Personal Independence Payment - My Application

AvadaKedavra

Good day everyone,

I just wanted to start this thread about PIP because I would like to share my application process with you. I received my application pack Friday just gone; I filled it in to the best of my ability. It asks to put any evidence in such as photocopies of prescriptions etc, I am visiting the doctors tomorrow anyway, as my little girl has chicken pox; she has spots in her mouth and throat as well. I thought I better to take her to be safe.

I will be asking my doctor or his PA, If they can sort me a copy of my prescription for Naproxen. I hope they will as I do not have a copy of one at home. If they agree, I can get my application sent off! It says you may be required to have a face-to-face meeting with a health practitioner, I bet I will have to, I don't mind though. I can envisage the whole process taking 2-4 months for some reason, I hope I am accepted but I am not so confident to be honest.

I will of course keep you all posted, if anyone has any advice,questions or stories let me know.

Thanks for reading.

stickywicket

Please, Avadakedavra, if your child has chicken pox DON'T take her to the GP's surgery. Ring them and ask for advice.

Pregnant women, newborn babies and people with compromised immune systems shouldn't have any contact with chicken pox and, in a GP's surgery, it's a fair bet there could be one or two around. The NHS says children with chicken pox should be kept away from public places.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Chickenpox/Pages/Introduction.aspx

If you'd like to see how others have got on with PIP just enter the initials in the Arthritis Care search engine and lots of stuff will come up.

AvadaKedavra

stickywicket wrote:

Please, Avadakedavra, if your child has chicken pox DON'T take her to the GP's surgery. Ring them and ask for advice.

Pregnant women, newborn babies and people with compromised immune systems shouldn't have any contact with chicken pox and, in a GP's surgery, it's a fair bet there could be one or two around. The NHS says children with chicken pox should be kept away from public places.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Chickenpox/Pages/Introduction.aspx

If you'd like to see how others have got on with PIP just enter the initials in the Arthritis Care search engine and lots of stuff will come up.

Thanks for the advice, the surgery didn't mention that. I suppose it is common sense after all, It has been a few days so the spots have scabbed so the risk of spreading is reduced but still there. Thanks I will definately NOT be taking her now.

Thanks I will search for it.

barbara12

Hi
Sorry I cant offer any advice, I just want to wish you good luck with it and your thread will help others so please keep us updated....

AvadaKedavra

barbara12 wrote:

Hi
Sorry I cant offer any advice, I just want to wish you good luck with it and your thread will help others so please keep us updated....

Thanks you! I will defo keep updated.

Today I sent my form off; With the FREEPOST envelope provided. Unfortunately my GP and chemist were unable to provide a copy of a prescription as evidence, I just left a note saying I tried and failed but my GP cannot help, this will probably not help at all. Some advice would be to keep your presciption (the back part) which I don't . I will keep you all posted.

Thanks for reading.

stickywicket

My prescriptions always come with the next one attached so that all I have to do next time is tick the boxes next to the meds I need.

I hate to say this but, if you can get by on just naproxen, I think you'll be extraordinarily lucky to get anything out of the PIP. However, never say die.

How's your little girl's chicken pox? I hope she's feeling a bit better.

AvadaKedavra

stickywicket wrote:

My prescriptions always come with the next one attached so that all I have to do next time is tick the boxes next to the meds I need.

I hate to say this but, if you can get by on just naproxen, I think you'll be extraordinarily lucky to get anything out of the PIP. However, never say die.

How's your little girl's chicken pox? I hope she's feeling a bit better.

Yes she is OK thanks; the spots have all scabbed over.

I get that a lot, the 'it can't be that bad if you're getting by on naproxen' observation. I don't for one second expect anyone to think different to you, at least before you know the full story.

All my life since first diagnosis (around 11 or 12) I have been given various options on treatments etc, at such a tender age it frightened me. Ever since then I've always wanted to avoid drugs ( I know this is wrong), so basically, i'ts not that I'm not suffering or anything because I am.

Take today for example, the moment I wake up from a sad excuse for a nights sleep, I feel the usual pain; throbbing joints left right and centre. Still no time for feeling sorry for myself, up I get. I then struggle to get dressed, get kids dressed etc... I think you get the picture. Naproxen in the cupboard tempting me, I didn't take it, stupidly perhaps.

I think being on this forum has helped me somewhat, Thank you everyone. Eventually when I see my rheumy (no appt letter yet) I hope to get my RA put in perspective, as I don't know how bad it is (well I THINK i'ts bad). Also my joints could have deteriorated faster than I thought they would have.

To summarise, I know people have it way worse than me here, so please don't think I'm looking for sympathy but just because I only take naproxen (occasionally) it really doesn't mean I'm not suffering, because I am. I just have a phobia of sorts about the drugs designed to help me.

Thank you for reading.

dreamdaisy

Of course it can be bad and that is for a reason - you are not playing your part in helping the doctors to help you. Not for one moment do any of us on here relish taking the meds that tackle the underlying problem but we do because we realise they have a part to play in delaying future damage. I had seven years without any medication because my symptoms were not recognised as an auto-immune arthritis, once it was I was put onto sulphasalazine, followed by a host of others, but for me it was too little too late. My PsA affected joints are riddled with OA and fibromyalgia has joined the party. I cannot manage without walking aids which means that my PIP income will be reduced because I can walk more than 20 metres with them.

