Atos Medicals - Questions, Answers and Support

[equationgirl]

Tbf on a bad day (when crashed or in more pain than usual), VP slurs a bit, can look a bit vacant, and takes more time than you'd expect to finish a simple sentence.

OTOH staff working in a medical environment should be aware than anyone can sound and look more dim than they really are when in a lot of pain, distracted by other symptoms, or just plain exhausted!

Oh yes, completely agree, I've had a lot of pain recently - got up from my chair on Monday and something made a very loud crunching sound - and what with the drugs and their knock-on effects, I've had trouble standing up and walking in a straight line has been quite troublesome. I can normally hide most of it except near the end of the day.

Medical staff don't seem to understand, at least in my experience, that dealing with pain is exhausting and takes a real mental effort, whether meds are taken or not.

 

[panpete]

Oh, but I do get out, but no day is the same so can't plan things in advance and have to give in and stay at home.
My GP, my physiotherapist and my neurologist all say that I mustn't travel to them, they must come to me.

I would request that Atos come to your house, because if you don't, on the day of your assessment, you may not be able to get there.
Not being negative, I hope you can, it's just a precaution, especially as your physio and neuro advise accepting home visits from them, rather than trying to go to them.

 

[equationgirl]

My favourite moment was seeing one doctor noticing the book I was reading, and going a bit pale. The title? "Research Methods and Audit for General Practice".
Dr. "Why are you reading that?".
Me "just brushing up on protocols. I think that GP surgeries are great sites for conducting social research, with all the cross-cutting social vectors, don't you?".

Mwahahahahahahaha!!!!

A true kodak moment that money couldn't buy

 

[equationgirl]

I would request that Atos come to your house, because if you don't, on the day of your assessment, you may not be able to get there.
Not being negative, I hope you can, it's just a precaution, especially as your physio and neuro advise accepting home visits from them, rather than trying to go to them.

I suspect yardbird is entertaining no notions of anything that could be construed as making life easier for atos

 

[panpete]

Oh yes, completely agree, I've had a lot of pain recently - got up from my chair on Monday and something made a very loud crunching sound - and what with the drugs and their knock-on effects, I've had trouble standing up and walking in a straight line has been quite troublesome. I can normally hide most of it except near the end of the day.

Medical staff don't seem to understand, at least in my experience, that dealing with pain is exhausting and takes a real mental effort, whether meds are taken or not.

Ouch.
I know it is painful, but please don't feel you have to hide it when you see Atos.
Tell them how exhausting it feels to deal with.
It's easy to hide pain among friends so they don't worry so much, and I know it's unplesant but Atos need to know all about it, as they might find you fit for work if they are not aware of the extent of the pain.

 

[yardbird]

I would request that Atos come to your house, because if you don't, on the day of your assessment, you may not be able to get there.
Not being negative, I hope you can, it's just a precaution, especially as your physio and neuro advise accepting home visits from them, rather than trying to go to them.

Don't worry, I'm on the ball with this, they have been told.

 

[equationgirl]

Ouch.
I know it is painful, but please don't feel you have to hide it when you see Atos.
Tell them how exhausting it feels to deal with.
It's easy to hide pain among friends so they don't worry so much, and I know it's unplesant but Atos need to know all about it, as they might find you fit for work if they are not aware of the extent of the pain.

I don't have to see atos - I don't qualify for any disability benefits as I work.
I try and support people by finding information about the assessment methods in the hope it will help people with their assessments.

It's not much, but I hope it's useful.

 

[yardbird]

I suspect yardbird is entertaining no notions of anything that could be construed as making life easier for atos

What? Do you mean having my SiL who is a retired GP as a witness/helper?

 

[equationgirl]

What? Do you mean having my SiL who is a retired GP as a witness/helper?

That's making life easier for you, which I wholeheartedly and 110% support.

 

[yardbird]

That's making life easier for you, which I wholeheartedly and 110% support.

The intention is to intimidate ATOS, sis is so up for this

 

[equationgirl]

The intention is to intimidate ATOS, sis is so up for this

Sadly I don't think that will be hard to do.

 

[ButterPie]

I (accidentally)intimidated my CPN the other day She came round with a little printout about stress (some people feel a bit worried or upset when they have a lot to deal with, and this is called stress...<picture of worried person>), and I, without thinking, said "ooh, funny you should mention that - I'm just doing an essay on whether the cortical or subcortical pathway is more important in the reaction to fear and stress, and how the two interact and affect the peripheral nervous system and then the rest of the body - it's really interesting!"

Hehehe, being mental doesn't mean you can't read

When I started the course I had to tell them that I had recently been in hospital and so might not have access to books if it happened again and they carried out the threat to keep me in longer next time. Then I remembered that my ward was next to the doctors library. One of my courses is about biological psychology... If they have me in there, that is going to become my "annoying the staff till they let me do it" thing I think

 

[Greebo]

<snip>When I started the course I had to tell them that I had recently been in hospital and so might not have access to books if it happened again and they carried out the threat to keep me in longer next time. Then I remembered that my ward was next to the doctors library. One of my courses is about biological psychology... If they have me in there, that is going to become my "annoying the staff till they let me do it" thing I think

Go for it, if you need to. You could reasonably argue that it's occupational therapy.

