Which benefit should she claim?

TheWaltons_3

On behalf of a neighbour, with a 4 month old baby.

She was intending to go back to work but had an operation on Friday to remove discs from her spine.

She has been told not to lift the baby for a month, and can't walk.

She will be like this for many months.

healy

Assuming that she has not got a job at the moment and cant claim SSP it would seem reasonable to claim Incapacity Benefit/ Income Support.

TheWaltons_3

healy wrote: »

Assuming that she has not got a job at the moment and cant claim SSP it would seem reasonable to claim Incapacity Benefit/ Income Support.

OK, will let her know. She is on Income support at the moment, as in previous years she was off ill with her back - she has suffered with her back for years, and always been told it is ... grrr... forgot the word for it... Sciatica!

I will tell her, although is it worth her switching to be on IB from IS?

She is worried sick as she can't lift her baby and lives quite remote from friends and family.

Cauda Equina Syndrome it says on her Discharge papers - poor girl. She has suffered for so long and it took until her legs and her privates all went numb for them to treat her!!!

I contacted benefits agency and they are sending her a form for DLA which is what hospital suggested.

ohreally

TheWaltons wrote: »

Cauda Equina Syndrome it says on her Discharge papers - poor girl. She has suffered for so long and it took until her legs and her privates all went numb for them to treat her!

CES is a medical red fllag! Are you sure she wasn't warned to lookout for danger signs post-op,CES being one of them? Is she suffering from bowel or bladder control problems? If so she needs to go to A&E for medical attention.
Did she have a discectomy with a fusion or a microdiscectomy?

TheWaltons_3

ohreally wrote: »

CES is a medical red fllag! Are you sure she wasn't warned to lookout for danger signs post-op,CES being one of them? Is she suffering from bowel or bladder control problems? If so she needs to go to A&E for medical attention.
Did she have a discectomy with a fusion or a microdiscectomy?

She couldn't feel her private parts and was going to the toilet all the time just in case, now she can't feel her leg and is still all numb down one side after the op.

She has had Discectomy and something else, not sure what the rest of it said.

What is Medical Red Flag?

ohreally

TheWaltons wrote: »

What is Medical Red Flag?

CES should have been explained to her as a possible outcome from the surgery,with any symptoms being refered to as a "red flag" and the advice for her to contact A&E.
Search on the web, there are many trusted sites where you can both get sound info.
Hope the surgery was succesfull she make a good recovery.

sorted_2

Hi, that is Spinal Stenosis. I have it and have been told if I lose control of bladder or bowel then it is an op. She should apply for DLA. I have a lot of pain in my legs as well as my back and was told by hosp to apply. Still had to fight for it though but got it back dated.
Hope she goes on ok.

TheWaltons_3

sorted wrote: »

Hi, that is Spinal Stenosis. I have it and have been told if I lose control of bladder or bowel then it is an op. She should apply for DLA. I have a lot of pain in my legs as well as my back and was told by hosp to apply. Still had to fight for it though but got it back dated.
Hope she goes on ok.

I feel so sorry for her, and I am sorry for you for suffering with it too. For the past 3 months she has been in complete agony, hunched over the Pram pushing her son up and down the road and down to the Woods. Literally crunched over the Pram and dragging her leg. Her son also was admitted to hospital and for the past few weeks has been up all night, Teething, poorly and screaming.

I really do feel sorry for the girl.

I don't understand the Red Flag bit though, she has had the operation so does this mean she isn't entitled to DLA? I wonder how the hell she is going to cope - the MIL has had the baby all day for the last few days which is causing the girl anxiety as she has never been parted from him, and I am worried that this wont be able to continue for the few months she will need it.

I am just glad, after so long, she has had an operation.

A girl on the same ward as her, had had the operation a week or so ago, went home and got out of bed to change the sheets, and ended up back in the hospital with severe headaches as her brain/spinal fluid had been leaking :eek:

ohreally

TheWaltons wrote: »

I don't understand the Red Flag bit though

Red flag = warning signs.

TheWaltons_3

She has lost all feeling down one leg, and can't feel her private parts, so only knows when to go to the toilet because of the pain, and she can't tell when she has finished.

The thing is, she has been telling the Dr this who has been awful with her... and telling her that it is Sciatica etc... but it was only when she went to see a different Dr, that they sent her immediately to the hospital.

Will this feeling come back?

sorted_2

My heart goes out to her, it really does.
She should have been warned about this. that is the red flag when you lose control. I have been told that if or when this happens then it will be an op. It won't help the pain in my legs or my back though.
She should'nt be in this amout of pain. there is a lot than can be done to help. I am on morphine and tramadol. it does'nt get rid of it but I am not crying in pain now.
Can she change her gp. I had an awful one too but in the end moved. I now have one that is understanding and very helpful,
She should ask to be referred to a pain clinic, they have all the expertise which your friend surely needs now.
Let us know how she gets on.