Right.I have returned.
The ongoing saga of my benefits tribunal... The e.m.p. stands for examining medical practitioner, and he duly arrived Thursday 14:30 hrs PRECISELY!!! And Judy, my social worker let him in. It would have been easier to crack a walnut with a cottonwool ball than to get a smile out of the doctor.He said he had been aiming to arrive early(?) but had got lost, and it was a long form and a lot to do so we would get on with it RIGHT NOW. It was not at all as I nor Judy had ever expected, to answer questions in a d.l.a. form that I realised was the same one as I had filled in for my very first claim and subsequent renewal 3 years later, and last November time when this renewal was started.I thought this would be a more detailed look at why I was claiming and needing so much help. It was black and white with no grey areas for explanation or clarification.One of the pages was on meals and cooking and I said yes I could feed myself but the problem was that I was often too tired or depressed to think about food and would rely some days on cereal and yoghurts etc.,but all he said was " yes but you CAN FEED YOURSELF, CAN'T YOU??AND THAT IS THE ONLY ANSWER I NEED" And so it went on. 1 and a half hours to fill in all 30 pages of it. He did not really do any physical examination, just a very basic watch you walk, sit on bed, pull, push straight leg raise..( )He said a few things that made me wonder if he was on the same track as myself and Judy but it was not until he had gone and I had done the bit that we both voiced the same thoughts. He went right back to the beginning to why I retired from work and wanted all the dates... well as most of my freinds know my memory is shot to bits and I could not tell him other than a rough guess.I said my concentration was bad but he saw the puter and said well it can't be THAT BAD if you can use that.And he did not really know if all this was going to go back to tribunal.It felt like he thought he was dealing with a first time claimant.I didn't go through all this even the first time!!!
So there it is.We have been at this for close on a year now. Perhaps we are going for some record or other.I am going demented with anxiety. Perhaps I could go into exile on some lost island until I am no more....
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
Posts: 8,905
S/C/G: Stuck/Working on it/Good 2 Go
Height: Fun Size
Oh poor sweet Teel, my heart goes out to you having to deal with all this aggrivation just to get what's due to you. I would be SOOOOOO very angry if it were me. Sure do wish I could do something to help you. I'd drive over an knock some heads together but I'm sure it wouldn't help and I doubt I can drive on the left side of the road. Will just have to settle for hurtling some nasty thoughts to the authorities. Sorry to hear that poor little Holly is not at her best either.
Shad and I share something in common tonight. We are both staying in a hotel room. Plumber came today - we have a collapsed sewer pipe. No water use WHATSOEVER! So DH and I packed it off to a hotel. It's nice and brand new. Problem is it has a giant whirlpool hot tub in the room (which is nice) but no desk to work at (which is not nice). I brought all my books with me intending to do homework. Instead I am sitting in the common room of the hotel at the free Internet connection (which is good). DH is sitting in the room watching the footy games. I thought it would be quiet where I am (was when we came in). Man is sitting in the great room here with backwards baseball cap (not a good sign), WATCHING THE FOOTBALL GAMES, loudly belching and yakking on his cell phone. Go away, go away, go away!!!!! Guess I am not meant to study tonight. Could go for a swim in the pool, or a nice whirlpool. I will try to study for a while and maybe an early to bed night.
Broken pipe at home should get fixed tomorrow. DH stay home and supervise the plumber (not having access to a loo is not a problem for him). I will trot over to the office for the day and surprise everyone by actually being at the office for the day.
Things could be worse, glad they aren't so I'm not complaining...
Aw heck Teel, I feel really bad for you. I have been down the back and found a piece of 4x2 just my size and I have hammered a couple of nails into one end. That is for the Dr. I'm about to hop on a plane and belt him with it. What a wally he would have to be. He is obviously paid to discourage people. Next time someone asks you if you can feed yourself, say no because you can not afford to buy the food. You can't feed yourself with no food, regardless of whether you are capable of it or not.
