Thank You Westminster

[JudgeMental]

Ironic that the same institutions that have been telling me for the past few years that I'm perfectly fit for the workplace are now telling me that I am currently not fit for the workplace due to my underlying condition. Just saying...

[Painny]

This system needs to be overhauled for the sake of sick and vulnerable. Hopefully, when the Coronavirus is over people can realise what a decent society should look like. This system even question the view of your own doctors and consultants and merely relies on what a physio therapist or a nurse to do the assessment and when they do they say a pack of lies to suit them and when people complain they make it too difficult so people can give up and those who have to wait over a year to get an answer after appeal 🙄😧

Hope you are OK with the current situation. Be safe xx

[Hidden in reply to Painny]

Here Here Painny. Maybe this is the change we need. Seriously who would want to be disabled anyway? We didn’t choose our illnesses and disabilities and we get punished by the added stress of the system. Take care and keep safe. Xxx

[Painny in reply to Hidden]

Exactly !

I rather be in a job with a high salary and why would I want to lose the qualifications I gained through hard work by not working. If you read my posting above you can see how many mistakes I made, my brain is not up to it as well as severe fatigue

You too, be safe in an uncertain time xx

[Hidden in reply to Painny]

Everyone stay safe and take care. Love and hugs Lynne xxxx

[Painny in reply to Hidden]

You too Lynne, I feel like drunk without actually drinking, bl00dy Fibro! Xx

[Hidden in reply to Painny]

You are very welcome. I know what you mean. Love and hugs Lynne xxxx

[Hidden in reply to Painny]

Hi Painny. I know why did we bother getting the qualifications? Surely if we were fit and well , it’s pretty obvious we would be out in the world of work earning a good salary. Before I became ill I was a teacher and on £30,000 + a year and that was quite a few years ago now. You would think that we chose to go on benefits. Oooo don’t get me started 🤯lol .

Take care and be safe. Lynn XXX

[Painny in reply to Hidden]

Soooooo true, no one wants to waste talents, remember they are the losers not us, okay I leave it here as I don’t want you to get started 😍

[Hidden in reply to Painny]

Thanks Hun. Xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yes, definitely!! Love and hugs Lynne xxxx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Ironically I worked for nhs most if my career as a medical PA to consultants why would I swap my salary for a pittance... needs must and we adjust dont we.. hugs xx

[margaretpaloma in reply to Hidden]

Spot on. Some years ago my husband had an accident and ruptured two disks. Our idiot GP came up with every explanation under the sun except the right one. He wanted to send him to a shrink and sort of suggested he was swinging the lead - and my husband was self employed. I went with him and we refused to leave the office until we got a hospital referral. When he got a diagnosis and was told he must have surgery I went back and lectured that young twit as if he was a 12 year old, then we changed doctors.

Rule number one of medicine. People want to get well!

[Hidden in reply to margaretpaloma]

Well done Margaret . Of course people want to get well. We wouldn’t be going to the doctors otherwise . Hope your new doctors have more sense.

[Fibromum55]

I am struggling tbh. Is fybro classed as a condition that prevents working due to corona virus. If so in what grounds, my employer has a list and it’s not on the list from government? Be good to know thanks

[Tabby-Cat in reply to Fibromum55]

These are the conditions defined as "extremely vulnerable" to Covid-19:

What do we mean by extremely vulnerable?

People falling into this extremely vulnerable group include:

Solid organ transplant recipients.

People with specific cancers:

people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer

people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment

people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer

people having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors

people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs

People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD.

People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell).

People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection.

Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired.

People who are "vulnerable" are:

aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions)

under 70 with an underlying health condition listed below (ie anyone instructed to get a flu jab as an adult each year on medical grounds):

chronic (long-term) respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis

chronic heart disease, such as heart failure

chronic kidney disease

chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis

chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), a learning disability or cerebral palsy

diabetes

problems with your spleen – for example, sickle cell disease or if you have had your spleen removed

a weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy

being seriously overweight (a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above)

those who are pregnant

[margaretpaloma in reply to Tabby-Cat]

I'm 69, I have asthma, though not bad, fibro and I'm overweight, also take meds for blood pressure. Oh and I took steroids in January. Seems I am sort of borderline in every way!

