YIKES! ATOS TOMORROW!

Options
ELAINE55555
ELAINE55555 Member Posts: 123
edited 15. Nov 2013, 05:52 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi All

Got my ATOS thingy tomorrow. Got my bag of meds and my list of future appointments. Got a letter from orthoepedics to say I have to stay off my feet till stress fractures heal. I am really not prepared and do not know what else is expected of me. Any tips?
Thanks.
«1

Comments

  • purpleowl
    purpleowl Member Posts: 231
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    Hi Elaine,

    I've no experience of ATOS at all but I would like to wish you all the best with this. I am sure you will get plenty of advice from others. :D

    Thinking of you,

    Trish xx
  • mig
    mig Member Posts: 7,154
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    Sorry no tips but I wish you good luck. (((()))) Mig
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,719
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    No tips. No experience. But good luck.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    I have no experience of this shower of healthy people either but base your answers on a bad day - if you need a stick then make sure they see you use it. I wish you the very best. I hope you are able to get a good night's rest, try not to let it prey upon your mind too much: I know, I know, silly words. :oops: DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • villier
    villier Member Posts: 4,426
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    Elaine , my best advice to you is be careful, they WATCH EVERYTHING you do. I took a handkerchief out my bag and that was noted, talking of bags if you can do without one don't take it, even a shoulder bag, or if you have someone with you give it to them before you go in.

    Remember and say it as your worst day, let them open doors for you, if you have any walking aids make sure you use them all the time. I am not saying lay it on thick with a trowel but(it may be one of your better days law of **** :wink: , oops is that swearing :roll:) but they are so devious and can turn things round about to your disadvantage, gosh I am trying to think of anything else I can tell you but the brain fog has descended.

    I wish you well and hope you prove them wrong, I will be thinking of you tomorrow...........go girl....................Marie xx
    Smile a while and while you smile
    smile another smile and soon there
    will be miles and miles of smiles
    just because you smiled I wish your
    day is full of Smiles
  • barbara12
    barbara12 Member Posts: 21,281
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    Hi Elaine
    I dont have any experience but my friend does, she was warned not to be taken in by them being nice ..don't forget who they are and what your are there for..and don't attempt anything that will cause you pain.
    Good Luck with it all we are all behind you x
    Love
    Barbara
  • ELAINE55555
    ELAINE55555 Member Posts: 123
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    Thanks everyone of you. I'll let you know how it goes.
  • Kittkat
    Kittkat Member Posts: 309
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    Good luck Elaine hope all goes well for you let us know x
    How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
  • oldies
    oldies Member Posts: 66
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    Hi Elaine, How did it go with the lovely ATOS ???? I have been waiting since 23rd september,got a letter yesterday and i am assuming they are keeping me in the support group.The letters they send you dont realy say you are in it only what they will pay you.Hope all went well and it was a doctor you saw x
  • barbara12
    barbara12 Member Posts: 21,281
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    Sending you some good vibes Elaine....good luck....xx
    Love
    Barbara
  • elainebadknee
    elainebadknee Bots Posts: 3,703
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    Elaine

    Someone said don't do things you are unable to do but in my case when I said I could not do it they put that down as me being not allowed to say but (red liquid when we are cut plus Y) minded was mentioned.....I don;t know how you overcome that, just say you are in too much pain...

    elainex
  • justinbarrow
    justinbarrow Member Posts: 338
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    Good luck - Hope it goes OK for you. Let us know how they ent with you and how things were. Lots of people have different stories.
  • ELAINE55555
    ELAINE55555 Member Posts: 123
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    Well, thats it all over. Just a waiting game now. The interviewer introduced herself as a "health care professional". That could mean anything. However she was actually quite nice, and I did not feel intimidated. My main gripe was that on telling her I was hard of hearing, and have been so since birth, she said she would have to give me a hearing test! Since when did she become an audiologist? I basically just told her everything as it is,and the difficulties I face on a day to day basis.She then gave me a "medical examination", up on a bed, bending my legs and so on. Could I use a mobile? Do I go on a laptop? What do I do for a social life? Oh well, I did my best, could be at the job centre by Christmas. I certainly would not employ me! :|
  • As5567
    As5567 Member Posts: 665
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    I don't even understand why they ask silly things such as can you use a mobile, can you use a laptop. What difference does that make to having arthritis.....
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,719
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    It does make quite a lot of difference for those of us who can't :lol: I can only hold a mobile to my ear for very brief periods and I find the flat keyboard of a laptop very difficult to type on.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • As5567
    As5567 Member Posts: 665
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    But many of us work around things to be able to use mobile phones/laptops etc, for example on a mobile you should use a hands free device with earphones or speaker phone and there are also many other different ways to use laptops etc. What they should be asking is what difficulty do you get using this device, rather than are you able to use this yes/no if yes then they use it against you.
  • ELAINE55555
    ELAINE55555 Member Posts: 123
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    You are right. I think the view is that you can either use a phone or you can't, or you can either use a laptop or you can't. No grey areas.
  • Kittkat
    Kittkat Member Posts: 309
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    I don't know why they ask these questions ggrrrrr!!!!I can use a laptop/keyboard but it kills me and I have to use my hand in a weird position. I have a mobile but that hurts too.Doh!
    How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
  • ELAINE55555
    ELAINE55555 Member Posts: 123
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    I totally agree with you Kittkat. Maybe these ATOS people should spend a day in our shoes and find out what it is really like to have these disabilities.
  • salamander
    salamander Member Posts: 1,906
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    I think the point of asking whether you can use these devices is the misguided idea that, if you are capable of using a laptop or a phone, you are capable of doing a job in an office or at a call centre, for example.
    Naturally, this doesn't take into account that using a mobile to make one call is not the same as sitting on the phone all day at a call centre or working in an office. The tests are so simplistic as to be unfit for purpose.
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    And there, Elaine, you hit the nub of the problem. They don't appear to know what to ask so they base it on can you / can't you rather than 'How do you?' and 'How long can you?' which to my simple mind makes the more sense. Twerps. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • salamander
    salamander Member Posts: 1,906
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    DD it's all part of getting people into work - it's totally about what you can do but no emphasis on whether you could sustain any of these activities. That is what is so disingenuous about the whole thing.
  • justinbarrow
    justinbarrow Member Posts: 338
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    Glad it went well as could - Did they ask you or give you the option of recording the medical interview thing. How long did you have to wait until they saw you - hope it wasn't to long.

    All the best.
  • ELAINE55555
    ELAINE55555 Member Posts: 123
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    I was seen about 5 mins after my appointment time. No I was'nt given the option of recording. She was busy typing everything I said into her computer, as I was saying it.I just wish I had been a bit more assertive in getting my own tuppence worth in, instead of just answering what she asked me.Too late now.
  • salamander
    salamander Member Posts: 1,906
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    I think you were well advised to just answer the questions Elaine. Best of luck with getting your claim through.
Back to top

Categories