Well, I've found my way here and to the Branch. I think I am doing pretty well. Still can't print anything, so the course for the rest of the week is looking a bit shakey, Still this little brown spotted kiwi will cope - somehow or other. Maybe test the 4x2 out on the help desk over here before heading to UK?
So food is okay for the time being. Haven't had a look at the menu yet at the restaurant at the hotel. No whirlpool in my bathroom I am sad to say. Hope you can get some peace and quiet for work soon Happy.
Time to go, or they will be locking me up here for the night. Catch you all tomorrow. Chin up - we'll get past these trials by hook or by crook.
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
Posts: 8,905
S/C/G: Stuck/Working on it/Good 2 Go
Height: Fun Size
Well the 1 guy watching football turned into a rowdy gang of 6. Studying was not an option. So I went to the exercise room, did a walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes and then had me a nice swim for 30 minutes. It felt good to exercise again. Reminded me that I have GOT to make time to do this. Reminded DH that the fall exercise challenge started yesterday and he committed to exercising too. Furious finger switching on the TV remote control does not count.
Have to go find something in the refrigerator to put together for dinner now. Might be back later...
Well I did a big post and lost the lot through some technical hitch. So I won't go into more detail - no time anyway.
Tinea you may know as Athletes foot. If you don't and want some more gory details then I will enlighten you tomorrow.
Hopew you are home again and have dried out or whatever happy. Must beat that footy gang
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Shad
[more detail - no time anyway.
Tinea you may know as Athletes foot.
OOOOH!AAAAARGH! Have run THAT far then, Shad to er....er.....heeheeheeheehee!
Sorry, that one was terrible and it found its way onto the screen all by itself!Let me start again...oh dear, that's a real nuisance! Are you powdering it and is it getting any better?
I had a new experience this morning...it was "being at the doctors (no that was not the new experience!!!!)....for a cortisone steroid injection into my left carpal tunnel.Boy the injection hurt...my g.p. warned me that if he hit the nerve I would feel like electric shocks going up my fingers and he would then draw the needle back. He did, it did!!!! And all I have to show for the agony is a tiny weeny spot plaster!!I didn't even get a brave girl certificate!!Apparently it will hurt for 24hrs or so and when I feel brave enough I can go and have the other one done.
I have not been to see the scales recently to find out how those two pounds are doing...last week was stress enough without voluntarily adding to it!!
Happy, I am sure your finger felt the better for a remote workout,but I will send it a helper to encourage all the other 9 to join in too!!!
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
Posts: 8,905
S/C/G: Stuck/Working on it/Good 2 Go
Height: Fun Size
Ow Teel, that shot sounds very painful! I have heard the cortesone injections are very uncomfortable and you have confirmed that. Sending you a virtual pat on the arm (but not too close to the injection site) to make you feel better.
I am holding my own on the scales. No loss but then again I'm not doing too much in that effort but no gain either. Not even the usual 1 - 2 pound bounce around, just steady as she goes so I should be grateful for that.
The sewer pipe is fixed and all is warm and dry again except for a big gaping hole in the front yard. Makes me glad we didn't have time to do some yard planting this year - I would have cried if we landscaped and then had to rip it out. Plumber's BETTER show up tomorrow to fill the hole in as they were supposed to do it today - they are not very good at clean up and finishing the job. We have a large door covering the hole right now. Reminds me of a storm cellar - a place to dodge tornadoes and hurricanes. Lucky we are very, very far from the east coast and in no hurricane danger here.
Nothing exciting to report here, although I have had enough excitement these last few weeks to take me to Christmastime. So I will bid everyone a good night, sleep well or sieze the day, whichever time frame you are in.
I've finished training for the day and I'm about to take myself off to the Japanese Garden for a wander around. It looks like quite a nice evening out, although I will need my jacket.