Success for the day, getting a telephone consultation with our Spanish doctor and renewing all our meds for a year, take joy in the little triumphs!

[Tabby-Cat in reply to margaretpaloma]

I'm borderline vulnerable too, but I'm erring on the side of caution 😳

[Alanna012 in reply to Fibromum55]

Well the criteria must be based on likelihood of death, as I would think anyone with fibro will be aware of how catching any virus, even the common cold can exacerbate your symptoms and knock you back weeks. I always have to think carefully about taking the flu jab, as even that can give me a flare up where I end up in bed for days. Even if I was otherwise fit and well, I can't imagine Corona not leaving me struggling more.

But I suppose flu is always nasty even if you recover relatively quickly, whereas Corona can be mild and asymptomatic. Maybe that's why Fibo isn't classed as a disibility causing vulnerability with this illness. Hmm.

Don't know.

[Fibromum55 in reply to Alanna012]

Thank you for your reply

[Tabby-Cat]

I'm not defending the DWP at all because I don't know your circumstances, but you have to admit that the workplace is normally a much safer place for people with all sorts of conditions than it is at the moment. I worked for almost 45 years, but no way could I take that risk right now.

[Alepar]

Not looked at it that way, tfs 😍 So true...😂

My brain is mush at the moment because I just finished the dreaded PIP renewal form. A neighbour was kind enough to take the brown envelope of doom to the post office. At least COVID19 has saved me the trauma that is a F2F with a health ‘professional’ who’s unfamiliar with the concepts of truth/empathy etc.

I was a teacher too Hidden It’s fascinating how many Fibro peeps were. Just goes to show how much stress compromises the autoimmune system. That and hormones...and personality types. I only recently managed to finally find a good therapist. Her DD has Fibro too, so she totally gets it AND has had some really interesting incites. Figures that s’th would happen to interfere with it. Sigh.

@fibromum55 I agree it would be really useful to know what criteria they’re using re who to send the “you must self isolate” texts/letters to. Going forward can we use them as evidence when dealing with the DWP¿ 🤔🤣

Stay safe everyone <3

[Hidden in reply to Alepar]

Hi Alepar

What did you teach ? Yes I agree there probably is a correlation between teaching and Fibromyalgia.

Well done on getting your form done ✅. That’s a traumatic experience in its self. Good luck 😉. I think that’s a great idea of yours to keep You must isolate letters , as it’s a good piece of evidence.

Stay safe and enjoy your day. Xxx

[60Chrissy]

Hi

Not been on for a while - life is hectic with so many issues to deal with and trying to work. Most of the time I am just too tired and stressed to interact with anything or anyone. I have vitamin D deficiency, up and down saying pre-diabeties and long standing Fibromyalgia from 2003. Can I just check as I am not taking in information so well - Are you saying now that you have been advised because of Fibromyalgia that you come under the category of being a vulnerable person due to health issues.

[Doing4me]

🤦🏽‍♀️😜😂

[Merlio18]

Hi can I ask what flagged you up to receive a letter ? As there is a massive grey area for lots of people with chronic illnesses that still make them vulnerable if they did catch covid 19 due to possible complications but the government only seem to be protecting the most severe tho in the past few days most businesses have all closed so it might not be as much of an issue unless your classed as a key worker

[JudgeMental]

There's a need for me to clarify: the first (generic?) message from the Gummint was via text message: "New rules in force now: you must stay at home". The second was a private communication between myself and my employer and it doesn't seem appropriate to expand on that here. It just tickled me that any condition which might previously have been conveniently dismissed could possibly then become a realistic factor when there may be some kind of liability and/or accountability involved. And with liability and/or accountability in mind, that's the end of the thread for me, time to stop digging. LOL.