Having worked hard for over twenty years in a profession I love it has been a huge life change to be suddenly not able to work. I am adamant I will make it back but right now I have to accept I am not well enough.
A little while ago my employers contacted me and said that I should fill out a form for financial support which I duly filled in. Having never done this kind of thing before I was I suppose quite naive about the process.
Today I have attended a medical. The parking was a half hour walk for me on sticks over bumpy uneven ground. The doors were too heavy to open once I reached the building and I arrived in an exhausted tearful state.
In front of the doctor are all my consultant reports/scans/medications etc and the whole process was to repeat what I had filled out already on the form.
The doctor herself to give her credit could not apologise enough and said I was clearly unwell and should never have been called. She reluctantly examined me but could see from a mile off how immobile and sore I was already.
I know that there is a process and I support it if the people who need the service recieve it and the fakers get found out. However some common sense would be good. Making a disabled person walk that far and making the building that inaccessible is ludicrous. I felt humiliated even being there and thoroughly exhausted with pain. It makes you wonder if it ws ever worth going through it.
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lulul
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Hi lulul, sorry you had such an awful day. Hope your home now with a nice cup of tea and your feet up.
Not nearly the same as your day but had the humiliation of having to ask the restaurant to remove boxes from the disabled toilet and clean it before I could use it, they obviously used it as an extra cupboard and it was the first day my dad has ever taken me out in my wheelchair and I was begging him not to make a seen. The waiter looked appalled I had even asked. Well after 20 minutes I finally got to the loo an later on my dad took me to the car and went back to give the waiter a piece of his mind. I think they will keep it clear and clean now.
Hi Marnie, Good for your dad going back and tackling the waiter. However, you need to make a written complaint to the Restaurant concerned - they are in breach of the Equality Act by not having the disabled toilet clean and available. The fact it may not be used that often is no excuse to turn it into a filthy cupboard! Good luck. Love LavendarLady x
that as a terrible experience they shouldnt have put you through that x
The restaurant should be reported to health and safety, not just for the dirty toilet, but for the humilation they caused you.
Was the medical for dla, if so i know how that feels, not nice. These people in officaildom have no idea what it feels like not to be able to get about. If you have to go for another one request transport and help. They can't refuse you. Hope your more settled now its over, i'm not going to say get better, because our diseases don't get better they just get managable, but i will send you my love though.
Hi Lulul, what an awful experience. Was the medical for your work by any chance? I had to go to Peterborough (33 miles away) to see ACOS who did a report for my company - fortunately the doctor I saw was a Rheumy specialist anyway. There was no parking anywhere near and as I couldn't walk very far my hubby came with me, dropped me off at the door and then went off to park, coming back once he had done so. Was there no one who could go with you?
If a DLA medical, are you already on DLA and they are checking your current status to see if you still qualify? (the Government clamp down on us cheats!!).
I wasn't called for a medical when I first applied for DLA as they were satisfied with the reports from GP, specialist etc. I agree with Sylvi, if it is a DLA medical, then request transport next time.
Hope you are now feeling a little bit more relaxed and have got your feet up. Blow the cup of tea - have a whisky! Love LavendarLady xx
Hi Lulul
That was awful and something you should not have had to go through.
Hope you are ok now and have put it behind you. Take care
Julie xx
Poor you Lullul, i really feel for you, like all the others have said hope you feel better now
You are so right Lulul, common sense with respect to someone with a disability would go a long way.
How many times have we all realized with some trepidation that getting to and from somewhere was going to be a battle and had to force ourselves to go onwards and felt completely 'done in' on arrival.
Surely easy access to parking and easy access to their building would go a long way to helping those that are truly 'unfit to work' at the present time.
How about putting in a complaint? Maybe if you have to go another time they might be able to swing a parking space where they all park, assuming they dont park in a public car park. In fact all of us should make more of the fact that we have problems getting to these places - then who knows, in years to come life may become easier - well, maybe I live too much in hope (or rose tinted glasses!)
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