while at my swimming session I got talking to someone who is training to be a PIP assessor so I said I have PIP mainly for my fibromyalgia to which she replied my son is a neurosurgeon and he says there is no such thing as fibromyalgia and those who say they got it are overweight 40+ women to which I said that I have had it since I was in my teens and had to give up my career as a hairdresser and my son is 43 and has it so bad he can’t work and some days he can’t get out of bed, I hope she doesn’t assess me or my son 🤦♀️
pip assessor: while at my swimming... - Fibromyalgia Acti...
pip assessor
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PAULINE15
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Im really frustrated by her comments. It seems like she’s heading into the right line of work, as PIP assessors often seem more focused on finding reasons to deny people the help they need. I think I would have had a serious disagreement with her. 🤬
that so reminds me of a person who stopped me in the supermarket car park after I parked in a disabled parking space. Oh he said you don’t look disabled- my reply and you don’t look stupid so I guess we are both wrong. He left rather hurriedly 😂
Brilliant lol
Brilliant, well done! 😂😂😂
I'll remember that one! Just brill🤣🤣
It doesn't matter or she doesn't matter,
I'm just wondering if she's got to the training that says it is of no matter,
Because what we have is irelavence ( sorry cant spell) It is how we are effected in our lives by whatever illness or disease we have and suffer from,
I expect she may not have been telling the truth so she looks like she knows more about it?
I don't mean any ill will to the woman, but I do wish they would stop stressing people out, They do that enough when they have passed the training stage and are now being paid by our lovely and honest government,( who we pay)🤥🤥 Distressing times,
Take care Debs
Good grief 😳
oh wow, that’s awful. I’ve had for 16years, was diagnosed as a teen and had to leave school and missed my GCSEs. I would love to know what I have then, if there no such thing as fibromyalgia. Xx
In training or not aren't they meant to be all medical professionals disgraceful
I’m afraid none of the pip assessors are medically trained. Unfortunately.
Aren’t they at least nurses? If not how can they possibly judge?
not always - I’ve had physiotherapists and the like
I’m afraid not. They are trained to ask the questions in a particular way and form. There is no medical training required.
I've just had my Blue Badge assessment and it was a young Asian girl with not terribly clear English, and she was just asking questions off a list. I'm sure she gets some training. The scary question was "Did you take a painkiller this morning?" Well I didn't because I wanted a "bad day". Pain varies from day to day, and my pain is not so much FM now but compression fractures. Over the months, as they heal the pain diminishes. However, once you have one fracture, you are likely to get more. I now have seven. If I were to be seen soon after a new fracture, I don't think there would be any doubt. I'm waiting for the result of my assessment so fingers crossed. But yes - make sure you have a bad day - and don't underestimate your pain.
They're all medically trained.
No. they do employ some people who have worked for the nhs in the past but there is no medical experience actually require to get these positions,
The only time you will meet an actual professional person is if you go to a tribunal.
Sorry I'll disagree with you ... my daughter was a pip assessor .. she is a nurse and also has a disability!
Yes as I said they do have people who have worked for the nhs but ther are no medical qualifications required for these positions. I wish they were all medically trained but that is never going to happen.
Typical arrogant surgeon. Fibromyalgia is a recognised condition. It did take many years both here and in America for it to recognised. Sadly there is a common problem within science for dealing with the unexplained. If Archaeologists cannot explain a site then it must be "ritual" . If a doctor cannot explain then it is due to anxiety or "it's in the mind". Sadly there are still a number of GPs and rheumatologists who don't believe in fibromyalgia. To be honest I am not a great fan of the diagnosis either. From my understanding there are over a hundred different forms of arthritis each can have differing effects. Fibromyalgia affects us in many different ways. Some have many symptoms others very few. Others get affected in a few areas whilst in others are systemic. Personally I believe fibromyalgia like arthritis as many types and in the years to come there will be other types of fibromyalgia classified. PS....I am a man and clinically underweight so it kind of destroys the forty plus overweight female argument.
