FRIDAY MEETING RE ESA

carola
carola Member Posts: 786
edited 7. Jun 2010, 18:12 in Living with Arthritis archive
Good Morning Everyone!
Hope you all managed to get a half decent sleep last night and having a good day today?
Personally, I had a bad night and waddling like a pregnant duck today so I am just going to pretend I slept like a baby and I could run a marathon if I wanted today haha :lol:
Going for my weekly blood tests at GP in an hour as monitoring Methotrexate.
Anyway, thought I'd post to say that I have an appointment at job centre tomorrow to apply for Employment Support Allowance. Through reading everyone's posts re this subject I guess it'll be an uphill struggle :x but I'll keep you posted as you never know! 8)
Keep smiling everyone and hope you all have a decent day :lol:
Carol x

Comments

  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Carol - good luck at docs today - and really good luck with your ESA appt tomorrow. Will be thinking of you.
    Sorry you had a bad night. I did I too but can't compete with your "waddling like a pregnant duck"! Made me laugh - which wasn't really a good thing cos I have pulled a muscle from too much coughing and it really hurts!! Was worth it though - so thanks! And I think I might try pretending too to see if it helps. I'm going to pretend I can go out and dig in the garden - which is what I would really like to do on this beautiful sunny morning!
    Good Luck!

    Love Tilly x
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Good luck with the waddling, the bloods and everything else! I also gather that ESA is an uphill struggle, it was a recurrent theme when I first joined the forums. I hope it goes well for you. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • sharmaine
    sharmaine Member Posts: 1,638
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Carola

    Good luck today. I hope you feel better.

    Regards
    Sharmaine
    X

    carola wrote:
    Good Morning Everyone!
    Hope you all managed to get a half decent sleep last night and having a good day today?
    Personally, I had a bad night and waddling like a pregnant duck today so I am just going to pretend I slept like a baby and I could run a marathon if I wanted today haha :lol:
    Going for my weekly blood tests at GP in an hour as monitoring Methotrexate.
    Anyway, thought I'd post to say that I have an appointment at job centre tomorrow to apply for Employment Support Allowance. Through reading everyone's posts re this subject I guess it'll be an uphill struggle :x but I'll keep you posted as you never know! 8)
    Keep smiling everyone and hope you all have a decent day :lol:
    Carol x
  • carola
    carola Member Posts: 786
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Tillytop, Dreamdaisy and Sharmaine
    Many thanks for your posts.
    Duck waddled successfully to the GP for blood tests. Had to dodge lots of bits of bread thrown by well meaning passers by haha! :lol:
    What a gorgeous day here in Edinburgh today. 8) Hadn't ventured outside for a few days so feel part of this wonderful world again today! .... although my knees and ankles are paying for the walk now :roll:
    GP gave me a sickline stating I am unfit to work for me to takealong to ESA thing tomorrow so paws crossed.
    Keep smiling :lol:
    Carol x
  • janie68
    janie68 Member Posts: 1,186
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Carol

    just wanted to say good luck for tomorrow. ESA sounds like a minefield & I am not looking forward to the prospect of applying later on in the year. But you know what you're in for & you sound like a fighter. This is the start of the fight for what we are entitled to.

    Janie
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,352
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi carol

    Hope you have abetter night tonight and that you really do sleep like ababy (maybe not my two were little b***ers for not sleeping :wink: )

    Can I wish you all the best for tomorrow and woudl be interested to hear how you get on.

    Love

    Toni xx
  • carola
    carola Member Posts: 786
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Toni and Janie

    Many thanks for your posts and well wishes.

    I'll keep you updated re ESA.

    Have a good evening.

