Panic Stations

Well we've just spent the last 20 minutes hunting down my letter with the correct time, department and therapist for tomorrow. As this is my first Occupational Therapy appointment I really need it to make sure I get to the right area at the right time tomorrow at the hospital.

Finally after that brief panic I figured my Father had moved the letter and not told us, needless to say he had forgotten all about moving it let alone where he had moved it to, I just took a chance figuring as it was sitting under my Kindle on my bedside cabinet since it arrived that he might have moved it to where he has habit of moving my Kindle when he mucking around with the stuff on my cabinet.

I must admit not to being looking forward to my OT appointment, mainly for two reasons:

1. I'm suffering from a cold and the freezing temp - snow expected by this weekend - isn't helping. So I'm feeling more listless, stiff, exhaustion than normal.
2. This appointment being the first can last up to an hour like my first PT appointment just prior to Xmas and also it's at the main hospital which results in a long long long walk in from the main entrance compared to when I attend my PT. Even though the room my PT uses at the clinic is quite a distance from the reception it's nothing compared to the distance I have to transverse when attending the main hospital for appointments.

Christmas Deliveries

I really hate shops, sellers and courier services who say they will despatch/deliver in a particular time slot/date and your orders sit stationary for days. All the while promising delivery for Christmas.

I ordered three shake and go cars to go with a present we bought Friday for my youngest nephew as the shop didn't have any available. I double checked before placing my order that I would get the delivery before Christmas and even paid for expedited despatch/delivery and my order has sat on Despatching Soon since Friday afternoon and here we are Monday afternoon and my order which I paid extra for quick despatch/delivery is still not been sent out and it's stating delivery estimate on the 20th which is tomorrow and still haven't despatched the order.

Frustrating to say the least. If I don't get my order through by Christmas which I paid double postage price for I will not be a happy camper.

Another order sent out Friday for next day delivery from City Link is still on it's way from the collection depot and not further update since Friday night when it was sent out to the collection depot. It must be walking to the local delivery depot that's all I can say. So next day delivery - total fail.

My last order - of the three placed last week - was split in two my Amazon and has been despatched by Royal Mail. I wonder if those two parcels will beat the two expedited ones!

Appeal Going Ahead

I have a post written on my positive experience on the WFI I had to attend last Monday, exactly a week ago today, which I will post once I have access to my tablet which it's on but today I got another letter from the DWP about the appeal I lodged a month ago.

After my relief about my WFI my good mood, and relaxed deposition which has allowed me to actually achieve a few  hours uninterrupted sleep which hasn't happened since this whole WCA review began months ago, has come to an abrupt end.

My nerves are once again shot and building up as I now face an appeal process which could include an ATOS medical and a firing squad face to face appeal to the DWP and whoever else attends such boards.

I got a letter just an hour ago saying that the decision maker at the DWP had looked again at my WCA and other documents that he used to make his initial decision taken into account the points I made - which is ludicrous as I meet the first descriptor on their own paperwork for the ESA Support Group - and can see nothing that would make them change their decision.

So apparently meeting one of their own noted descriptors for the SG isn't good enough to allow you to actually be placed into said group?! Sounds about right for this whole process which is supposed to be fair and give help to those who actually need it.

No time limit, no information on how meeting one of their holier descriptors wasn't enough evidence to get moved into the SG, nothing except my appeal would now move onto the next stage and I would get more information on the appeals process later. Again no time frame or anything.

I had hoped that if I didn't meet the descriptor I would be informed how I didn't regardless of my proof that I do meet said descriptor.

So my happy relaxed period is now over again. I had hoped that I could now enjoy at least the coming festive season without the pressure and depression that this whole process has brought onto me but alas that is not to be. Every time I feel I can relax a bit and concentrate of myself and my health when I overcome some hurtle thrown in my path something happens to scupper it. Last time it was the less than 24 hours that came between my lodging my appeal and my WFI interview date/time arriving. This time I got a whole week where I didn't suffer nightmares, depression and nerves before I now get this appeal hurdle - my biggest hurdle yet - thrown in my path wrecking any inner peace I've achieved in the past few days.

D-Day

Well D-Day - as in the day I've been dreading - is upon me.

Tomorrow first thing is my first WFI with my personal advisor who I only know by her first name supplied in my letter from the Job Center Plus.

I didn't manage to get my hair washed today as my mum's back was too painful and stiff to bend over.

If my hair looks too greasy I will resort to my emergency can of dry shampoo so I don't go out with greasy or dead and dull hair.

I sincerely hope that the advisor I've been given doesn't turn out to be one of those Stalin wannabes that I've heard about who ignore all evidence of illness or disability and steamroller you (and in some cases threaten or intimidate) those they are supposed to be simply providing options for their possible future possibilities into any scheme like workfare regardless of their medical and health at the time.

In some ways I just want this over and in others I don't want it to ever come around.

Quite frankly I'm a complete nervous wreck at the moment and expecting the worse starting by being forced to sit listening to a total stranger dictate my future while sitting in a uncomfortable plastic chair for an hour.