The day has finally dawned and this afternoon I have my EESA assessment. I have tried to prepare for it and gather all the information I can. I have to thank FibroAction for all the invaluable information it has provided. I still do not know how I am going to get across to the assessor how painful and limiting my Fibro is or how my clinical depression affects my life. How do I explain that No One is going to give someone like myself a job anyway. Who will be willing to employ someone that will be unable to come to work due to illness for the majority of the time? I definitely would not employ me if I was an employer. Because of my condition I was bullied mercilessly in my last employment to the point that life was so awful I took 3 overdoses and was admitted twice onto a Psych ward. Im dreading the worse because IF they take away my financial support I do not know how I will cope and I fear that I will spirall down into another crisis with my mental wellbeing, I am lucky today in that my Clinical Psychiatric Nurse is coming into the assessment with me, and a very good kind friend is going to be driving me to the appointment. Please all wish me luck and send me positive thoughts, I will post how I got on and my progress throughout.
Colleen
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colleenofminster
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Went to bed at midnight last night and felt strangely calm about it all. When I woke up at 5am I was still calm, when I woke up at 6,20am I was still calm, when I got up at 7.30am because I gave up trying to sleep I was still calm. My mother rang me at 8,30 to see how I was and commented on how calm I sounded, and I did still feel strangly calm, or would the right word be Numb! However, for the last hour I have been shaking and feeling nauseous, My appt is not till 1pm this afternoon. I shall be a quivering Jelly on the floor by then I think. Unless perhaps the merciful numbness sets in again. Has any others who have already been through the assessment felt this way, What coping mechanisms did you try, mI veering towards the complete Panic mechanism at the moment lol !!!!!
I'd say don't employ any coping mechanisms , let them see you how you are . I was a wreck when I went to my appeal and cried my eyes out . At my assessment I was shaking .
Make sure they know how difficult it was for you to get there and also how much you will suffer afterwards.
One word of caution , the assessor sometimes gets quite chatty ... this isn't an attempt at them being friendly, but they are trying to get your guard down in the hope you'll slip up.
Human nature is to try and play down how we're really feeling, for instance how many times have you answered " I'm fine " when someone asks if you're ok ....... ? It's important you take a little time to think about the questions they ask .
Another trick is to leave you waiting in the waiting room way past your appointment time so they can observe you .
It's ludicrous . It's supposed to be a fair assessment but they use a whole raft of tricks to try and trip you up.
Just be honest , talk from the point of view of how most days are for you and don't let your guard down. They will ask you to do a series of tests, stoop down onto bended knees , touch toes, put finger and thumb together etc. If it hurts, refuse and say why you're refusing .
I've now had 4 assessments but only one of those was the ATOS WCA ....... guess which one I failed ? !
Well the Worse Scenario, what I feared the most has happened. At the assessment with my CPN there i thought it went well and in my favour. I asked for a copy of the report which I received today. I had to stop reading it towards the end, I was too upset. I had a friend with me luckily (infact he took me to the assessment), Apparently I am well and fit and can be back to work in three months time? Not sure where the three months comes into it? Yes I have fibromyalgia but apparently that has no effect on my ability to do physical activities and yes I have clinical depression for many years and yes I did attempt suicide three times and am at the moment just coming out of a crisis with my mental health in which I was unsafe to be left alone but that is all fine and it will not have any effect on my being able to work!!! At the moment Im in a state of horror I am so so afraid. My friend is being brilliant and writing up a plan of action to get all sorted out for appeal. But he keeps asking me questions and I am fighting the urge to go upstairs and take all my sleeping pills, Because I do not know how the hell I am going to be even able to find an employer that would give me a job how I could possible manage a job and as I know that physically I cannot do that HOW am I going to pay my bills buy food and keep my home!!! I feel so afraid.
OH and Helen all the tips you said that is exactly what happened at my assessment. Unfortunately I had not read them before I went. MY appt was 20mins late and there was no lift available. I was seen by a physiotherpist in her early twenties who assured me that she completely understood fibromyalgia. She was really really friendly and started a conversation about my dog. She did do exactly the physical tests that you described. I was incredible stupid because I did try my best to do what she asked of me. She also wanted to examine me on the doctors couch but I said it was a bit to high for me did she have a stool, she said they had lost it so I said it will take me a while but I will try to get on it, which I stupidly managed to do with difficulty but according to her report and did all the tests with no difficulty whatsoever. Please please please if you are reading this and have an assessment coming up be so on your guard at all times!!!
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