Hi, my name is Carolanne

Carolannerobson88
Carolannerobson88 Community member Posts: 1 Listener
Hi, I'm Carolanne, i'm 30 and I am in desperate need of support and advice. In 2015, I had an operation carried out at a NHS hospital which had complications and has left me with nerve damage in my shoulder which has lead to the muscle around dying and my shoulder dropping. I have limited mobility with my shoulder/arm and suffer from chronic debilitating pain. I had to drop from full time to part time and being honest, I struggle every minute I'm at work. I do not want to accept defeat but it has started to effect my mental well being. I work in an office and they have modified my desk, I take regular breaks and I have strong pain killers. When the pain gets very bad, my whole body starts to shut down and I struggle to stay awake. I think this is my bodies way of coping but as a result, there has been times I have almost fallen asleep at my desk leaving my employers questioning my ability to work. I applied for PIP because dropping my wage by half was a huge financial struggle but I was declined instantly.  have cut all my outgoings down to a minimum (no sky TV, only essentials at food shopping etc). I am really looking for coping tips for pain and financial advice. I do get a little universal credit currently but only for childcare support, not disability related. 

Comments

  • Chloe_Alumni
    Chloe_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 10,510 Championing
    Hi @Carolannerobson88 and welcome to the community! Thank you for taking the time to write this. I am sorry to hear about everything that is going on. Have you been to your GP about your mental health? It is completely understandable that physical health can affect mental health, I know from personal experiences that it is hard work! You may find it useful to fill in the benefits calculator on the Scope website- to see if you are entitled to anything else. Have you seen a pain clinic? A GP should be able to make this referral. Also, have you looked into Access to Work? They may be able to help with managing employment. For further advice we have the finances and chronic pain boards which you may find useful :)