Dla & epilepsy-- recived dbd33 letter does this spell bad news????

emmab2001

Hi eveyone
i realy hope someone can help me on here i will try and make this story as short as possible (sorry it's still so long!!)

i was diagnosed with epilepsy in april last year i have grand mal and complex sezuires as wel as absences which are worse than anything else i lat saw my consultant in sept who changed all my meds and whe sezures were becomeing undercontrol althouhg the absences were not since then i have had a viral infection which has upset m condition and it is now not undercontrol at all my gp has incresed my meds but to no avail my absences have become worse and my short term memory is shocking at times i forget where i am and who i'm with the other day i left my husband in asda as i forgot he was shopping with me this would be funny if i did not have 2 your children aged 2 and 1 who are at risk as i forget to feed them ect so hubby has to be around at all times i was off work for 7 months last year and i'm now off work again i'm a nurse and with my serizures as they are at the moment i can not risk myself or patients undermy care

put a claim in for dla on dr's advice in sept sent completed form in at the end of oct have been waiting since for a decision i today recived a DBD33 letter telling me my consultant has written a reply to the dla and they want me to clarify some aspects of what i wrote (i should also mntion at this point that i have spina bifida which i also put on the dla claim form )

they want to confirm
**how many times i have seizures
at the time i wrote 3-5 a week but it has incresed since then
**do lose consiuness everytime
yes in grand mal no in
**do i get any warning of a seizure
yes in grand mal i taste metal in my mouth no in absence type i don't even know i'm having one
**can i still drive
i dont drive anyway but i know i can not do any lesson untill i'm fit free for a year
**why i need help to get up twice a night to go to the toliet
ok they asked this question on the form and i answered truthfully that my husband at times has to help me get out of bed if i become stiff due to my spina bifida i put twice a night to the toliet becouse at worse times this is what it is due to a weak bladder since i was pregnant!


im so worried that my answers in the claim for did not match up to my consultant but he had not seen my since sept and but the time i fill in the claim for my seizures were becomeing worse again and i have been under the care of my GP waiting to go back to the consultant!! my gp has changed my medication 3 times since sept my seizures are up from 3-5 a week to 5-11 and my absences are 4-9 daily!!!!!

can i speak to the dla and ask them to contact my gp and get a report from him as well???? i'm off work at the moment as the gp said i can not work and also he has said i can not be alone so my husbad is with me at all times the poor man had to give in his job last nov to look after me and the kids!!

does this DBD 33 LETTER spell the end of my claim???

jazabelle

I'm not an expert, but I would be encouraged they are asking for more information. I don't think it spells the end of anything. Hope it goes well!

geoff11

not neccesarily, theyre just trying to confirm exactly what your medical problems are and how they affect your daily living, they often ask for reports from gps or consultants usually done randomly. you cant ask them to contact your gp no, they will decide if they want to do that. you do however need to contact them if your situation medically has changed since you filled in the application form as that may warrant different rates of dla being awarded.

sandy71

I have epilepsy and recently put in a claim for DLA, I would be pleased about that form because at least they haven't turned you down flat.

I would ring them and explain things have got worse since and also explain that you are seeing your GP more and he is helping to manage it they will then ask for a report from him.
I get DLA for my son and he was turned down for the renewal as they had written to someone who hadn't seen him for ages, when I rang and told them they contacted the correct person and awarded it on that.

As for the driving I think its irrelevant whether you can drive or not, you are not allowed.

Good luck.

GlasweJen

They asked me about driving too, i think it's just to work out how well treated your epilepsy is as you can still drive if your meds make your condition controlled (i'm not epileptic, i black out).

Night time help puts you into higher care category which isn't usually awarded for fits/faints/funny turns so the DM might be trying to work out wether you need someone at night or if you're just getting up but can cope on your own getting to the toilet.

Just fill it in truthfully and you should be fine.

Indie_Kid

They sent me the same letter - I have a completely different problem. (Have had a fit and am still suffering after 9 years with the side effects)

It's nothing to worry about - they're just asking you for more information.

dmg24

It is possible that the information your consultant has provided differs from your information, and hence they need to clarify what you have said.