Had an e-mail this morning requesting information about that twit that was in a class some months back - you remember the one - he knocked himself out on the Car port post!! (saved me from doing it with the So I thought about what I could reply with and come up with a few insights such as - He should go far - one hopes it is as far to the west of Mars as possible. A total waste of space etc etc. Don't think I left much out, but I was careful to write in terms which are non slanderous or libellous - don't want that to catch up with me do I.
Anyway, off I go to the Japanese Garden. Catch up again tomorrow.
Teel I am sorry about the cortisone injection woes. Wander if that is better than the operation woes on CT. They used to be a bit debilitating too as I remember.
So Happy has the storm cellar door in the yard and teel has the spot injection in the arm, and I have the fungal feet. (yes they are getting better) - wonder what is up with shaker. Anne has the DH blues of course. Ummm interesting day.
It is such a lovely evening here but the sun has slipped behind the roofs of the bungalows at the back so it gets quite chilly rather quickly and I don't get to see the wonderful sunsets that I know are happening over the horizon.
This is latish for me to do a first post of the day, but the gate-keeper had "gorn to lunch" earlier and I could not access my isp. But here am I!Oh well only a flash of an appearance....back later!
Short entry, we are starting class early this morning and they (little angels that they are) will no doubt arrive early as they did yesterday.
Should be an interesting weigh in on Saturday as I have been walking and exercising and eating well here. Had a nice little jaunt down to the Japanese Garden last night. That should look superb in a couple of weeks time. The Bot. Gardens look good too.
Time to go. Maybe back tonight depends on time.
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
Posts: 8,905
S/C/G: Stuck/Working on it/Good 2 Go
Height: Fun Size
Shad, read your recent journals, my you are the busy little bee staying on track and doing good things. Yay for you!!! Hope your efforts pay off at Saturday weigh in. How's the foot feeling?
The plumber came and filled in the hole outside, very poorly I might add. And they did an equally poor job cleaning up the mess they made in the basement. The good thing is that we discovered the tree outside the window has somewhat shallow roots, not a threat to the pipes so we will not have to go through more expense to remove the tree. And we will continue to enjoy it's beauty and all the little beggar birdies that sing for their supper that DH enjoys so thoroughly - or early morning brekkie as Shad can attest to.
I am trying to get myself more organized. Yesterday we had some errands to run after work and the night just flew by. Back to making my little lists so I make sure all gets done that needs doing.
Oh I am so out at the moment I have slipped back to the old let me at an unearthly time of Englands morning, so watch out folks, you know what happens to my spelling although I will try and be careful.For the last feew nightsI have gone to bed at 23:00, slept for 30 mins somewhere between then and woken up 10 minutes either side of midnight. Then dropped off till 00:55, then dozed till 01:50.Oh my fishfingers!!!is the only thing I can think to say that is not immediately deletable It is a good clear night but quite over mild and I cannot stand being too hot.Duvet is flying all over the bed!!
My social worker rang this morning and let me know she had put in a complaint about Dr.e.m.p.I knew he had asked her if she had anything else to add about my case when he was on the doorstep, thinking I was out of earshot, but I had not heard her answer nor his final blast as he went down the path.Good job really as if I had heard him say"these people who have everything always want more" or the like, I would have let him know exactly what I felt of him. How DARE HE??? So my asw is putting in a complaint Ooooh I just wish this whole stupid episode would get to the end.I still have to go through tribunal and this anxiety is not helping my mood one iota.....
I am very concerned about my friend and her husband, I think I have told you that Colin has metastatic ca of the tonsil and is now not able to swallow, so is being fed througyh straight into his stomach through a "peg"...(don't ask me!!) He is now using patched medication and loads of oral controlled drug liquid form and paracetamol every four hours but he has PUT ON WEIGHT!????Eh??The whole family is in such chaos at this time..DD is 38weeks plus 4 till baby is expecyed, dd and not so dsil and dd are trying to go through divorce, but he keeps doing the stupidest of things and pulling stunts like not bringing the middle boy back to his mum after weekend visitation rights, telephoning dd's very good solicitor and making a terrible fool of himself over the phone being very rude, arrogant and basically a
Careful,Happy, soon you will be telling us how long it is till Christmas.... I hope things do quieten down a lot before Christmas arrives, I think we have all been through too much excitement just recently....remember too that some of us have had Joy for tea
Och weel, 02:00hrs, let me go and aquiant myslf with my bed again.......night night, good afternoon and have a good morning!!
