I didn't realize....

...that it's been so long since my last post. Health wise things are not much better. I had my "work assessment capability" interview and no surprises there. No points..again. I didn't even get the six points that my earlier appeal awarded for mobility. Applied for the mandatory consideration and again
was refused. I have an appeal date in a couple of weeks. In the meantime I'm signing on and getting job seekers allowance and being threatened on a regular basis with getting sanctioned,  because they don't think I'm doing enough to find a job.  I have to do a job search every day on the computer and that is part of the problem. Sitting at the computer causes me a lot of back pain....half an hour is about my limit, so I don't get to do other things after the job search
.
A catch up. I saw a physio....who then referred me to another more specialised one because of my "complex health problem." This one asked at length about my pain and did an examination. The result was that I was probably having a bad flare up of the chronic pain and combined arthritis. She told me that they could nothing more for me that wasn't already being done...i.e. pain management through medication and exercises...and to avoid stress. So here I am with chronic pain due to M.E. and osteoarthritis in my spine and other areas. Signing on every other week for job seekers allowance and hoping I don't get sanctioned. Avoid stress?   I wish!

I have done some crafting but not as much as I would like.
This was for a Crafters Reunited inspiration challenge. The colour green

For my eldest son and DIL wedding anniversary

Another Crafters Reunited challenge....Poppies

 For my youngest son's birthday.....used Craft Artist. Printed out flat and then raised the "Happy"  with foam pads.

 Another Crafters Reunited..things with wings.

Similar to to son's card.This was for niece's partner, and also doubled up for CR Challenge. A tag .
I won the draw with this one and won a £5 voucher to spend with Cutting Edge Crafts. I purchased another set of mini distress ink pads. My collection of colours is slowly growing.

 Finally a card made for this month's challenge. I got to set the theme as I won last month so I chose "Autumn colours" I made it using papers from Making cards magazine. Initially I wasn't keen on this set..wasn't my thing. But now I realise I ought to take another look at some of the others that I have dismissed as "not quite me."

Thank you for visiting.  I hope it won't be so long until I post again.

No rant this time.....

.......but I'm still struggling health wise. The pain has spread up to my neck.with excruciating pain in my left shoulder joint. I've never had a dislocated shoulder but I can only imagine that the pain is as severe as mine at the moment. I stuck it out for a few days until I couldn't take any more and had to make an appointment with the doctor through the triage system. If I hadn't been able to see a doctor I was ready to get myself to A&E.  Anyway......the doctor I saw (another locum) couldn't have been more helpful and sympathetic. He couldn't give me any more painkillers, I'm taking the strongest dose and amount that I'm prescribed, but he did give me some ibuprofen gel and some simple exercises to do until I see a Physiotherapist. The pain in my shoulder joint is, apparently, caused by the arthritis on my spine which affects the nerves. He told me that it could take a couple of weeks for someone to get in touch to arrange an appointment, then that could be a 6 week wait. The very next day I got a phone call to arrange the appointment. June 4th   at 9 o'clock at the NHS walk-in centre. I thought it would be with the surgery physio, or at one of the two large hospitals. I'd already seen one at the hospital for aids for the arthritis in my hand. The woman apologised for it being so long, but it was difficult to find anyone sooner as the doctor had requested a specialist.  So..where am I at now? For few days everything seemed to calm down and was more manageable.  Hot showers, painkillers and ibuprofen. Nor for long. Pain all the way down my left arm right down into my hand and a burning rash. First thought....reaction to the gel. No. Shingles!!! and it's blooming painful! So here I am in constant pain and feeling very sorry for myself.
 Realised something ironic. The physio I'm seeing is the same one that refused me ESA and decreed I was fit for work last year. Could be interesting. Oh.... and I have my  "non medical medical"...ie.."  work assessment interview with a medical professional"....... next week. We shall have to see..

Crafting has been difficult but I've made 3 cards. Had to keep them fairly simple.

A card for April inspiration challenge for Crafters re-united. The theme was spring.  Daffies say it for me.
Used a digi image and coloured with my one set of Spectrum Noir pens...... (Was a subscription gift from Making Cards. Do I need some more?..silly question.) ..and my small set of ergo soft pencils. Do I need the spectrum noir pencils with lots and lots of colours?....

