Hi, my name is tattyted68! I'm new here. I applied for PIP on the 17th July 2023

tattyted68

Hello, I'm new here. I applied for PIP on the 17th July 2023 on the phone, completed online questionnaire the same day, received text next day from pip stating they received forms and evidence, and would be in touch, today 28th August 2023 they text with a telephone appointment for 11th September 2023. I work full time but had serious fall and fractured my femur and hip, so got metal plates and screws implants, couldn't walk for 4 weeks and was on loads of medication,  returned to work but collapsed due to returning back to soon, consultant stated could take a year or more before full recovery, although now I walk with a limp,  have to use walking stick, have anxiety and have had to reduce my working hours from 50/60 hours a week down to 25, I can't bend down to pick anything up, need help getting washed/ in and out of Bath, getting dressed and help with cooking etc,  I'm no longer confident going outside alone and my life has changed dramatically, I was a confident person, walking running riding a bike,  now I can't do these things anymore, I get depressed and annoyed with things I took for granted before, that I can no longer actually do, I'm only 55, I'm going to be a nan for the first time in November and I'm not going to be able to get on the floor to play with my grandson , I can't even do simple things like go to shops and carry bags on my own I have to have someone with me. Sorry if I sound selfish, but I am having a hard time dealing with this. I hope my assessment goes well on the 11th.  

chiarieds

Hello @tattyted68 - & welcome to the community. I hope I may comment as a long-retired physiotherapist & also as someone who fractured the neck of my femur/often called a fractured hip, just over 7 years ago. I have a metal plate & 2 screws, so very similar to yourself.

I often use 2 elbow crutches when outside, but found myself having to use them inside my home when I was discharged from hospital. It does take time to improve, but it does happen.

I was determined to not walk with a limp; the way forward is to walk more slowly ensuring you take weight evenly with both feet.

You mention using a walking stick, but I wonder if you have been shown how to use one correctly? Forgive me if you know this, but people often assume a walking stick should be held on the side of their 'bad' leg, which seems to make sense, yet is wrong. You should hold a walking stick on your 'good' side, step forward with your good leg, then move both your bad leg & walking stick held on your good side at the same time; this gives a stable base. Please see the following for confirmation under 'Walking': https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/OP-103.15-Safety-information-leaflet-walking-sticks.pdf

You can improve, believe me. An exercise that helps initially is simply lying down on your bed/sofa & clenching your buttocks; this helps strengthen the muscles around your hip joint.

The muscles that help you move your leg out to the side have been cut to insert the plate & screws, so are weaker. Try lying on your bed on your good side, then lift your bad leg up away from your body; increase doing this just a little & often with how often you do this & how far up away from your body you are able to lift your leg, & hold it up before lowering it again.

I'll be completely honest, I also lost confidence following fracturing my hip, but I did probably regain it faster than most, but you will get there too with expecting your grandson shortly as that's your incentive, & hoping some of the above helps. I do wish you well with your PIP assessment on 11 Sept.

Jimm_Alumni

hi @tattyted68, I want to start off by saying you are not being selfish at all. This would be a difficult situation for anyone to adapt to. Chiarieds has already given some great advice from their own experiences. I'm going to link Scope's advice page on preparing for your PIP assessment here Preparing for PIP assessment | Disability charity Scope UK. 

It can be really difficult after losing a part of your independent life-style to see how you can ever reclaim it, but there are ways. The scope advice pages also have a section on travelling either via car or public transport if that is any help. 

Also, you will be able to play with your grandchild. Perhaps not on the floor but there are other ways to play with them! You won't miss out on that experience.

tattyted68

Thank you Jim scope for your kind words, all I know is my life will never be the same as it was, but I have to learn and adjust to it. Xx 

tattyted68

Thank you chariads, your words bring comfort. I wish I could lift my leg, and lay on my side, but I can't, I have to lay on my back, and prop my leg up with a pillow, the pain feels like a burning sensation in my hip as of the screws are digging through, although I don't think they actually are. I use my walking stick on the other leg good side, but I still walk with a limp, and I can't actually walk properly with it so I do put it in my other hand sometimes.

I will of course let you know how my telephone assessment goes on the 11th, I'm a bit scared and apprehensive about it all tbf. 😊

chiarieds

I'm sorry you're in so much pain @tattyted68 - I so hope things improve for you. Pleased you're using your walking stick correctly (most of the time ). I used to treat patients with a fractured neck of femur, but you don't realise just how painful it can be until you go through it yourself. It all came in useful with knowing all the exercises to do is the only good thing to say about the experience!