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
Posts: 8,905
S/C/G: Stuck/Working on it/Good 2 Go
Height: Fun Size
Teel, I am outraged at the nasty, nasty NASTY doctor's remarks. A pox on his head. May he someday be in the situation where he needs help and someone 10 times colder than he controls the situation. OOOOHHHHHFFFF. Stomp, stomp. Makes me so angry. You just sum up the fight girl.
North America to Shaker, come in please??????? And grab Annie too, will you?
Teel, that bit of 4 x 2 is getting closer to the UK. I will even get a new goalie bag to stick it in. How dare he say anything like that. How dare he put everyone he meets into the same parcel and say that they can make ends meet. How DARE he. I sincerely hope your Social Worker can do something for you and the rest of the world about him. He is no doctor - he is Frankenstein and should be locked away in a laboratory and sent food parcels once a month. He should......ooooohhhhhhhh....... words are failing me. He should be at the same place as my idiot student, somewhere west of Mars.
I'm stomping along with happy.
Thank you girls for your verbel outpourings of support!!!Apparently the complaint has been sent and we all await a result. Whatever that may be....I had an awful thought that if the medical services that hire him to do em.p. visits do agree that the report is biaised , I might have to do the whole all over again.I don't really feel up to that.
Have been shopping this afternoon for dog food and treats at the local (5 mile away) supermarket...the dog went to thecupboard and it was bare!!!!Hee hee heee and now she has got enough treats for all the occassions of bribery required, and I need to shop for me tomorrow with my support worker Boo.I wonder what 99% fat free milky flavoured mini bones actually taste like????Mmmmmmm.....shall I......er....perhaps another time!
Oh Shad I meant to ask, what are the two nails in the 4x2 for?Mum says are they to hang him up by the shoulders?
The e.m.p. stands for examining medical practitioner, and he duly arrived Thursday 14:30 hrs PRECISELY!!! And Judy, my social worker let him in. It would have been easier to crack a walnut with a cottonwool ball than to get a smile out of the doctor.He said he had been aiming to arrive early(?) but had got lost, and it was a long form and a lot to do so we would get on with it RIGHT NOW.
It was not at all as I nor Judy had ever expected, to answer questions in a d.l.a. form that I realised was the same one as I had filled in for my very first claim and subsequent renewal 3 years later, and last November time when this renewal was started.I thought this would be a more detailed look at why I was claiming and needing so much help. It was black and white with no grey areas for explanation or clarification.One of the pages was on meals and cooking and I said yes I could feed myself but the problem was that I was often too tired or depressed to think about food and would rely some days on cereal and yoghurts etc.,but all he said was " yes but you CAN FEED YOURSELF, CAN'T YOU??AND THAT IS THE ONLY ANSWER I NEED"
bit that we both voiced the same thoughts. He went right back to the beginning to why I retired from work and wanted all the dates... well as most of my freinds know my memory is shot to bits and I could not tell him other than a rough guess.I said my concentration was bad but he saw the puter and said well it can't be THAT BAD if you can use that.And he did not really know if all this was going to go back to tribunal.It felt like he thought he was dealing with a first time claimant.I didn't go through all this even the first time!!!
So I thought about what I could reply with and come up with a few insights such as - He should go far - one hopes it is as far to the west of Mars as possible. A total waste of space etc etc. Don't think I left much out, but I was careful to write in terms which are non slanderous or libellous - don't want that to catch up with me do I.
How's the foot feeling? 
It is a good clear night but quite over mild and I cannot stand being too hot.Duvet is flying all over the bed!!
Joy for tea 
