Mobility and general advice please. — Scope | Disability forum
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Mobility and general advice please.

Hereward
Hereward Community member Posts: 6 Listener
Hi there, just a brief background of illnesses etc, asthma since a child, heart attack at 28 from a birth defect, heart disease, nerve damage in thigh (which has now over the years reached an unbearable point) and knee broken multiple times which needs multiple surgeries (as I am self employed impossible to do), and lastly and the hardest one, first time probably openly admitting it, serious mental health issues, I was in foster care, abused, then ran away and was homeless from 15 to 19 when I met my now wife, this combined with my heart attack has seemingly messed me up a bit and now feeling like I am grinding to a halt.

Father of three children, self employed window cleaner with my wife.

Sorry for the long winded intro, thought it best if people know my position.

I have been struggling for maybe or 5 years physically with my leg, our business that was thriving is slowly grinding to a halt as while I can drive OK (in discomfort but doable) I can only really manage the fronts of a house (we do this with poles, I can literally walk 2 meters to the house from the van to clean and walk back) or two before having to stop due to pain, in the end my wife ends up doing 90% of the work which two of us used to do.

Essentially we need help, I would happily have my leg amputated and have toyed with doing it myself if it meant taking this pain away, I think I would do better honestly. 

The problem though is with the mobility questions and distance I can walk. The way things work with me is kind of like first thing in the morning my pain is at a 3 and I can operate and walk OK, I walk with a limp and every step is pain but I can function decently, so if you asked me to walk on a good day first thing I could probably walk quite a long way before my leg goes (this is how describe it, the pain ramps up to unbearable levels really quickly and I will say to my wife "my legs gone" and she knows) but once its gone that's it, walking any steps at all is just unbearable, I've ended up lay in the street before now. 

Everything we do revolves around my leg now, if we go shopping I sit in the car, we went on holiday, we have a caravan, I was either sat in the car watching the children play on the beach or sat in the caravan.

So the problem I have is how do I answer the question? I work two days a week and do some work in stops and starts then for the rest of the week I'm crippled.

Does the fact that realistically on a good day I could probably go for a reasonable walk mean it doesn't apply to me? if that's the case I don't know what to do, I am as much as I hate to admit it and fight tooth and nail for it not to be so, but I have become a burden on my wife and I don't know what we are going to do for money.

Any help or advice greatly appreciated, not sure how much longer I can work for.

Comments

  • Hereward
    Hereward Community member Posts: 6 Listener
    Sorry I meant to add, I am on strong painkillers for my leg, which honestly is the only way I manage to do what I do as it is, I have toyed with increasing them myself but I just end up like a zombie.

    Oh it also has what the specialist described as hyper sensitivity, any kind of brushing motion on it is gasp out loud painful, I generally wear shorts or very soft trousers etc to try and reduce this.
  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
    A PIP decision is based on how you are on the majority of days. You have to be able to do the activities reliably, in a timely fashion, repeatedly and safely.
    More information 
    https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,938 Disability Gamechanger
    What about the daily living activities, there's 10 of them, have you had a look at those? See link. https://pipinfo.net/#activities

    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Hereward
    Hereward Community member Posts: 6 Listener
    calcotti said:
    A PIP decision is based on how you are on the majority of days. You have to be able to do the activities reliably, in a timely fashion, repeatedly and safely.
    More information https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system
    Brilliant, thankyou, I am currently really struggling with admitting to myself how bad things have got.
  • Hereward
    Hereward Community member Posts: 6 Listener
    What about the daily living activities, there's 10 of them, have you had a look at those? See link. https://pipinfo.net/#activities

    Thanks for that, quite a lot applies to me if I'm being honest, my wife does all the cooking I couldn't stand long enough and have burnt things as I keep having to sit down in the lounge as the pain gets to much.

    I use a radiator or a wall to brace myself on to get off the toilet.

    My wife has to help me in and out of the bath, mainly out, I have slipped and fell before.

    I could go on.

    Ok, just typing this out has already helped me.... going to sound like an idiot saying this but hopefully it helps me.

    I'm incredibly staunch, I hide everything, I am 6 foot 2, built like a house, used to lift a lot of weights etc, always been a manly man if that makes sense, I am really struggling with being honest with how bad I have got, even my wife, especially mental problems, doesn't know a lot of it.

    I'm terrified of a tribunal, how can I open up to strangers, I'll end up walking in there head held high standing tall looking big and strong even though inside I'll be screaming in pain.

    This entire system needs changing, I feel so bad for people having to go through this, I'm finding it very hard but I can't go on much longer.
  • Hereward
    Hereward Community member Posts: 6 Listener
    Example of how much of an idiot I am, I will have days off work and use the weather as an excuse with the wife or tell her something is broken, reality is I am in so much pain I just can't do it.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,938 Disability Gamechanger
    When filling out the form you should add a couple of real world examples of what happened the last time you attempted that activity for each descriptor that applies to you. Include information such as where you were, what exactly happened, did anyone see it and what the consequences were. You should aim for at least one A4 side of paper for each descriptor that applies to you.

    Not everyone has to take it to Tribunal. It's perfectly normal to read mostly bad stories on any internet forum because if someone's had a decision they're happy with, they have no questions to ask so we don't hear their story.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Hereward
    Hereward Community member Posts: 6 Listener
    When filling out the form you should add a couple of real world examples of what happened the last time you attempted that activity for each descriptor that applies to you. Include information such as where you were, what exactly happened, did anyone see it and what the consequences were. You should aim for at least one A4 side of paper for each descriptor that applies to you.

    Not everyone has to take it to Tribunal. It's perfectly normal to read mostly bad stories on any internet forum because if someone's had a decision they're happy with, they have no questions to ask so we don't hear their story.
    Thanks a lot, much appreciated.

    I've just jumped to worse case scenario.

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