My DMP Journey...

Monkeyballs

Wednesday 01/10/14

It's frikken OCTOBER!!!!!!!! How exactly did that happen? Madness...

So, I saw my GP and she is looking to get me a second referral. Work has also been in touch and they're arranging an Occupational Health assessment.

Better news is I've been prescribed a new pain killer, it's Gabapentin and while the common side effects are apparently fairly nasty they are seemingly the dogs b*llocks at pain relief I have a fairly low dosage to begin with (100mg each night for a week) building up to 300mg over the course of a couple of weeks.

Fingers crossed, maybe I'll be able to sit down and watch the tv while having a cuppa and have a meal at the table with my housemates sometime soon!!!!

I'll keep posting on progress, right now though I have a little glimmer of hope HURRAH!!!

MB

ailz95

Don't forget that on the PIP form you mustn't just state that you can manage on microwaved meals. Everyone is entitled to a 'real' meal. Can you lift a hot pan safely? Is there a chance that you might drop things due to sudden pain? If you lean forward to put sugar in your tea does it put your back out (that is one of the most common ways of slipping a disc).

Hopefully you will get a more 'adventurous' surgeon. Maybe you need a neurosurgeon rather than and orthopaedic - I know from a nursing friend that surgeons aren't keen to pass anyone to another department - jealously guarding their patients.

Good luck anyway.

Ailz

Monkeyballs

Hi Ailz,

Thanks for the tips, luckily I'm quite good at form filling and through experience I've learned to read through documents at least once before starting to fill them in

My main problems are the wait while things are cooking, all the surfaces are at just the right height so I never really need to lean forward but for example boiling an egg might just take a few minutes but it can be a painful few minutes and frankly the pain wins over appetite

I'm confident in my answers, what I'm a bit sceptical about is the wait for the form to be processed... A letter arrived with it explaining there is a delay off up to 26 weeks which is half a frikken year!!! What happens if 6 months go by, then I'm cured just in time for them to call me in for an assessment? With my luck, that'd be me LOL

MB

Monkeyballs

Friday 03/10/14

Ok, so I'm a little bit excited... I've only been using the Gabapentine for a few days but I'm starting to feel improvements

I'm still in pain when I do anything which is load bearing but it's not as bad... And I'm only on a low dose! Over the next week and a half I'm due to triple the dosage so fingers crossed this will let me sit down!!!

That said, I am having some weird side effects? I'm not sleeping AT ALL (I'm just not tired), I do get a little confused (I briefly forgot what socks were for and was baffled by the kettle), my body seems to be vibrating(?) and I generally feel... Good? Like spaced out happy good(?) LOL I also have some "less pleasant" side effects too, some which I won't go into but generally a feeling of being not well... But sort of happy? Like giggling while I'm chatting to God on the porcelain telephone?

I don't know what I will be like on a higher dosage, time will tell and if this continues I'll have no idea how I will tell if I'm fixed and can stop? Is this how addictions start? Am I over thinking this? Who knows...

Ciao for now!

MB x

Monkeyballs

Sunday 05/10/14

No better, no worse... I have done a few stupid things, I've also (apparently) said and done a few weird things but I have no idea if this is due to a side effect or lack of sleep? I am sort of sleeping but not really...

Either way, I do feel some improvement in the back department a general easing up and quickening of recovery time so I remain optimistic!

Now in the pipe line I have to move home, discuss work options (hopefully I'll get a discretionary benefit, my manager seems to think that I have a good case and first signs from HR are good), potentially benefits to sort out if my job goes pear shaped, another trip to see an Occupational Therapist, a follow up in a week and a half with GP about my new meds and a partridge in a pear tree!

I was starting to think that the best thing for me was to be written off so I could just start again but now I'm beginning to realise that I like my job (even though it's stressful and I hate it but love it for the people) and I need a goal - my goal is to get back in there and join the human race!

I've also since had an interesting chat with "an advisor" who has suggested that if my income was to drop to the point where I need to make token payments, if it goes back up then I could carry on making token payments while saving up perhaps 50% and then making F&F's... It's not the normal process but it's not illegal If I got back to work and did this then since my outgoings would be very low I would be able to save £1000 per month for months then make F&F's at 50% (apparently 6 months on £1 token payments is a good incentive for creditors to take what they can), pay off my debts and have a couple of grand in the pot and I'm debt free!!!

I just need my back to stop being a !!!!!!... LOL

MB x

dawnybabes

Probably not the best but could the doctor prescribe you some sleeping tablets to have as well ..... Glad it's sort of helping

Monkeyballs

Hi DB,

The last thing I need is more pills... LOL but, I'm getting better I originally had 3 or 4 nights of no sleep but now I'm getting some and also dropping to sleep every time I draw a breath

Tuesday 07/10/14;

I tried a bike ride today won't be doing it again tomorrow LOL it felt AMAZING briefly then, not so much... I think I might be alright on a smaller, lighter bike but not on my 2 tonne Rolls Royce of a beast LOL

In even better news, I had a call from Mum today to tell me that the router for broadband has been delivered so when I move back I'll not be going back in time to the 1980's!!!

I can't wait for the next month to fly by so I can take stock of my life again because there are quite a few changes on the cards coming up

MB x

in_need_of_direction

Glad to hear you being so positive. Take care and don't do daft things.

Puzzcat

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

Glad to hear you being so positive. Take care and don't do daft things.

I second this...Xx

dawnybabes

Puzzcat wrote: »

I second this...Xx

Like ride a bike !!!!