[DaiCroParticipant]

Hi Helen,

A phased return sounds like a good bet… that way you can assess your fitness and your desire to work full-time. 😎

I sent off my form to the ESA today and I hated doing it. I want to work but I have been self-employed since 1994 apart from a year as a part-time project leader with the Probation Service and a local FE College in 1996 (waste of time, money and effort as the college wouldn't accept the probation 'students' on their premises). :-0

I will continue to write but I am not fit for working for anyone else, I know that and it galls me that I almost have to beg to have that recognised.:-(

Go back to work if you can Helen, you obviously like your job and it may well do you the world of good.:-)

Dai.

[elaineParticipant]

Hi Helen.
I too was a nurse and initially was going to go back to work after my first SCT ( I worked all the way through my CDT ) until I woke one morning and thought about all the things I had been planning to do when I retired 8 years from then and was thinking I'll never do them now. I then decided that I would go for early retirement so that I could do those things while still relatively well. It was a battle to get my pension enhanced but after appealing their initial decision I was successful and have not looked back and I enjoyed 18months of doing retirement things before my relapse which has left me in a poor physical state (a similar story to Eva's I'm afraid).
There may be pitfalls going back part time, your pension may well be reduced when you do retire so be wary of that and if like me they refuse to enhance at the first hurdle you must appeal. I had to fight for my pension and Occ health, pensions dept, managers and union were mouthing their support but were ineffectual and so it was up to me to fight my corner. Don't forget too that the NHS pension scheme has been outsourced to ATOS healthcare and as they said to me they have to no doubt that someone is ill enough to get their pension enhanced!!!!
If you would like more info on my story e mail me on elaineandgeri@aol.com.
Good luck on whatever you decide.
Elaine

[eveParticipant]

Hi Helen
Looking at Elaine,s reply,I cannot help but think she has it just about right,we would all like to think that people will get a good run of collecting there pension,but it does not work that way.!!
As for the fact they are more concerned about your blue badge,well every company has to fill there disabled quota,you will then tick one of there boxers.!!!!

I would think long and hard,about going for an enhanced pension,no matter how much you love your job,it is not the b end of all things,I find it hard to understand,people who cannot make that leap and jump off the round about.There is a big world out there.Love Eve

[scott9Participant]

Hi Helen,

I was far too ill for ages to even think about what I could claim. Handily enough there is a South East Cancer Centre just down the road. My wife and I went there a while ago to see what it was all about. They do alternative therapy which really helps. They also directed me to the local Citizens Advice Bureau and some chap there helped to fill out the forms that they got for me for blue badge etc. I really recommend you get help for these blasted forms. I could not have faced filling them out.

Feeling terrible does mean that you are entitled to some help.

Good luck

Scott

[tomParticipant]

Hi Helen its a mine field and it should be made simple for those of us that have a Terminal Illness 🙁 I mean how bad do you have to be to get good Money of the state, money that we have paid in :-S

Good Luck with it all 😎

Love
Tom "Onwards and Upwards" xx

[HelenParticipant]

Dear all sorry it's a group reply again, thanks for all your advice here, I feel as though I just put a stick in a hornets nest I got such a flurry of replies:-)
Elaine- I still can't get used to the thought that this is so permanent and I feel I have to go back and see what it's like, I hope as Dai suggests that the phased return will let me see how far I've travelled and just what limitations both my physical state and work impose. My mind needs to be sure that this is the right decision. My manager was really good and I think will be helpful if it becomes too much then I'm not going to be a martyr. I do worry about the increased shopping time and significantly reduced income:-(
Scott – I had a look at the blue badge form and abandoned it….. I don't think I qualify …. I don't feel ill enough….though I might do at the end of a day back at work:-) 😎
Eve- I wish it were enhanced pension. As I'm at the end of my career I only contribute for another 23 months and I opted to go at 60 not 65 on the day before I got my diagnosis, otherwise they would have to make it up to then, and at the rate we are going I might well be 60+ before I get any news from the pensions people.
Dai – Why did you not have ESA before now? Surely you should have qualified long before this, I find it outrageous that you haven't. Work sent me the form in January and I sent it off, I got a letter back asking me to phone the agency and I spoke to a very nice chap for about 30 mins, and had the money in the bank 2 weeks later. That was the most positive experience even though there were several more forms to fill in afterwards,
And Tom you are so right about it being a mine field ….. With no map….
Anyway I'm feeling more positive about it all so thank you very much for all you help;-) 🙂 😎
Love Helen