Morning this shows some assessors have no idea about medical conditions and there effects on people's life imagine how many people are going to be refused pip due to this I had a benefits advisor who used to eork for a assessment company and she saw so many bad things and was told she was basically giving too many people pip that she started working for a charity that helps people with the paperwork maze . Also the government keeps talking about pop constantly now
She may have been one of these people who don't like people on pip because they think ( we should all be working) !! She probably works in a shop and her son works as a cleaner. Not that that there is anything wrong with shop work or cleaning I have don't them both myself in the past. If she is training to do pip Assessments. I suggest they educated the woman first. 👩
Gosh that is harsh, scary and very sad x
wow I hope it didn’t ruin your Swimming session if you see this lady again tell her from me
My daughter is in uni for neuroscience to become a surgeon
It’s funny how one of the top universities in this country is telling its future neuroscience surgeons that fibromyalgia is a deliberating disease and it’s effect differ from person to person and most people who have this condition cannot even plan there day to day routine because they don’t know what way they will feel that day
Fatigue, widespread pain the list goes on
Lest there learning and studying about it now in Uni 🙏 x
I get ESA based on my diagnosis of fibromyalgia. The assessor stated that the DWP take fybro very seriously as it can be delibatating, so I would ignore what they said, it sounds more like a personal statement than one of a trained person.
As it isn’t even known if fibromyalgia is a neurological or immune system related condition do I care what an arrogant surgeon thinks?
What is worrying is that this women will probably take this non scientific bias into her assessments.
A surgeon wouldn't know about Fibro, it is totally outside his field of expertise. His job is cutting out bits and pieces or repairing bits surgically:
It is a Physician's job to deal with the non-surgical conditions. Also, age has a bearing on whether or not a doctor knows anything about Fibro; Younger physicians are more up to date, as older ones can become set in their ways and beliefs about Fibro. I was a nurse.
Cheers, Midori
Hi Pauline15Rude and unprofessional.
Not to mention uninformed.
Sounds like lust for personal power was involved to me.
Take care
Gigi
that’s disgusting why would you pretend to be in agonising pain all your life ? I can’t understand anyone saying such a horrible thing 😡
The sad thing is - that for benefits of any kind - some people do pretend to be in agonising pain (when they know they are being watched).
Shocking! It's all about saving money!
ffs! That’s horrible. And that she said that to your face shows her to be a nasty person. No judgement to anyone who was already bigger before their diagnosis but I gained weight because I can hardly even walk most days. I used to walk miles and to work and back every day.
Good point. Ironically my partner is in hospital and being kept there basically because in their opinion, he can't climb the stairs, but he's not getting any exercise, so now he can't walk far - can barely stand without help! He's being kept against his will and the condition he didn't get admitted for is now being made worse by his being kept there. Something to do with insurance, I understand.
What a horrible experience with someone who is training to help people with very painful condition. This person should be reported for making such unacceptable remarks linked to her job and making judgements comments on something she knows nothing about. If you meet this lady again perhaps you should ask her why she is taking on training for pip/job role when she has doubts about helping others and understanding illnesses in which she knows Notting about and does not believe in their conditions .
I feel frustrated reading something like this and ask why they do the job if you don't look to overcome doubts of people life's. I wondered what her feelings would be if she just had 24 hours in a body with fibromyalgia.
I suspect they're not trained to help the applicants. They are trained to keep the corporate money in the corporate safe. If they can say a condition doesn't exist that's their excuse not to recommend people for help, and she will meet many fibro-sufferers in her new job.
Wow! Shocking and unbelievable! Obviously a Neurosurgeon with no compassion!
How mean with knobs on! So sorry to hear your son has it too.
That's funny because my wife has been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia by her specialist at the hospital. She has letters from her specialist to our GP saying, Diagnosis; Fibromyalgia
To be honest my specialist physiotherapist also believes this and also fnd functional neurological disorder is also something that neurologists say when they dont know whats wrong with yiu. I have been diagnosed with both of these.
Wow!!! I know this is wrong to say but I really hope she gets it at some point.. then let her say it's not real!!? That really wound me up reading that. I'm surprised you didn't clobber her one! I'm in so much pain today and feel terrible, if someone had said I would not have been responsible for my actions 😡
Sad to say - if she has a son old enough to be a neurosurgeon, she is probably too old to get it!
Actually, FM is used to cover a wide number of symptoms, so I wonder whether one day they will discover what it really is and then all these childish people will believe it exists.
