Dear Jenni, Naomi and Anne,
Thank you all for your replies.
Are any of you in the "Support" group or are you all in the "Employment Support" Group?
The reason that I got cross really, was because I feel that I have had to have so many Hospital
appointments, particularly because of Spine problems and last Winter many eye hospital appointments,
due to Sjogren's Syndrome. (Which was the first symptom of immune problems, when I was 36 or 37.) I'm 55 now.
The dryness got worse and my eyes were rejecting the drops, so it all needed changing' after years on the old drops.
This makes "screen" work, like using computers all day, not a possibility for me as this increases dryness because we
blink less when in front of screens.
I had developed Keratitis in my left eye and it had really made my vision weird. (Better again now!)
The Spine "thing"! What a nightmare that has been!
M.R.I after M.R.I!
I now have 4 "catastrophic" collapsed vertabra and also two Haemangiomas in my Spine, one is very large they wrote in the
report from the Hospital, but not any bigger this year.
But I know that it makes treatment more dangerous because they carry very large blood supplies and I am also a rare blood
group too!
(Not that any treatment has ever been offered.)
I even asked about Physiotherapy and was told three years ago, "not at this time".
I know why now, it is because the risk of further vertebral collapses is so great.
In fact to go 3 years before the next fracture was pretty good going statistically!
This Summer, my foot became semi paralyzed about two weeks after the 4th fracture and I had a terrible fall in
the street because I had not realized that it was not working properly. It was the early evening of the day I had my M.R.I
scan. There was a lot of blood from my knee and that was through trousers!
Luckily my partner was with me because I was just sprawled on the pavement, crying uncontrollably.
I had nerve conduction tests done at the Hospital and the foot is functional again now but it was very terrifying.
Anyway, the idea of even more appointments at the Job Centre was the limit.
I do not drive and do not use buses anymore because in my experience you tend to get bounced around so much and
the risk of jolting my Spine is too great to take.
So that leaves Taxis or lifts, if the partner is available.
I would not mind going to the Job Centre very occasionally, but not on a regular basis, because it is a waste of my Mobility
allowance.
I live in Devon and even 'though I live in a City, jobs are pretty hard to get and the majority are minimum wage and drudgery.
As I am an Honours Graduate they are probably going to think they can find me something. I am a Sociologist.
Well, it can't be physical and it can't involve screens or travelling to get there so I think that is most bases covered.
Do I sound negative? I am. (By the way no-one employs Sociologists.)
My past experience, includes Dental assistant - pre Degree - experience of Family mediation and Youth worker.
Plus half of my Social work training, after finishing my degree, but I began to get sick with the Sjogren's Syndrome.
My Thesis was on Young Parenthood outcomes for the Honours part of my degree in Sociology.
My unofficial "work" with my own 3 grown up kids never ends - they lurch on from crisis to crisis - and now they are in their
30's and I am a Granny to a nearly 12 year old, who seems to be addicted to Technology, I pads, laptops, Smartphones.
The Government cuts have led to my 32 year old youngest son becoming homeless as he had to give up the flat he had lived in
for 4 years because now you have to be 35 instead of 25 to get rent for a flat. You can only have a room.
Luckily he is not on the streets-having siblings can be beneficial. Lets hope they don't all fall out - they do fall out sometimes.
They know each other too well.
Anyway, I am not supposed to be writing a book!
Best wishes,
Fiona
