Pip and reassessment: I am keeping a daily... - Pain Concern

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Pip and reassessment

Liz62 profile image
19 Replies

I am keeping a daily diary for a week. To show them what a week in my shoes are like. Hope they do not bump into many walls, or fall into the bath as I did on Saturday. The joys of having balance problems. Walking out the bathroom and whoops, loud scream as there I am in the bath, if it was a carry on film it would have been funny. Luckily no bruises, felt very shaky and wobbly for ages.

Well hopefully this will show them about my balance and how difficult it is to walk properly. Family are going to write letters as well showing all they have to do for me, to keep me safe.

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Liz62 profile image
Liz62
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19 Replies
Bananas5 profile image
Bananas5

Firstly is this for a new application? A reconsideration or tribunal?

Do you have a named medical condition? Any reports from OT, physio, consultant or social worker?

Pat x

Liz62 profile image
Liz62 in reply to Bananas5

A reconsideration. I have pbbv, LS , high blood pressure, psoriasis, chronic abdominal pains following an umbilical hernia with mesh. I am awaiting appointments again to see surgeon to see what can be done for pain. I see a Gynecologist for LS who has just done a referral to dermatology for LS with perhaps more surgery to remove ulcerated skin. My own GP has written a referral to ENT to see if they can perform a manoeuvre to help with my balance

Liz

Bananas5 profile image
Bananas5

Sorry Liz62 I sounded a bit brusk - didn't mean to.

A reconsideration is where a different Health Professional reconsiders what you have already submitted. They won't require any further evidence. Thaat comes later if the turn you down and you decide to take it to tribunal.

I presume you listed all thee conditions with supporting letters etc in your first application?

Good Luck and hope you don't have to wait too long for an answer

pat x

Liz62 profile image
Liz62 in reply to Bananas5

yes they are looking at what is already submitted. But in the meantime I am gathering all that I can as I feel that it may be a long battle.

Up until I had my hernia op I was working, but since then my health has nosedived, so much so that I can't leave the house on my own or even do the cooking.. sorry I sound a real moaning minnie.

Aside from this I am having to gain access to my own NHS medical records to find out exactly the manufacturers of the surgical mesh. I blame it all on this.

Bananas5 profile image
Bananas5

Not moaning at all. Its what we all do and hoepfully support and help each other.

That sounds a nightmare if you are having to find out when and where through your own records. That won't help the stress levels. Have you any case against the manufacturers of said mesh?

We are good at long drawn out battles even though it is appalling we have to fight for everything. If you do have an OT or physio ask them to help.

If you can no longer work are you claiming ESA support too? That's another battle. Sadly none of these claims re going to get any easier.

Pat x

Liz62 profile image
Liz62 in reply to Bananas5

not eligible for ESA... got it when I was off recover from hernia, even then had to fight to get what I was entitled too. For now the family survive on one wage. I get angry when I see some people who seem to be using the system,

Once I get my notes I am going to consult with the legal eagles :)

Bananas5 profile image
Bananas5

If you can't work and hoping to claim PIP they why don't you qualify for ESA?

x

katieoxo60 profile image
katieoxo60

Hope you have got over your fall Liz62, you are doing the right thing about PIP reassessment. Have to be persistent and get as much backing as you can from doctors,.Falls knock your confidence so do take into account the emotional strain of the illness too. On the brighter side at least on this occasion you did no major damage to yourself. Take care x

katieoxo60 profile image
katieoxo60

Hi again Liz62, read some more of your post replies. Sorry to hear your Hernia op was not good. I have had two done very successfully one only nine months ago. If the mesh is faulty you are doing the right thing reporting it, could your GP not help with this for the benefit of other patients in their practice ?? just a thought. Understand if you are going to take legal advice, many people will no longer help, Hope your visit about pain brings results, good luck x

Liz62 profile image
Liz62 in reply to katieoxo60

Hi Katieoxo60 my own GP does not have the make of the mesh fitted. I really do not want to have to go down the legal route, and totally agree that patients need to be more informed. In my case the operation was supposed to be stitches, but due to where the hernia is I ended up with mesh.

hugs Liz x

katieoxo60 profile image
katieoxo60 in reply to Liz62

I thought all Hernias were repaired with mesh these days. My first one was ten years ago and still going strong. All you can see now of the latest one is a two inch discolored scar. It sounds like you have had bad luck with your op. I guess some people might be allergic to the mesh material too. Once upon a time they used a different mesh which I thought was not used any more because it had problems. One of my family had a repair without general anesthetic, just a local one like the dentist. Sadly information about ops is sometimes not informative enough, time factor one presumes or doctors frightened of scaring some patients with too much detail. I was just glad to get mine done as I was in a lot of pain causing disruption to my life.There are other channels you can go down without going the legal route. Complaint, Pals, or the arbitrators in Birmingham (POWHER ACAS who are independent )Good luck what ever you decide.

