Achievements

66Mustang

I just talked on the phone for 13 mins to a support worker

This is the longest phone call I’ve ever made in my life

I have been doing a 2 min call every month or so to work on the issue of not being able to use the phone but I have never done more than about 5 mins so I’m happy

What things have you achieved recently? They can be based on a disability and overcoming this, or general achievements, I don’t mind.

Oxonlady

Hi @66Mustang, well done for your achievement every step towards progress is admirable.

For the last few nights I've been in a lot of pain, despite taking pain killers. My  challenge has been to stay sane and the way for me to take my mind off the pain is to write my short stories. I've written several recently, including last night. 

66Mustang

@Oxonlady thank you and well done to you as well. Sorry to hear that you’ve been in a lot of pain, I find it hard to imagine what that must be like when painkillers don’t help, but I’m glad you found something that helps. What do you write stories about?

Oxonlady

Thank you for asking, @66Mustang. These stories are 60 words long. I first began writing them in hospital, to take my mind off the pain of spinal surgery, in 2011. Since then I've written 438 stories, covering every subject under the sun. I've now told myself to stop at 450, edit the book and try to get it published! 

66Mustang

That sounds intriguing…I’d buy a copy. I have trouble reading most novels due to losing concentration but 60 words would be more than manageable Would you share one on the forum? Only if you want to that is.

leeCal

@Oxonlady at least sixty words trains you to be succinct. I found a similar effect in joke writing, just for fun I’ve never sold any.

Well done @66Mustang. 

i managed a half mile walk today and on my own, so that was quite an achievement for me. 

Oxonlady

Well done @leeCal, I used to love walking. Now I can't walk at all... 

66Mustang

Well done @leeCal great achievement

janer1967

My achievement was going away in a non disabled property 

It was a challenge to say the least but with support from my family even managed to have nice time and toby loved it which was the reason for making it happen 

Big well done @66Mustang

66Mustang

Awesome @janer1967 well done, I’m glad you had a nice time, and thank you

chiarieds

Hi @66Mustang - thank you for sharing this, & I hope you're proud of your achievement, which I think is quite something. It's of course nowhere near the same, but my son has never been great on the phone, even with me. In fact he could seem quite abrupt at times if I rang him, asking me to get to the point frequently, & only very rarely rang me. I think, altho a lovely neuropsychologist said he wouldn't diagnose him, he did say he was next door to Asperger's about 15 years ago, this played a big part. Amazingly over the past year or so, he rings me, & can chat for a while; I can't say how much it means to me.

It's so great you are beginning to do longer phone calls too; my son's issues are nothing as great as yours, but I do appreciate how much you're starting to overcome.

@Oxonlady - I doubt I'm in as much pain as you, but do face a daily battle with chronic pain. I do think that keeping your mind active is sometimes the only logical thing to do when all else fails. All credit to you too; I'd also be interested in one of your stories, if you felt that was OK.

Well done too @leeCal - another great achievement.

Great you had the support of your family @janer1967 - tho it can't have been easy, it happened, & Toby really loved it. So, yes, a big achievement on your part.

Sadly all I can say was I managed to keep my cat & my son's dog apart for most of the day....open a widow, cat looks likely to jump out...close patio doors so dog doesn't realise; dog then wants to go outside, then cat sneaks back in. Just like the farces that used to be on TV; open one door, close another! I'm fair worn out. Have 2 days to recover, then 2 more days of dog-sitting at the weekend.

66Mustang

@chiarieds thanks for the kind words and for sharing that about your son. I’m sorry to hear he has had difficulties but I can imagine it means a lot to you that he is now able to phone you and have good conversations. Hopefully by the time I move out of the family home I will be at a point where I can do the same with my parents.

Having only one dog I can only imagine how much of an achievement it is to keep control of 2 animals so well done for that

Cress

Some quite big challenges you've all overcome there   
My achievement, well really more of a task that needed to be completed was finally posting off my pip form, such a relief to have it done and gone 
And with current claims taking about ten months to complete, I feel like it's OK to just sit back and not worry about it...

Oxonlady

Hi @Cress, well done for posting off your PIP form. But ten months? I didn't realise there was such a long waiting time.
I thought it was bad enough waiting five months to be assessed for NHS Continuing Healthcare. I'll finally be having my assessment in October. Good luck with your PIP application. 

Oxonlady

Hi @chiarieds, it's great that your son can now cope with speaking on the phone, just like @66Mustang, a significant achievement and progress made. And @janer1967, well done for managing your break.
As you might all have guessed, I'm having another sleepless night with the pain. Every movement hurts. I've got to wait until the 28th of this month to get the results of my MRI Scans but even the radiographer commented on the awful noise my bones are making every time I move. 
I haven't written a story tonight because I'm researching all about Air Ambulances at the moment, for my Art Project. 
I'm hoping to get some sleep at some point tonight, I have a hospital appointment in the morning... I hope that you are all blissfully asleep! 

Oxonlady

@chiarieds, well done keeping a dog and cat apart, not an easy task. Good luck for next time you'll be dog-sitting! I hope your chronic pain isn't keeping you awake... 

OverlyAnxious

Cress said:

Some quite big challenges you've all overcome there   
My achievement, well really more of a task that needed to be completed was finally posting off my pip form, such a relief to have it done and gone 
And with current claims taking about ten months to complete, I feel like it's OK to just sit back and not worry about it...

10 months!?   Maybe I should stop expecting that brown envelope any time soon then! 

Cress

I'm sure there will be exceptions but going on what I've seen posted here about time frames 10 months seems to be the time it takes.
So no, don't expect anything soon .

66Mustang

@oxonlady I’m sad to hear you were kept awake last night…I hope you managed to finally get some sleep at some point

66Mustang

@Cress @OverlyAnxious wow 10 months is a long time. Do you get to stay on your current award until they make a decision?

What I mean is, if they send out the forms 6 months before your PIP is due to end, and it takes 10 months to make a decision, this leaves a void of 4 months. Does your award persist until they make the decision? 

Oxonlady

Hi @66Mustang, thank you. I didn't get enough sleep so feeing very tired as I'm waiting for hospital transport to collect me. I'll probably fall asleep on the way to the hospital!