Crohns Disease and ESA Medical

[neilfisk]

Hi, Was just wondering if anyone has Crohns and gone to the ESA Medical? I have been off work since april because I have severe Crohns and they can't seem to control it. I am due to go for my medical in a few weeks but don't know what to expect. I have read alot about these medicals, not good reads i may add. I have seen the points score system and work out that I have at least 30, but thats me looking at it not these job's worths at the assesment.

Any help/advice would be great

 

Cheers

 

Neilfisk

[postggj]

Is This A Company Called Atos Health Care Doing The Medical

[neilfisk]

Hey, thanks for the reply. Yip, the very one

[Undercover-Elsa]

Hi Neil,

You may have already come across this in your travels, a guide to the self assessment for people with Crohns / IBS. if not hope it helps:

http://www.nacc.org.uk/downloads/disability/pca.pdf

From the National Association of Crohns and Colitis website.

Good luck with this...it's always difficult to explain to anyone how an illness without any visible physical manifestations makes you feel. Human nature makes us tend to minimise the problem and work around it. The exam is a situation where you must not feel guilty about fully elaborating on how the condition makes you feel on your WORST day. Make sure you assert that you have MORE worse days in the week than better days.

They work on proportions. This condition can vary so much-from days when yes, you might feel able to do fairly normal activities, to days when you can't leave the house and have to curl up in bed with the pain. Or, you may leave the house feeling fairly OK..then end up doubled up in pain, needing the loo. The psychological aspect is significant...it can cause depression, even make you feel agorophobic, not wanting to leave the house or afraid to go out alone. You need to impress all this this upon them. Give them the worst case scenario.

Let us know how you get on

Elsa xx

[neilfisk]

Hi Elsa,

 

Thanks for the reply. I have been looking on the web to see if there is any other people with the same condition as mine and have gone for the medical but can not find anyone. I am part of NACC and have got all the info from their website.

I went for my assessment on Thursday past and the ATOS doc was really good, not like the horror stories I have been reading. We went through all the questions etc and he told me that he did not like the new ESA system and that it was conning genuine people out of the benifits they need. He also told me not to worry about the assessment as he has made sure that I will pass. Don't know how this will work if he say's it? But I will get my letter next week sometime and will hear what they have to say. I will update this when it come's through.

Cheers

Neil

[Undercover-Elsa]

Hi Neil,

That's great, sounds promising

Sometime's it's down to personalities rather than the system..glad you got a decent one.

How's the treatment going?

My daughter has a similar problem (severe IBS) and we've found if she keeps stomach acid reduced with ranitidine (zantac) at 150mg a day, her lower bowel symptoms improve dramatically. (In some people the stomach acid isn't neutralised by the dysfunctional gut chemistry, so it can cause irritation in the colon.)

Good luck with it,

Elsa x

[neilfisk]

Hi Elsa,

Yeah it does sound promining does'nt it. Finger x'd. My treatment aint going to good. I have been on all the drug's poss to help with my crohns, inflixamab,thulidomide,methotraxate and am currently on adalimamab and azathriprine. But to no avail unfortunatly. Next step is another op or there is a new trial going on in Nottingham Uni where they give you a bone marrow transplant. Just have to wait and see. I take lanzaprozole to help with my gut acid and it's great .

 

Cheers

Neil:)

[Lancslad]

I have similar situ to you Elsa, neil,

 

Was in hospital when I filled out the med form, I've had Chrons/colitis since 2006 (my consutlant wont give a sure answer on which I have, although the surgon who operated on me says most likley chrons) i've had the azathioprine, Prednisone, Asacol, Omeprazole, which came to ahead last year when my colon developed a small hole and leaked all over my spine and hip, they operated and removed 2 foot of colon and created a tempory stoma, I was working on a temp contract at the time and claimed ssp, during this time I was 'let go' by the company and called DWP and was put on JSA, in Nov i had the stoma reversed and I am still recovering now, my scar hasn't healed and the constulants both said I need time to recover, I hope I get a doctor like you got Elsa, who understand what Impact IBD can have on a person.