[DaiCroParticipant]

Hi Helen,

I am on ESA… this is one of those random checks where they call in 50% of a selected group and get the other 50% to fill out the forms as a precursor to being called in if they think you are fit for work. The penalty for not complying is an instant suspension of benefits. 😛

My brother is a senior in the JobCentre world and he has told me not to worry as this is a national purge… but the form filling and the personal nature of the questions is an affront to me as I completed the forms less than 18 months ago with a covering letter from my consultant saying I would not be fit for work again.:-(

Universal Credits, a combination of all benefits (including housing benefits and pension credits, will be introduced nationally by the end of 2013… they will be having trials before then but it will be a one-stop benefits shop… which sounds good but my brother says that the way they are setting it up makes it look odds on for franchising out to private companies to administer. >:-(

Dai.
Dai.

[tomParticipant]

Hi Helen

Re the "Blue Badge" am sure all people that have A terminal Cancer get it.
Trust me am fit (ish) and got it when I was fit (ish) just took a few weeks longer as I didn't have a Mac Nurse so it was a letter to my own GP who then told them that No he aint lying he has MM and walla Blue badge got 😀

So off you go and fill in the forms you dont have top have a limp honest 😉

Love Tom "Onwards and Upwards" xx

[HelenParticipant]

Hi Dai
What a relief, I thought you'd never had it! But what a b***** that you have to go through all the palaver again. It makes me mad, and I feel a great urge to pick up my 'crusading' pen and dragging out the soap box again.
Tom what a laugh I shall imagine you with your limp! I think eve is right and I'm just a disability number bad the badge will ensure me a parking space!
Love Helen

[HelenParticipant]

Or Not!
I was due to return to work last week. However, on the day, found myself in hospital again:-( Gastrointestinal infection of unknown type, they have discharged me now and I'm sitting here feeling very sorry for myself as I have been reduced to a pile of weak incompetence. I find it very difficult to come to terms with the length of time recovery from these supposedly trivial infections takes. I can't read or concentrate on anything again and am reduced to sitting on the sofa watching back numbers of Morse all over again.
Very grumpy Helen 🙁 🙁

[mhnevillParticipant]

Dear Helen

So sorry you have had another set back. Having just had one of those infections myself I sympathise with your frustration. You wonder where they come from, don't you.

Do hope you are soon feeling better, but maybe you aren't meant to return to work yet!

Much love.

Mavis xx

[HelenParticipant]

Ha Mavis
Thank you
I went to our church anniversary party yesterday on my way home from hospital and one of the girls said the floods and tempest on Thursday were a sign I should heed! If we get a plague of locusts I will leave work 🙂

How is your treatment going, you have been quite quiet recently?
Love Helen

[TrigletParticipant]

Hello Helen and Mavis

Sorry to lump a reply in this way, but after reading Helens' post, lost where I'd read yours Mavis….. sign of the times!

But I wanted to say that I know how you must be feeling. I agree with both of you as I had Shingles 2 years ago which came along with a gastrointestinal 'bug' which was not identified. I was in hospital for a week and have never in my life felt so low (including SCT)! So I was thankful to get out at last. It left me very shaken and feeling scared that there might be another one coming to get me again whilst I was weak.

Give it a couple of weeks ladies and you should be back to feeling a lot better. Helen, I love your new photo your hair colour really suits you. I noticed days ago and I'm sorry I've not told you before now.

Keep smiling
Rosie
xx

[tomParticipant]

Hi Girls

Helen am sorry to read about your infection I hope its soon cleared up, and hey dont worry about work that will come later when you are fighting fit 😎

Rosie is correct on tow things it will get better and Helen you hair looks Great xxx

Love to you all

Tom "Onwards and Upwards" xxx

[VickiParticipant]

Hi helen,

Just a quick line to say we hope you are feeling better after your gastro trouble. I get the impression it's best to take your time on this recovery trail. By they way Tom is right about the hair, it looks good. Still can't persuade Colin to go blond after SCT!

Vicki and Colin x

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