With regards the night toileting needs, you have fallen into the old trap of only putting how you are at your worst. This is not the correct way to fill out the form, and if your other answers have been completed in this way, it is probably why you have received this letter. You need to describe how you are all the time - so you include bad days and good days, and detail how often each occur.

GlasweJen

ah yes I just re-read the OP, can you confirm if you've filled it in as if it's your worst day or have you given an indication of how often these bad days happen?

emmab2001

thank you so much for all your replys i filled the form our comparing both my best and worse days but i thought it would be best to put down both!!

i have since a fall down the stairs at aged 18 had pain every day in my back they put this down to an aggrevation of the spine and the spina bifida i take pain relief every day but have been determend for this never to affect me other than having a few bad days a month i do ok on pain meds and i get stiff during the night and find it hard to get out of bed but my hubby helps me

i have never before the epilelpsy was diagnosed tried to claim anything.


i think they have questioned it due to the fact i have not seen the consultant since sept and my condition has been getting worse i will contact the dla on monday and inform them of the change in my condition and mention my gp has been my primary contact for the past 4 months while i wait again for the consultant!!

have any fellow epilepsy sufferers claimed dla with success???

i will find it so frustraiting if i'm turned down as for almost a year i have been unable to work or fully look after my children which hurst more than anything and my husband can not work due to the children and me needing constant supervision

thanks so much again for your time and help!!

GlasweJen

OP, DLA is nothing to do with work, if you cannot work due to illness you should be claiming ESA, are you doing this?

As for DLA with epilepsy, it's usually a lower/middle care with lower mobility award but it does depend on the individual circumstances, how often you require the care, if you get warnings before the seizures, if you hurt yourself enough to need medical attention while having a seizure etc.

joyciebird

emmab2001 wrote: »

Hi eveyone
i realy hope someone can help me on here i will try and make this story as short as possible (sorry it's still so long!!)

i was diagnosed with epilepsy in april last year i have grand mal and complex sezuires as wel as absences which are worse than anything else i lat saw my consultant in sept who changed all my meds and whe sezures were becomeing undercontrol althouhg the absences were not since then i have had a viral infection which has upset m condition and it is now not undercontrol at all my gp has incresed my meds but to no avail my absences have become worse and my short term memory is shocking at times i forget where i am and who i'm with the other day i left my husband in asda as i forgot he was shopping with me this would be funny if i did not have 2 your children aged 2 and 1 who are at risk as i forget to feed them ect so hubby has to be around at all times i was off work for 7 months last year and i'm now off work again i'm a nurse and with my serizures as they are at the moment i can not risk myself or patients undermy care

put a claim in for dla on dr's advice in sept sent completed form in at the end of oct have been waiting since for a decision i today recived a DBD33 letter telling me my consultant has written a reply to the dla and they want me to clarify some aspects of what i wrote (i should also mntion at this point that i have spina bifida which i also put on the dla claim form )

they want to confirm
**how many times i have seizures
at the time i wrote 3-5 a week but it has incresed since then
**do lose consiuness everytime
yes in grand mal no in
**do i get any warning of a seizure
yes in grand mal i taste metal in my mouth no in absence type i don't even know i'm having one
**can i still drive
i dont drive anyway but i know i can not do any lesson untill i'm fit free for a year
**why i need help to get up twice a night to go to the toliet
ok they asked this question on the form and i answered truthfully that my husband at times has to help me get out of bed if i become stiff due to my spina bifida i put twice a night to the toliet becouse at worse times this is what it is due to a weak bladder since i was pregnant!


im so worried that my answers in the claim for did not match up to my consultant but he had not seen my since sept and but the time i fill in the claim for my seizures were becomeing worse again and i have been under the care of my GP waiting to go back to the consultant!! my gp has changed my medication 3 times since sept my seizures are up from 3-5 a week to 5-11 and my absences are 4-9 daily!!!!!

can i speak to the dla and ask them to contact my gp and get a report from him as well???? i'm off work at the moment as the gp said i can not work and also he has said i can not be alone so my husbad is with me at all times the poor man had to give in his job last nov to look after me and the kids!!

does this DBD 33 LETTER spell the end of my claim???

You mention you get a warning of the grand mal seizures? how long before the seizure does it happen?

Do you have the seizures at night?

The fact that you have 2 small children under 5 will be taken into account because you are a risk to them so make sure you make dla aware of this fact