Good point you make there. It's just so ignorant of people to not even try to understand other people's health issues. So what if that's what she has been told, doesn't mean it's true, what about listening to thousands of people who struggle every single day with it, are we all making it up!I didn't even know what fibromyalgia was until my diabetes consultant mentioned it at my annual review, she was the one who worked it out and wrote to my GP to screen me for it and my GP looked back thru my medical notes and told me I'd been having issues with pain for 15+ years, so it certainly wasn't in my head. Grrr I'm still annoyed by her comment! I don't normally wish ill health on others but I really do hope she does start to suffer with fibromyalgia and then she may just understand how badly it can affect your life! I feel like it's ruined my life, it's taken away my career that I really loved and I'm really struggling to accept it still after all this time 😢
How are you feeling huni? Xx
Yes, and on the back of your losing your job due to FM, she has got a job! You don't necessarily need to have an interest in the subject of a job to be able to be employed. You just need to be good at interviews and lying.
Yes, I've got my assessment next week, think I'm going to ask for it to be recored so they can't deny what's been explained to them. In fact, I'm going to ring them now, I'm not taking any chances bcoz I feel like I'm going to have a battle on my hands 🙄 I just feel like not speaking to anyone these days bcoz of people like this woman. And they're the reasons so many people do not get what they rightfully entitled to. How many deaths have people like her been responsible for?? I doubt she will assess people with fibromyalgia as needing help from the sounds of it. She should not been doing that job if she's so easily persuaded by unknown facts 😡Xx
That age rule is the stupidest regulation., because someone diagnosed at say 2 years below retirement pension age who had never heard of PIP…(not everyone reads Health Unlocked) so had not applied …..would soon become ineligible ….when possibly their disease had progressed ….. affecting their capabilities more.
The decision to award all Benefits should depend 100% on how one’s health affects ones daily living capabilities, no matter how old they are….& recipients should have regular medicals to continue receiving the State money that we all pay for.
I’m sure there are many deserving people refused PIP because of their age. As I understand it there are Benefits available to those over pension age, but they are far less generous & are means tested .
Hopefully when Benefits are reviewed under a new Administration, common sense will prevail……
that’s absolutely terrible, I’m so sorry you had to hear that , she’s in the right job then !!! Not !!
This post made me so mad. How is it possible to fight against this attitude? She didn't even research it herself. Her son may be a neurosurgeon but that doesn't mean he is an expert and he may be quite inexperienced. I wasn't overweight when diagnosed, but I can appreciate that many overweight people may suffer pain just because of the weight they carry. Let's not get into that. I don't think I suffer from it any more because I have reasons for my present pain and the pain is felt as a result. I probably still have it but it's masked.
To comment that to someone who suffers from FM is dismissive and rude. I think I would have punched that PIP lady. You've got to find a medic to give you a clear diagnosis so that you've got something on paper to present at your PIP review. Good luck.
If she has already got that in her head, even before the training is over, then god help whoever gets her as an assessor! Disgraceful. Its hard enough for us being assessed in the first place without people like her and their uneducated ideas of what we have to live with each day.
I still don’t understand how the assessor has so much input when we have taken many stressful and exhausting hours to put together our applications together with actual medical evidence. Yet they spend one hour with us and decide we are not worthy. I have my review telephone assessment tomorrow morning and I don't even know where to start with my paperwork, submitted a year ago!
Assessment done, just 2.5 hours, I’m exhausted! All I can do now is wait but still going through it in my head grrr
This is awful that's why I think so many people get turned down. I did they don't have the problem or the pain, trying to be heard is like walking in quicksand.
I actually feel sorry for the patients who will be under this arrogant surgeon
My daughter has suffered for years with various things.
Was formally diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2019 at the aged of 34 by a rheumatologist.
Surely better trained than an PIP assessor.
All assessments should be done by medical proffessionals and doctors that know the patient.
We had never heard of ftbromyalgia.
She doesn't want fybromyalgia but gives her the answers as to why she is like she is and cant do the things she wants to do.
Hey Pauline15 ....Many many moons ago I was staying with a Dr friend in America. He was a top Neurosurgeon in he's field and use to travel the world giving lectures and teaching. For many many years I suffered with unknown limb and body pain and for many years was told by many many Dr's it was growing pains (as I'd had this since I was around 9/10yrs of age) and whatever else the cops think of just because they didn't know what it was.
