Hello

hi everyone. I found this site when I was looking for some support after a very traumatic pip assessment interview. I am 48 yrs old and was diagnosed with a spinal AVM (artrovenious malformation) on the 31st December 2015. I have had different presenting symptoms for several years and just kinda learned to live with them, but was only after a car accident that my physio noticed my symptoms were definitely not normal. I was tested for MS and tumours and had several MRI’s and tests before finally getting confirmation of my diagnosis after a cerebral angiogram. I continued to work full time while awaiting what the neurosurgeons plan was, however I had a suspected bleed in November 2016 which quickly changed everything. I was signed off my work after it was highlighted that I also had anaurysms and this or my AVM could have caused the bleed. It has also been discovered that because of the complexity of my AVM both inside and outside my spinal cord, that I cannot have any treatment. My symptoms are there all the time, some more debilitating than others and definitely fluctuating. I continue to work but have reduced my hours and have had to change my role. This has had a big impact on my life both mentally and financially. A family member had suggested PIP as I do now rely a lot on my husband and also my mobility has been affected. The assessor was very blunt and kept cutting me off when I tried to explain my illness. It is rare and I tried to explain how it effects me but she quickly shut me down and stated that she only needed to know how if affects me. Luckily it was a bad day for me and my mobility was not good and my pain did not allow me to carry out some of the exercises she asked. I also felt she tried to “catch me out” by asking questions about how far I could walk then later asking “ so how far away is your desk from the work car park. There is so much more I could say but feel I am droning on