The meds can help us to have a better quality of life now, they can reduce pain, reduce inflammation, all to better-protect our joints against long-term damage. It's too late for me but I shall flog on with them because they mean I can be more independant and not too much of a burden on my husband. DD

stickywicket

I'm not for one moment saying that you're not in a lot of pain. Avarakedavra. When my kids were young I often had to get by on just naproxen or another NSAID because I was allergic to gold injections and 'proper' DMARDS weren't on offer then. But, without the daily NSAIDS and pain relief, I'm not sure I could have got out of bed. There was at least one Saturday when I couldn't – literally. My GP came round and prescribed steroids and soon after that I got my two TKRs.

This isn't a competition in pain, but what I'm trying to say is what do the PIP people have to go by? You say you're in a lot of pain but I doubt anyone who applies says any different, including the pure charlatans. They can only judge by facts and the facts seem to be that you've got by on just naproxen. It might even be better to postpone your application until you have seen the rheumatologist and got something concrete from him/her.

I do hope things look up for you soon and you can manage to get, and take, the meds that will help. I'm glad your little girl is improving.

AvadaKedavra

dreamdaisy wrote:

Of course it can be bad and that is for a reason - you are not playing your part in helping the doctors to help you. Not for one moment do any of us on here relish taking the meds that tackle the underlying problem but we do because we realise they have a part to play in delaying future damage. I had seven years without any medication because my symptoms were not recognised as an auto-immune arthritis, once it was I was put onto sulphasalazine, followed by a host of others, but for me it was too little too late. My PsA affected joints are riddled with OA and fibromyalgia has joined the party. I cannot manage without walking aids which means that my PIP income will be reduced because I can walk more than 20 metres with them.

The meds can help us to have a better quality of life now, they can reduce pain, reduce inflammation, all to better-protect our joints against long-term damage. It's too late for me but I shall flog on with them because they mean I can be more independant and not too much of a burden on my husband. DD

Yes I know what you mean, I need to get over this fear and understand that meds can help. I'ts as simple as that.

I do hope you continue to have reduced pain and swelling.

AvadaKedavra

stickywicket wrote:

I'm not for one moment saying that you're not in a lot of pain. Avarakedavra. When my kids were young I often had to get by on just naproxen or another NSAID because I was allergic to gold injections and 'proper' DMARDS weren't on offer then. But, without the daily NSAIDS and pain relief, I'm not sure I could have got out of bed. There was at least one Saturday when I couldn't – literally. My GP came round and prescribed steroids and soon after that I got my two TKRs.

This isn't a competition in pain, but what I'm trying to say is what do the PIP people have to go by? You say you're in a lot of pain but I doubt anyone who applies says any different, including the pure charlatans. They can only judge by facts and the facts seem to be that you've got by on just naproxen. It might even be better to postpone your application until you have seen the rheumatologist and got something concrete from him/her.

I do hope things look up for you soon and you can manage to get, and take, the meds that will help. I'm glad your little girl is improving.

You're right, I should have waited but the form had to be back by December 25th. Perhaps when they decline my application I can appeal it with evidence from my rheumy.

As DD is, you are aslo correct. I now know what I need to do regarding treatment and will sort it when I see rheumy. You've had it tough I imagine, like most here I want to help you, help everyone.

Sometimes just talking to others like you can help, because your stories resonate with me and others. On a handful of occasions over the last 15 years I've had to stay in bed, all but sedated with strong pain relief and naproxen. You feel helpless, isolated and lazy.

The truth is that is not the case, but it is sometines how you can feel. An illness which does not always show itself to others physically, but inside is tearing away at you both mentally and pbysically. I wouldn't wish it on anyone and I need to get it sorted promptly.

I remember before I was diagnosed, around 8 years old. My RA one cold morning flared up, my mum had to get me dressed, even at that age I wondered why I was so tired, stiff and sore. I really hope you also continue to improve. Thanks yes she will be OK in a few days I am sure.

dreamdaisy

I appreciate that you are new on here so won't be aware of our histories. I have considerably reduced swelling (thanks to taking two DMARDs and one anti TNF) but that counts as naught because, thanks to the OA and fibro, pain is paramount. End of.

It's not necessarily easy to overcome one's fears but sometimes needs must. I'm a shocker for finding the positive in negative situations - I didn't want to inject myself but then realised that doing so would a) save me a great deal of time and b) make life easier for those around me. To reply to part of your post to Sticky I refuse to feel helpless because I do what I can (of course healthier people can achieve more in ten minutes than I do in a day but so what?) Lazy? No way, I do what I can and how I can - if others find me wanting then that is their problem, maybe they should try being me, I reckon they would give up after thirty minutes. Isolated? No, I found here. DD

AvadaKedavra

dreamdaisy wrote:

I appreciate that you are new on here so won't be aware of our histories. I have considerably reduced swelling (thanks to taking two DMARDs and one anti TNF) but that counts as naught because, thanks to the OA and fibro, pain is paramount. End of.

It's not necessarily easy to overcome one's fears but sometimes needs must. I'm a shocker for finding the positive in negative situations - I didn't want to inject myself but then realised that doing so would a) save me a great deal of time and b) make life easier for those around me. To reply to part of your post to Sticky I refuse to feel helpless because I do what I can (of course healthier people can achieve more in ten minutes than I do in a day but so what?) Lazy? No way, I do what I can and how I can - if others find me wanting then that is their problem, maybe they should try being me, I reckon they would give up after thirty minutes. Isolated? No, I found here. DD

I suppose that's a good way of looking at it to be fair, because if someone else had RA, OA etc they would feel our pain, our struggle. Thankfully the days of being bed-bound are rare and in the past I hope. As a start, I this morning took my full dose of naproxen, I will also take some tonight too! I feel in less pain already.