My parents took me to Harley St and was charged £200 way back in the 80s to have me lie on a bed lift up my arms legs etc to be told to take Paracetamol and was out in 10mins.
My Dr friend whom I was staying with diagnosed me in a heartbeat.
He came into the kitchen of he's home where my boyfriend was and asked where I was. My hubby said I was poorly so was sleeping. He asked what was wrong my hubby told him and he said "oh that's Fibromyalgia Syndrome. Never heard of it at the time and was soooo relieved to be given a name.
He told me "Don't let anyone ever tell you that this doesn't exist and that it's all in your imagination.
He was so adamant that this IS a REAL ILLNESS and to never let anyone tell me any different.
Don't know if this is a personal opinion of this woman's Dr son as WE all know that it certainly does exist.
Its not nice to hear , when we all know we suffer day in day out with this for this flippant remark to knock us back mentally and for it to show it really is an uphill struggle for acknowledgement.
F 🤗
Wow that is just so maddening. I find that the younger doctors know that it’s real but the older ones struggle, they think it’s all in your mind. Also I wasn’t overweight when I was diagnosed, I am now as I’m not very active and take painkillers.
I saw a young doctor a couple of weeks ago and we were talking about peoples attitudes to it and he said “well it does exist, you’re proof of that” and he thinks eventually people will come to realise more and more.
This attitude of “well, it didn’t exist in my day” is so ridiculous, I feel like saying “well there are a lot of things that didn’t exist in your day”. I’m actually going to start speaking up when people say things to me. When I park in a disabled bay I wave my badge at anybody who’s looking, they soon look away. I’ve had people actually come up to my car to look in my dash to see if I’ve got a badge 😂. These people are just ignorant, and best ignored though.
It says a lot about that woman that she actually said that to you knowing that you have it, clearly not a nice person and clearly will love her new job!
Wow what a biased attitude to start a job like that! It's awful, I've fought my diagnosis for years, because I don't fit in a box, consultants get annoyed with me as I don't quite fit their speciality and get told its just severe Fibromyalgia. I actually lost a point in my pip review although I've got much worse. The phone interview was carried out by a girl that sounded 12! She kept asking the same question different ways. I have x rsys that also prove I have no left shoulder joint, which they also have, but still kept asking if I could put left arm behind back, reach a top shelf etc. In the end I asked her to look at my notes as the questions are pointless! Try imagining your left arm strapped to your body and see how you get on for the day! She swiftly moved on. It's clear discrimination.
Love & light🙋🏻♀️
that is so wrong on so many levels, both need a different career paths asap.
am being kind not to say what really feel.
those who say got it!
i was told, by a qualified doctor
have i been misdiagnosis? who do we seek legal action with
Pauline, that is abuse.
My superpower would be to inflict my daily pains of the last 60 years on people for just a day .
One, two, three altogether now lets sing!
If it's a condition that mostly affects women it doesn't exist!🎶
If it's a condition that affects women in greater numbers than men, it can't exist!🎶
If you can't see it on XRay,🎶
Or via a blood test on Monday🎶
Despite crying on the Sunday🎶
It doesn't exist!!
.If you aren't actually dying... it doesn't exist🎶
If it's a condition that can't be measured in standard numerical units.. it doesn't exist🎶
If big pharma can't make money🎶
And the government thinks your scummy🎶
And you're complaining when it's sunny🎶
It doesn't exist!!
. If you are a woman who is perimenopausal🎶
It doesn't exist!!
Or has too many pets and no children🎶
It doesn't exist!!
If you're past the menopause🎶
(Or a single parent of course)🎶
It doesn't exist!!
what goes around comes around!!! , let's hope she never has endure the pain and fog and all the rest of the symptoms that goes with it, and if she was training, is it not recognised in there blue book as an condition. What a sad lady! She must have got out wrong side of bed that morning. I would have laughed and said here’s hoping you never need to worry then x
Still believing the Female Fat and Forty fable? Doesn't bode well for folks that they pick assessors with such outdated notions.
You should have held her under the water and said my son is a fish and says everyone can breathe in water
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