My balance is poor as well. How well I understand the falling into the bath. Got to have an xray on my big toe as it has not healed since 17 Dec last year. I saw a cardiologist last summer. He diagnosed me with postural dizziness. It is caused by my brain not telling my legs that I am standing up or trying to walk. And wobble wobble over I go. I have fibromyalgia and pelvic instability caused by symphysis pubis problems.

Have you been told why you have balance problems?

Liz62 profile image
Liz62 in reply to

sahmraw, Yes I have bppv. Which is Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. I am like even standing you can stagger on nothing. Lying in bed and you feel as if everything is moving, making me feel sick.

i am currently awaiting an appointment with ENT they are going to try the epley maneuver, and somesort of brain training exercises

Poppy_Ann profile image
Poppy_Ann

Hi Liz, good luck with your claim, trying to prove how your problems affect you is very hard partly due to the way the system is now run I believe that all of the workers in the system are trying to get as many people off benefits no matter what is wrong with them.

Keeping a diary of how you problems affect you is a good idea but don't believe that they will accept it straight away, I was advised by my doctor to do the same which i did for 2 years and even when I put it in with my claim for DLA they still refused it to start with even though i showed them that for close to 50% of the time I could not even get out of bed on my own and that on the days I could get up for most of them I could not manage to get myself dressed in the end my claim for DLA was refused and I was told that I now had to claim PIP but not to worry if it was accepted then they would back date it to when I first applied in the end it took me over 2 years before they accepted how bad I am I went from being granted nothing to going to getting the mid level for care and the higher rate for mobility but they would only back date it to when I asked for a Mandatory reconsideration the fact that the previous assessment that one of their "medical professionals" told a complete pack of lies and I believe they only decided to do a second assessment was due to I told them that I had a recording to prove that what their assessor put down was nothing like what I had told him, in the end I got what I believe was a correct assessment and a decent report, going from them deciding I did not need any help to needing help with care and mobility and they stated that they do not want to see me for the next ten years which they said is the longest they can give shows how bad some of their assessments are.

good luck with your claim and don't give up to soon it may take as long as mine did they try to grind you down and use any excuse to refuse you just keep at it and refuse to accept what they say if it is not what you believe they are wrong.

When I went from applying for DLA to PIP they even tried to refuse to give it to me by not even sending me the form to fill in for almost 4 months and they just said that they had decided I was not entitled to apply due to the amount of time I had been out of the country but even though they had decided this they did not bother to inform me of it or to ask me how much time I had been out of the country.

again good luck with your claim i hope you get what you deserve.

Regards Poppy Ann.

Liz62 profile image
Liz62 in reply to Poppy_Ann

thanks Poppy Ann for your kind words of encouragement. I am going to fight all the way for what entitlement I need.

hugs Liz

johnsmith profile image
johnsmith

I have read in your replies that you are not eligible for ESA. You need to get access to a copy of the disability handbook. There is a section on working and being a danger to self and others. Discuss this with a disability specialist advisor from volunteer charities, not someone from CAB who is a jack of all trades.

Hope this helps.

Liz62 profile image
Liz62 in reply to johnsmith

thank you for this info

onamission profile image
onamission

Don't give in i filled in a form for DLA 12 months later they had still not replied so i went to the job centre and asked them to phone them that was the Friday they said my form had not been assesed on the Saturday morning i had a brown letter they turned me down i think they lost my form. I reaplied for PIP they sent somone to my home and within weeks i got a brown enverlope saying i had been awarded.

I have COPD and lower back problems

Georgie9 profile image
Georgie9

Hi, I have just joined this group today. I have sent off my PIP re-assessment form in Decemeber(and I thought it was a xmas card lol). Does anyone have any idea to how long this will take. I am worse now than I was when first awarded. I couldn't send anymore proof with the form and am relying on gp to provide all information. I have been on enhanced rate for both. I am worried sick that they wont renew this. Can anyone shed any light on this please. xx

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