With your PIP assessment:

 - If you have kept a copy of your initial claim form, have a read through it beforehand.
 - Ideally you should have given 1 or 2 recent, detailed examples of the difficulty you face doing/attempting each applicable activity/descriptor that is looked at with PIP with your claim form, i.e. when exactly did this occur, where, what exactly happened, why did you have difficulty, did anyone else see this, & were there any consequences to this, such as pain?
 - have a look at the PIP descriptors again in this link, also reading the notes at the end. The word 'reliably,' which is so important, isn't mentioned as such, but it's if you can't do an activity safely, to an acceptable standard, if you can't repeat it as often as would normally be expected, or if it takes you longer than a person without your disability. If you can't do an activity 'reliably,' say so, explaining why. Please see: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/asset-library/personal-independence-payment-descriptors-and-scores-april-2023.pdf
 - see if there were any gaps where you didn't give those important detailed examples for each applicable PIP activities/descriptors in your initial claim form. Try to include these in your assessment if asked about any

- remember PIP is about how you are the majority of your days

- if you're unsure about any question, ask for it to be repeated. Take your time in answering, & don't just answer 'yes' or 'no'.
- make sure your phone is fully charged, & if you'd like someone there to support you, put your phone on loudspeaker so they can listen in. It goes without saying, 'good luck'.

tattyted68

Thank you chiareds,  your right no one knows the pain you go through until you've been there yourself, I had a cannulated hip screw fix, metal plate with 4 screws into the femur then 2 angled screws into the hip. I had 30 staples in my thigh. The pain I'm still getting is like a burning sensation and the muscles in my thigh are painful also and feels like the screws are poking through my skin, although they are not, thank god, my good knee clicks and cracks when I'm walking now also. I done my claim online, I don't think I kept a copy of it on my phone but I will take a look, I will out my phone on loud speaker when I get the call, as I am partially hard of hearing also, which I didn't tell them on the form, I forgot and was just concentrating more on my disability for my femur/hip. I'm going to write down some notes, about how this is effecting me so when they ask, I can relay everything. I sent in medical notes, hospital notes, discharge papers, prescription information and also a letter from the fracture consultant. I have requested my hospital records which include my xrays taken before and after surgery, so hoping they come also before the phone call. Thank you again. 😊 

tattyted68

Chiariaeds, I have found my application that I did online, I checked my answer I gave against the link you sent, so the daily living score was 9 and the mobility score was 20. I didn't tell them on the form that I was hard of hearing, so I will let them know thst also. I said I could manage to prepare a meal, but I didn't state that I couldn't finish it without help, I did state that I couldn't bend down though to the oven safely.
Let's hope I've given enough information 🙂 

chiarieds

You are most welcome - Oh you have been in the wars. I didn't get an appointment to see a fracture consultant, as with me & the various problems I've had, it's always been a case of physio go heal yourself. I already had problems (hypermobile joints) before a fractured hip was added to the mix, so now I say on this forum that 'I do the exercises I used to teach!'

I'd forgotten that sensation of feeling the screws poking through; most unpleasant, but hopefully that will recede for you too. I must admit it took me years to be able to go to sleep on my affected side, & the sensation on one side of my scar is still decidedly 'fuzzy.'

Do mention your hearing problem at the start of your assessment. Also do mention if you're in pain when walking, etc, saying where the pain is, & how it affects your mobility, getting dressed, etc.

Don't worry about your medical evidence as your diagnosis will not be disputed. The most important evidence is your own, so do think (write down as you mention) about giving those couple of recent, detailed examples as to the difficulty you have for all applicable activities/descriptors. Further helpful reading here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria 

tattyted68

Thank you chiarieds, yes I have problems sleeping my right side,  and the pain when I do is like a fuzzy feeling, my scar is healing, but it feels lumpy and hurts to touch, consultant said that was muscle healing as the muscle was cut and stitched back again during surgery. I even have problems going to sleep also which then makes me very tired if I have to go to work the next day, I have strong painkillers but they are opiate based which have been prescribed since the surgery, but I can only really take them when I know I'm on a rest day the following day, as they knock me out completely and leave me with a fuzzy head next morning, and abit disorientated to xx I even had to self administer pre filled clexzane injections for 6 weeks after surgery, that wasn't a problem, but I seem to bruise alot more easily now than before and sometimes I don't even know I've knocked myself till the bruise is visible. Oh what a sad life it is and the joys of getting old, I'm only 55, never broken a bone in my life. Off to bed now, thank you for everything, you have been very helpful and it's lovely to talk to someone else that has been there and through it also and understands how I'm feeling. I find it hard to talk about still. Xx