    Keep smiling :lol:
    Carol
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi, I really hope that ESA thing goes well for you. I suppose that one thing to keep in mind is that we don't hear from people who go smoothly through the process, only those who have problems, so it makes things look worse. I am speaking as one having problems, but I hope that isn't true for a lot of other people! :D
    Love Sue
  • snowball
    snowball Member Posts: 3,465
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Carol just want to say I hope it goes well for you tomorrow, I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

    Julie
    ((((hugs)))) n xxxxx to ya all
  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Carol,

    Adding my good lucks to you for tomorrow as well. I really hope its not too much a struggle for you. Fingers crossed, Cris x
  • happy_feet
    happy_feet Member Posts: 93
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Good luck from me too Carol. You should find the application process for ESA is quite easy, and you will be in the "assessment phase" its meant to be 13 weeks but is normally longer than that, mine was six months.
    They tend to leave you alone as long as you send in your sick notes - the battle starts when youre summonsed to the medical assessment but dont be put off applying, thousands are in the same boat and this crazy system is grinding to a halt.
    When you go for the assessment make sure you dont go alone and get the person with you to take notes, youre allowed to do this.
  • carola
    carola Member Posts: 786
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Sue, Julie, Cris & Happyfeet

    Many thanks for your messages my friends.

    I will play the Rocky theme tune before I leave to get me pumped up for the ESA dudes ha ha! :lol:

    It's this afternoon so I'll let you know how I get on.

    Have a great day everyone :P

    Keep smiling, Carol x :lol:
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,352
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Oh Carol

    i can picture you..... :D

    good luck still crossing toes for you :)

    Love

    Toni xx
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Thinking of you. Hope all is well. Waddle for all you're worth! DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • carola
    carola Member Posts: 786
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    I am an idiot - must dye my hair back to brunette as obviously I have had a blonde moment ..... my appointment was in the morning and not the afternoon - how I got mixed up I do not know :x
    And the woman I was supposed to see wasn't working in the afternoon!
    They were lovely about it though and rescheduled for Monday morning! :P
    Oh dear! And there's me thinking I am so organised!
    So, I shall update on Monday :lol:
    Hope you are all having a good day today.
    Carol x
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Classic! Don't be too hard on yourself tho, with all the appointments we make, and are made for us, it's no wonder things get muddled sometimes. The best of luck for your next attempt. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • coco67
    coco67 Member Posts: 2,374
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    good luck with the edsa im having to apply for it now so would be interested in knowing how you got on. iv just got my paperwork from work to say im finished and my sick note back. i hope it went well for you and the bloods etc.
  • carola
    carola Member Posts: 786
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Good Morning Everyone!
    I hope you all had a decent sleep and that Arthur has packed his bags and went on holiday for a few days?
    Just a quick ESA update ..... went to job centre and showed the lady my sick note (fit note or whatever it is called now) and she has signed me off Jobseekers Allowance.
    I've to call a number and they will fill out a form over the telephone and then post to me. I've to sign it and return with my sick note and she said that should be me on ESA ..... surely it is not this easy????? Time will tell. She said that over the next few weeks I will be contacted regarding other help I could receive?
    So off to phone 'the number' now and will keep you updated.
    You never know, maybe this will be an ESA success story?! :shock:
    Keep smiling my friends :lol:
    Carol x
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    That does sound too good to be true but . . . . . you never know.

    I wish you well and I hope it works! DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • janie68
    janie68 Member Posts: 1,186
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Yes you are on ESA but in the assessment phase. Then they will call you for your medical and it all starts to go wrong for the majority.

    Janie
  • carola
    carola Member Posts: 786
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Humph!

    Janie and everyone else - you are right ..... it DID sound too easy to be true Grrrr!

    I just called the processing department and yes, it looks like I shall be waddling and hopping to assessments and 'medicals'.

    Having been on the phone for a long time there to them going through the claim I tried to stand up and plonked back down again as my knees are playing at silly beggars with me today. So on my 2nd attempt to stand up with lots of pain I actually shouted out to myself, "I'll bl*ody show them" and that seemed to do the trick and I stood up! Had an absolute horrid night with pain last night so using the anger from my pain to get through this! :lol:

    Much love and encouragement to everyone and keep smiling :lol:
    Carol x
  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Carol - wishing you really good luck waddling through the ESA minefield! Keep channelling that anger!
    Love Tillyxx
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi, I'm sorry that you have missed your appointment. I had a late afternoon appointment, my husband came home early to take me and I waited for over an hour, only to be told that they didn't have a doctor to see me!! GRRR
    Hope you soon get another appointment.
    Love Sue

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