Claming DLA for Heart Failure

sangiar

JFKS wrote: »

I have heart Failure Cardiomyopathy, and LBBB, I have a Bivent fitted and I can honestly say they are not the be all and end all, There are allot of us who have had them fitted only to find they are not successful as they like to make out. and the procedure to fit them is not as basic as it seems. I would rather not have had mine fitted, I notice you are in London, The best hospital for Heart Failure is the London Heart, ask for a referal.

It has taken me 3 years to get DLA and then it was only when my consultant contacted them that I was awarded High Rate Mobility and High rate Care after appeal., Considering I spend at least 3/4 days in bed a week with sheer exhaustion, I was still borderline of getting the care side .

I take each day as it comes, I have good days and bad days, I take Ramapril at a dose of 20mg plus Diuretics, and other medication, My next option is a Heart Transplant, and thats another nightmare.

DLa is not based on the name of the illness but what you can and cannot do,

I wish you all the best but you will have a fight on your hands,

You have had a similar experience with DLA as I have.

What really bugs me is one friend I have that applied for DLA when he was 64, was still working as a Property Repair & Maintenance guy, up and down ladders and doing all the usual even riding a bike for exercise every day.
He had a pacemaker fitted years earlier, takes Warfarin, yet was granted HRM & MRC indefinite!!! No medical, the decision came through within weeks. They just contacted his GP (the same one as mine) who confirmed his medical condition (GP didn't even state what his mobility or care needs were - just like mine 'Not Known')
He's now 71 and is far more active (walking, up and down ladders cleaning his windows, you name it he does it) than I am!! I'm lucky if I can walk 30 metres without having to stop because of pain in the hips and legs due to poor blood supply (clots etc) and a varicose permanent thrombotic splenic vein that has an aneurysm in the stomach wall that bleeds regularly - all backed up with medical evidence etc. And that is the easiest of my illnesses to cope with! I live on Opiates daily!

I have now recently undergone another echocardiogram, and had the 24 monitor heart monitor, + another angiogram. Waiting for the results of that lot!

I'm now on my 3rd Tribunal - lost the other two!!! Why? Because the Tribunal agreed with the DWP that I can walk at least 500 metres without any problems and I can't disprove it - Why? because that is what the ATOS assessor said I could do for my ESA claim over 2 years ago and my GP will not/cannot state that he has witnessed my needs other than to say he 'thinks I have some'. ( I eventually had ATOS admit that the report they prepared was 'not worth the paper it was written on' which when they told the DWP that, I went from 0 points to support group and not to be reviewed for 5 years). But the DLA bods & the Tribunal are still using it as evidence!!!

mouseymousey99

You are always going to find someone who for whatever reason seems a lot better off than you and yet seems to be receiving more benefits. That's life, no one said it would be fair.

I keep all letters and every bit of paperwork, I've found you get a much better response (to most things really) if you write a letter. Ask everyone you come across for their names & of course keep notes. I've just asked for a review of my DLA. I included a list of all refferals and a further note of all GP appointments etc in the last 4 years (my surgery charged £10 - but that was my choice). 22 appointments already this year - hey ho. Unfortuantely (for me) I don't have a poker face, nor do I tolerate fools gladly, so doing things methodically is my way.

I agree much of the system sucks, but; its the only one we have so you have to try to work with it.

GlasweJen

Oh for crying out loud an ECG is hardly the be all and end all, you make it sound like an ordeal.

Why are you going through another lower appeal, surely you'd be seeing the upper tribunal at this stage or are you another incarnation of andy?

Anubis_2

LOL an ECG is nothing. Infact for my first one it took longer for them to hook the pads up than run the test - I was shocked how fast it was.

GlasweJen

When you get hard core they let you out your own patches on

The worst thing I've had so far is getting the pacemaker in, they keep you awake for it!

GlasweJen

Oh and OP. I never got DLA for heart failure, I did get it for blackouts though. At the moment I have middle care, low mobility. About to be high rate care under special rules but I've not asked for them to reconsider mobility yet.

Anubis_2

GlasweJen wrote: »

When you get hard core they let you out your own patches on

The worst thing I've had so far is getting the pacemaker in, they keep you awake for it!

Ohhhh I am not hard core yet, they take the patches back

Keeping awake for a pacemaker.... :eek: I shall have to take some sleeping tablets with me if I ever need one.

I am not sure about having pig valves either :eek:

GlasweJen

The valves aren't bad, I can't remember that one but I'm fairly sure they pulled one of my valves the right way in by shoving a tube up my leg.

You're not allowed sleeping pills cos they make you talk through the surgery. They stick something in your drip though and you just don't care. Even when they nicked an artery and the scalpel went flying across the room I hit the giggles instead of freaking out that my blood was spurting off the ceiling!

JFKS

Having my Bivent fitted with just local, was not fun 6 hours led on my back feeling like I was drowning, which I was due to the fluid building up.

I also did not get my Dla for Heart Failure only it was due to the same as Glaswejen Blackouts and I dont mean occasional I mean 3 or 4 a day,

And I am willing to give anyone my DLA, and other benefits if they would like my future,

Just had to retire from work, as cant work and sleep, so find me a boss who will let me work a hour then sleep for 2, and I will go back to work,

GlasweJen

My blackouts were very frequent, got them down to 4 or 5 a week