting in similar symptoms and the 'label' could then be changed to several different diagnoses which need different treatments.

His opinion about the existence or otherwise of fibromyalgia isn't important. For O/H all that really matters is that he took notice of your symptoms which it sounds like he did and that you're ok with the recommendations. He's said you're not fit for work. Is this what you expected/wanted, or did you want help and adjustments at work to enable you to continue?

[BlueMermaid3]

Hi Julie

What a load of rubbish. It is all just complete waffle.

He obviously has no idea what he is talking about at all.

I am not the slightest bit surprised that you are angry. It is also very annoying receiving correspondence over a weekend.

I can't remember. Have you taken into your employer information about Fibromyalgia?

Put it to one side and try to forget about it for now. This person obviously doesn't want to admit that they know nothing about our condition.

Lu xx

[Tory]

I'm so sorry. I had the same thing with OH. In one of the assessments the doctor I saw kept on about depression. Asking wether there was a family history of it. Even with the Fibro diagnosis they said I hadn't had all the treatments available. It seems they follow a set criteria and we don't fit it! Take care x

[carol789 in reply to Tory]

Hi Tory, Julie and everyone , Thank you for posting the update, very interesting to gain an insight into what OH may write. Sorry late reply: just wanted to add, that although the doctor I seen at OH was lovely, also kept on about depression and had I ever suffered it before? I had when my brother died 3 years ago, but been fine until fibro flare up now, caused by stress and anxiety at work, so not suprised depressed with having a fibro flare to contend with and the biggest one yet. Quite worried now? Very best wishes to you all

[TheAuthor]

Hi Hidden

I really am so genuinely sorry to read this my friend, and he has given the worst possible description of Fibro that I have ever read! If he was to go onto the NHS Choices website he would get a much better picture of what Fibro is and what it does to us. I want to sincerely wish you all the best of luck, and please take care of yourself my friend.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken x

[Hidden in reply to TheAuthor]

I know TheAuthor, he was so dismissive of the condition. And when this letter came it made me feel patronised all over again.

Thank you for your comments

Julie x

[TheAuthor in reply to Hidden]

Good luck my friend x

[My-chinaman]

Maybe send him a leaflet on our condition?

[Hidden in reply to My-chinaman]

Hi My-Chinaman . I've ordered a full information pack to forward on to him hee hee

Julie x

[Hidden]

Yes Tory he wanted to know all about my life from childhood onwards and was asking how it made me feel when certain things happened in my life, I actually asked him at one point if it was a psychiatricreport hemail was doing. He really wanted to put all my problems down to depression or lack of sleep. Idiot lol

Julie x