The (not so old) Crocks Cafe -Part 2

Trialia

For what it's worth, my last set of DLA forms took me and a helper three hours. (I have bipolar disorder, along with my physical problems.) Good luck!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

And you can get help to fill them in with someone from MIND, for example, as they are quite emotionally demanding to write down just how much your life is restricted by your condition, especially when done in one go.

LW, don't stop posting, feeling rubbish is when you benefit most from knowing you're not alone, IMO.

xx

mary-op

Pobby - sorry I can't add to whats already been posted except to say I wish you all the best

lamewolf - don't hide away if you feel c**p........thats what friend are for

Well I had my first outing in my wheelchair today:T
Boot fair at the local school, weather forecast was promising (though when I got up it was grey and damp !) so foster daughter wheeled me round -think she's getting some practise in for when she's pram pushing later in the year.............lol
Seemed really odd talking to her and not being able to see her and being at a lower level than normal was weird for a start plus I was worrying folk would stare............well they didn't so that was just me being silly as usual.
Was lovely to go out in the fresh air..........hopefully OH will take me into town this week providing it doesn't rain.

Take care all

Pobby

Just to say thanks. I feel less alone having met you lovely people. Another bad day. Took me to 3p.m to get out of bed and then was weepy for an hour.

Really wierd. I was getting less depressed but my OCD was off the scale. More depressed now but OCD is less.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Isn't OCD more of a displacement activity in the case of extreme anxiety? Now there isn't the nervous energy there any more (perhaps because you've worn yourself out?), you don't have the energy to be OCD.

Time for an urgent visit to the GP, perhaps even asking for re-referral to community mental health services if you feel that the GP isn't helping?

SingleSue

Pobby - I notice a similar thing with my OCD. When really down, I just don't have the energy (or just plain don't care) to worry about the rituals, for me, everything can go to hell including myself.

But when I am not down, the OCD becomes really silly, I feel full of nervous energy and it drives me nuts...every little thing becomes ultra important and I feel like my life is being run by fear.

Not sure which one I prefer to be honest.....

mcculloch29

Hello Pobby and hello everyone, what a great bunch you are. Having tackled the DLA forms in 2009 - and got the result I wanted - I would say don't let the first sight of the forms put you off.

I did mine electronically - not sure if you can still do this - which was great as I could fit in more info - and I then had my copy saved on my pc's hard drive to refer to before the doc's visit. It may be helpful if you can keep a copy, mine was really useful in reminding me of the exact phrases I had used to describe how my life was affected by my disability.

The DLA I receive has made an enormous difference to me and also entitled me to disabled persons' tax credit, which has made further differences. A job I really enjoy would have become economically non-viable without this help. Go for it!

bigzippy

soolin wrote: »

My beloved Dad died this morning at 6.15. I am both upset and also angry at some of the treatment he has received.

Sorry to hear your sad news Soolin. I hope that - if it's an avenue you wish to pursue - you'll find the strength and help to get the barstewards who let your dad down.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

The advice was to not do a single thing that caused you discomfort during the session. Well, that counts out lying down, sitting down, standing up, moving, staying still and generally anything up to the point of being dead, then. How can they say 'pain means you're doing something unsafe' when pain means that I'm still breathing? [takes deep breathes and smiles sweetly]

Exactly!!

Jojo_th_Tightfisted wrote:

What I told her (as she was in such a state about being useless post surgery and wanting to get back to normal) was that once you learn to do things like getting up and down, it becomes second nature, but yes, it is pretty crap being in pain. But all the time I was thinking to myself 'At least you will get better'.

I have this trouble too. It's hard to be completely empathetic these days... and don't get me started if DH says something like "I'm exhausted"...
I try though. After all, who better to know how it feels than someone suffering the same?

Jojo wrote:

My cynicism is being kept under control with considerable effort. And copious quantities of painkillers.

:rotfl: Well done! I don't think I manage to hide it from my face/tone of voice, never mind what I do/don't say lol

LameWolf wrote: »

*Waves* to my other friends here - sorry I've been quiet lately, been going through a bit of a rough time and didn't want to drag the thread down.;)

I feel much the same LW

I seem to be racking up yet more diagnoses...and more problems...and more tests...and more specialists... Will it ever end? Will I ever be able to just get my head around it once and for all and get what I want for a change?

Sorry guys...told you I was gloomy!:o

LameWolf

Hi, peeps.

Thanks for the encouragement Jojo, Mary-op and BZ. I am still around on the weekly Flylady thread (it's a lifesaver as far as doing the housework is concerned lol) and find that "fairly" easy to post on, as it's a requirement that you stay on topic; I'll try and be a bit more sociable over here.:o

mcculloch29 wrote: »

I did mine electronically - not sure if you can still do this - which was great as I could fit in more info - and I then had my copy saved on my pc's hard drive to refer to before the doc's visit. It may be helpful if you can keep a copy, mine was really useful in reminding me of the exact phrases I had used to describe how my life was affected by my disability.

I would say always, always keep a copy, whether paper or electronic, of your forms. The efficient bods (heavy sarcasm there);) administering the benefits are a dab hand at losing things - I'd have had to fill out a 2nd IB50 :eek: some years back, if I hadn't had a copy stored, because the twonkers lost the original. And it's always helpful to see how you phrased things last time if you have to do another one a few years down the line.:o

Just want to add, I hope everyone's had as good a weekend as they can; sun is out in Concrete Cow Country, as is my washing,:rotfl: so let's push the boat out and hope for a good week.:D

mary-op

lamewolf - glad you see you sounding more cheerful. Maybe the sunshines helped.
I've been knitting all day............newly resurrected activity -I'd not done any for years. So, I'm making wrist warmers for christmas pressies.........nice to feel I've got something too show for my efforts.
I'm trying to vary the things I do now I have such limits just to break the boredom.

Hope you're all ok and hugs to those who need them:)