 

[audiotech]

Can't go into detail, but I'm in the process of submitting a formal complaint against Atos over the way I've been treated and their abysmal "customer service". Get this an' all, in their formal letter I received this morning in response to my initial correspondence the letter ended stating that for 'my convenience a pre-paid envelope was enclosed with the form sent'. No it wasn't! All that was included was a compliments slip! This typifies what we are dealing with here. An outfit "not fit for purpose".

 

[ButterPie]

I'd be lucky... last time it was a one on one session with clay once a week, a crowded room with not enough chairs where we could knit once a week and other stuff that didn't happen There was a garden, which I would have loved, but it was men only.

It's ok, I escaped after 10 days, but I think that might go against my chances of leave if I have to go back. Fingers crossed though - it is the first time I have remembered a hospital admission, so hopefully I made sense about why I didn't need to be there after the first 48 hours.

 

[ButterPie]

Hmm, that was meant to contain a quote... I'll get the hang of it at some point...

 

[panpete]

I don't have to see atos - I don't qualify for any disability benefits as I work.
I try and support people by finding information about the assessment methods in the hope it will help people with their assessments.

It's not much, but I hope it's useful.

Very much so - thanks

 

[ButterPie]

I presume you know that DLA (disability living allowance) isn't means tested and that you can work? It even gives you extra tax credits.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Hmm, that was meant to contain a quote... I'll get the hang of it at some point...

Just click Reply on the post (or posts) you want to quote and the quote (or quotes) will be there in your reply box.

 

[equationgirl]

I presume you know that DLA (disability living allowance) isn't means tested and that you can work? It even gives you extra tax credits.

I've looked into it but I'm not sick enough to qualify for it, according to their criteria.

Thank you for thinking of me

 

[ButterPie]

Just click Reply on the post (or posts) you want to quote and the quote (or quotes) will be there in your reply box.

Thanks

 

[yardbird]

Thanks

Bye the bye, hi and welcome. You've not been here long - it's worth taking a bit time read this thread and have a look around as well.
We don't like ATOS here

 

[ButterPie]

Bye the bye, hi and welcome. You've not been here long - it's worth taking a bit time read this thread and have a look around as well.
We don't like ATOS here

Will do, thanks My best friend has been nagging me to join for ages, so I thought I might as well give it a try. She generally has good taste. Well, in friends anyway

 

[yardbird]

I was just thinking that over the years, despite major problems in both personal and business areas, as well as joy and success, I have coped well, with one major hiccup when my bro died.
I've been okay in my head, what with having MS and all, but these fuckers ATOS have caused me sleepless nights, a daily dose of 40mg Citalopram and slightly unbalanced thoughts. Suicide and the like.

ATOS has made me sick!

 

[ButterPie]

I was just thinking that over the years, despite major problems in both personal and business areas, as well as joy and success, I have coped well, with one major hiccup when my bro died.
I've been okay in my head, what with having MS and all, but these fuckers ATOS have caused me sleepless nights, a daily dose of 40mg Citalopram and slightly unbalanced thoughts. Suicide and the like.

ATOS has made me sick!

 

[equationgirl]

I was just thinking that over the years, despite major problems in both personal and business areas, as well as joy and success, I have coped well, with one major hiccup when my bro died.
I've been okay in my head, what with having MS and all, but these fuckers ATOS have caused me sleepless nights, a daily dose of 40mg Citalopram and slightly unbalanced thoughts. Suicide and the like.

ATOS has made me sick!

They should come with a health warning, like cigarettes.

 

[High Voltage]

I have read every post on this thread - sometimes more than once because of a major WTF moment

At the moment I am fit'ish, healthy'ish, middle-aged'ish, in a job'ish - if HALF of what is written here is even half true (and I am NOT FOR ONE SECOND DOUBTING ANYONE CONTRIBUTING TO THIS THREAD) - then I dread the future - how you all cope with this day to day is so far beyond my comprehension you may as well be talking a foreign language

I was initially considering posting a "witty, amusing" reply - but I can't - not on this thread - this is NOT pity, this is right royal bloody rage

 

[Greebo]

I have read every post on this thread <snip>

I was initially considering posting a "witty, amusing" reply - but I can't - not on this thread - this is NOT pity, this is right royal bloody rage

Thank you, High Voltage. Anger is an energy, now all you need to do is use it productively and aimed in the right direction!

And if you're wondering how people cope - well, what alternative is there? You can't spend the rest of your life (which could be several decades) curled up and howling, it just isn't physically possible. So you find a way to cope with it, at least on your less bloody awful days.

 

[panpete]

I presume you know that DLA (disability living allowance) isn't means tested and that you can work? It even gives you extra tax credits.

Plenty of people on DLA work full time, as they spend some of the money on aids to help them with anything to do with work adn the rest on helping them make life with their problem easier.

 

[equationgirl]

Thank you, High Voltage. Anger is an energy, now all you need to do is use it productively and aimed in the right direction!

And if you're wondering how people cope - well, what alternative is there? You can't spend the rest of your life (which could be several decades) curled up and howling, it just isn't physically possible. So you find a way to cope with it, at least on your less bloody awful days.

And most of the time, there is no alternative. You have to cope as best you can.