Entry tags:
- atos,
- disability,
- esa,
- sleep
Not on a Sunday!
I've been having trouble sleeping this week. When I'm awake I can control my shoulder to stop it sliding into the areas where it's currently generating drop you to the floor cursing levels of pain, but when I'm asleep it's more difficult, particularly as I normally sleep on my side and that tends to result in the shoulder slipping forwards or backwards, neither is which is great. Waking up has gotten to be a whole lot of no fun. If something causes you pain there's a subconscious tendency to avoid it, so I've been staying awake reading until late into the night (and through into the morning on occasion), waiting for that moment I'm so tired I can slip straight into sleep.
Of course that presumes the rest of the universe is willing to let me. I'd been asleep for barely a couple of hours on Thursday morning when the physiotherapy department rang to arrange the physio I'm scheduled for on my shoulder. That was good news, I suppose, I've been waiting a month and a half for the appointment, but couldn't they have rung in the afternoon? (I'd been reduced to strapping my arm up and putting a collar on to get any sleep at all, so the picture of my trying to answer the phone one handed in the dark -- blackout curtains -- while half-awake was probably pretty amusing, for values of amusing that include not being me).
Last night was much the same, I finally drifted off to sleep at about 6AM, secure in the knowledge that I would be safe from interruptions on a Sunday.
Was I hell! 11AM the phone rings, it sounds like a teenager working a weekend job, but I can't ignore her because she says she is from ATOS, ringing to arrange my new WCA assessment for ESA (Employment Support Allowance is the replacement for Incapacity Benefit, the UK's disability benefit, the Work Capability Assessment is the test of whether you qualify and ATOS are the company of ill-repute to whom the testing has been outsourced. My last encounter with them went less than well).
At that point I might just have managed 5 hours sleep, so I was less than appreciative, but I have to go to the interview. After the disaster of my last WCA I made sure to point out that I absolutely needed them to have an adjustable chair available for me. I now don't just suspect that their seating might be capable of throwing me into a major flare-up, I know it for a fact. The girl on the other end told me to hold on while she went and informed their medical side about that. She was back a couple of minutes later sounding awfully like she hadn't found anyone else in the office on a Sunday (surprise, that!) and telling me "I don't know much about that area, but I'm sure they'll contact you about it".
Colour me less than convinced.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and try and have a nap....
Of course that presumes the rest of the universe is willing to let me. I'd been asleep for barely a couple of hours on Thursday morning when the physiotherapy department rang to arrange the physio I'm scheduled for on my shoulder. That was good news, I suppose, I've been waiting a month and a half for the appointment, but couldn't they have rung in the afternoon? (I'd been reduced to strapping my arm up and putting a collar on to get any sleep at all, so the picture of my trying to answer the phone one handed in the dark -- blackout curtains -- while half-awake was probably pretty amusing, for values of amusing that include not being me).
Last night was much the same, I finally drifted off to sleep at about 6AM, secure in the knowledge that I would be safe from interruptions on a Sunday.
Was I hell! 11AM the phone rings, it sounds like a teenager working a weekend job, but I can't ignore her because she says she is from ATOS, ringing to arrange my new WCA assessment for ESA (Employment Support Allowance is the replacement for Incapacity Benefit, the UK's disability benefit, the Work Capability Assessment is the test of whether you qualify and ATOS are the company of ill-repute to whom the testing has been outsourced. My last encounter with them went less than well).
At that point I might just have managed 5 hours sleep, so I was less than appreciative, but I have to go to the interview. After the disaster of my last WCA I made sure to point out that I absolutely needed them to have an adjustable chair available for me. I now don't just suspect that their seating might be capable of throwing me into a major flare-up, I know it for a fact. The girl on the other end told me to hold on while she went and informed their medical side about that. She was back a couple of minutes later sounding awfully like she hadn't found anyone else in the office on a Sunday (surprise, that!) and telling me "I don't know much about that area, but I'm sure they'll contact you about it".
Colour me less than convinced.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and try and have a nap....