News at Last (sort of)

As many of you know the the last nine months have been pure torture for me, because my employer decided that I wasn't fit enough to do my job anymore. 

Yes I have severe Arthritis and yes it was a struggle to do my job, but I'm still able to do my job as a result of some reasonable adjustments that were put into place approx two years ago.

In those two years I have been happy in my work, and had very few sick days. In fact in nearly 13 years of working there, I have never hit the trigger point for disciplinary with my sick days.

I registered my Disabled status with my employer approx five years ago, as with all things computerised, systems get updated and Disability details needed to be re-entered, which I duly did as it's a legal requirement.

As a result of updating my details, I received a letter saying I needed to attend a medical, I have since attended several, all with the same result. 

I'm not fit to work!

I disagreed with these findings, due to the fact I was still at work and doing my job. So a meeting was called and I was interviewed by several people from various departments.

In June I completed all the paperwork for my Medical Retirement/Dismissal very reluctantly, and started my IT course to help me find another job.

As the months dragged on there was no news on the retirement/dismissal/job front and I'm still attending work full time. I would rather stay at work in a job I love, but I have come to accept it's for my own welfare these decisions have been made.

On the 30th October I received a letter stating I was being Medically Retired not Medically Dismissed, which is a massive relief, as I will be getting a small pension. If the findings had been for Medical Dismissal I would in a world of financial hardship, as you can imagine it was a huge relief!

I don't know when I will be actually retiring, there has been no mention. 

I'm still attending work!

It's got to the point that I've had enough! 

They got what they wanted, so just give me a leaving date and let me go! 

I Hate Technology!

Here I am trapped at home bored out of my skull, my back is so painful I can't do anything, especially that huge pile of ironing that just keeps growing in the spare room.

 Anyone that knows me, knows that I'm not brilliant on the computer so part of my re-training with this whole Job/Medical Retirement/Dismissal thing was to do an IT course, to enable me to find some sort of admin job.

Photo Credit

The boredom was becoming so overwhelming I decided to be clever and start my IT computer course at home to give me something to do, it had all been set up at the Education Center and I'd made a

start on it there, so I knew how it all worked, so I logs in and reads all the bumph and then click the "continue my learning" button.

Chuffin' Unbelievable!!!

Yesterday I had to go to the Admin Building to sort out some courses for my IT training and would you believe it, out of all the hundreds of courses available to staff, there are no IT ones, plus I had to miss my 30 minute meal break to do it!

Chuffin' unbelievable!!!

Me being me, I then decided to use my initiative (see, I'm not always as daft as people think I am) and phoned the on site education center, where I had done my Maths and English GCSE's  three years ago, and had also started and paid for the  ECDL (please don't ask what it stands for I don't know, but it's an IT course) to see if they still ran it.

As luck would have it I spoke to my old tutor, who spookly remembered me, even though he must have dealt with thousands of people since he last saw me.

Tardy Blogger

Seems like an age since I last updated my Blog, but in fact it has only been a week, but the longest week of my life!

Finally got the result of those Medicals, a report that doesn't make pleasant reading I can tell you.

Got told by my Boss "If any more reasonable adjustments were required, then I would be getting my P45 so I can sit on the sofa all the time.

Which was well out of order, and resulted in several nasty Panic Attacks this week, due I think, to the fact I've been mega stressed

about this whole process.

I won't bore you to death with the whole story, but as a result I've now received a massive pile of paperwork to wade through, as they

Mad as a Box of Frogs

Last week I went for my medical about my fitness to carry on working, and boy was that a waste of time!

Himself had to come with me as I find it far to stressful to go to new places on my own. 
Had to travel all the way to Portsmouth, and it then took me 25 minutes to hobble to the building where my medical was taking place from the train station.

By the time we got there, I was in serious pain and could barely walk. Thankfully there was a lift, so no stairs because I really don't think I could have walked up them if there were!

As I booked in 15 minutes before my appointment, this woman came out and said "Are you Dawn? I want to get this started as I want to go home"

We followed her in shocked silence, as this is my future we were there to discuss. Not some minor medical matter!

She didn't seem to know exactly why I was there, luckily I had taken my previous medical reports which as she read, spent the whole time singing in a rather flat tone "Dum Dee Dum Dee Dee" and doing it even when typing her report.

The whole time I'm sitting there feeling like I'm facing "The Executioner" 

She was very unsettling and hardly asked me any questions, just looked at my repeat prescription form and said  "I don't understand how you can be here and awake on Morphine and all your other drugs"

I replied "Because I've just got to get on with life, haven't I" in a rather aggressive tone, so Himself informed me when we left. Oops!!!

I'm not going to bore you with the whole interview although it was rather too short I felt for such an important matter!

She couldn't make a decision, so now I've been referred to see a Doctor for yet another medical, I can't believe how much I'm being jerked around. I'm happy to work, I've never complained about not being able to manage my job.

This whole process is so very very stressful!!!

It's making me feel totally unwell, I'm unable to sleep because of the worry of losing my job and how I will support myself!

Hopefully the Doctor I have to see, will be able to finally make a decision so I can get on with the rest of my life!!!

Think about it!!!!

Have you ever experienced pain?

Of course you have..

I live with constant pain every day. It's not something I like to go on about, but I feel it needs a mention... Too many people are quick to judge about my state of health because on the outside I look fine, most of the time I have a big cheesy grin on my face and am joking about. When in fact it's a cover for that way I'm really feeling!!

I don't like to go around with a glum face moaning all the time, telling everybody my woes, although too some people that is a way of life. I just want to get on with things, and live a normal life for as long as I can before the pain of my Arthritis takes over completely, and the massively high doses of painkillers I'm on are unable to
keep me working and supporting myself financially.

I'm not the only person in this position, many people have inner demons of one sort or another, which may have a massive impact on their lives! It may not be pain, it may be a mental health issue. But what makes people think they have the right to judge our situations!!!

Have you ever decided you know something about somebodies situation, when in fact you know nothing..

Think about it!!!