This card for my friend Anne. It's her birthday today. Hope she got it in time.

This one for my neice. Her birthday is tomorrow. Posted the same time with Anne's so I hope it arrived.

Thank you for visiting.

Struggling.....and a rant.

Still struggling with my health. The painkillers the doc prescribed are helping a little, but I have to pace myself very carefully .As soon as I feel the pain in my lower back I have to slow down or even stop before the pain travels to my shoulders and neck..it's frustrating to say the least. Having had to learn to pace myself over the years for the fatigue (not always successfully), I now have to add excruciating back pain into the mix. It hasn't helped that the doctor I saw for a renewal of a medical certificate made me very angry and upset. Since I re-applied for ESA I have to provide medical certificates (sick notes). The doctors have been providing me with one every 3 months.....no problem until last week. At our local surgery, if you are needing a sick note there is one doctor assigned to to dealing with them every morning between 11 and 12. I had never seen this particular doctor before...I think she was a locum. Anyway, she asked me what I had come for.......duh..,sick note!  Then she asked what was wrong with me;  while looking at the computer screen with my medical history laid out in front of her. She hummed and hawed a bit then asked what "this post viral thing was all about" So I told her.    Asked me how long ago it started.  Told her. Then she informed me that the other doctors had put 3 medical conditions on my sick notes..PVFS, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis. OK, knew that anyway. Then......she wasn't happy signing my certificate for  flu  that started 10 years ago. She finally decided on osteoporosis.....and only for 8 weeks. Can you believe that!!!!  Suffice to say I hope I never have to meet her again. My son says I should complain, and I tend to agree but will it do any good? I doubt it. Rant over.

I have managed to do a little bit of card making by keeping it fairly simple. Sitting for too long doesn't help. So here are the ones I've managed.

A quick card made for Crafters re-united inspirational challenge........a thank you card. I was the lucky one to win the draw so I had £5 to spend at Cutting Edge Crafts..yay! I bought a pack of the mini Tim Holtz inkpads.

This one for one of my teenage grandkids. Playing with paper and Serif.

Birthday card for youngest's girlfriend.  Pink Petticoat stamp and painted with mica powders.

A christening card asked for by my friend Anne. The inspiration came from a card I saw on pinterest.

For my Great- nephew Lucca...using Making Cards papers

This one was for the CR_U February challenge which I set the theme for,,,,, being the previous month winner.
"A card for someone you love and must have a heart somewhere". I played with my quilling papers.
As money is very tight at the moment I have determined not to spend any money on crafts unless it's
absolutely essential eg. adhesive and cardstock. My Making Cards subscription is paid for by my kids.Their Christmas pressie to me.

For my Great- Niece, using things in my stash.

Another one for the CR-U challenge. "Something new". My brother is moving house very soon so this was ideal for me to get ahead. Again using Making Cards topper, paper and an embossing folder.

Another Making Cards make following the sample in the magazine. For my sister- in- law. A touch of glitter that the camera hasn't picked up.

Thank you for visiting.

 

I'm still here..

It's been so long since I posted.  Those of you who follow me will know that I was waiting for an appeal date for my claim for ESA. Well I got my date and I duly attended. The two medical professionals were very nice..but all they wanted to know about was my mobility. Nothing about the Post viral fatigue, the osteoporosis or the osteoarthritis. The bad news is that I didn't win.my appeal (no surprise there)..but the good news..they awarded me 6 points for mobility where as before I got none. 15 points are needed to be awarded the full ESA. I applied again straight away as it was more than 6 months from my original application. So again I am waiting for an assessment date while getting the minimum ESA amount which is equal to Jobseekers allowance. Meanwhile another health problem has arisen which took   5 weeks!!   of trying to get a doctors appointment to get any treatment for.
The problem?  My back. It starts with lower back pain and works it's way up to my shoulder blades and at it's very worse into my neck with shooting head pains. It's agonising and debilitating. The doctor has said that it's either osteoarthritis or it could be the result of osteoporosis affecting my spine. He has taken me off the co-dydromel and put me on co-codomel at a three times higher strength. It is helping a little, but only if I rest totally.....in other words do nowt. Washing pots, loading the washer, peeling potatoes etc. sets it off. Sons do help out a lot but I don't like the idea of  having to rely on them for all the household jobs. They have their own lives to lead.
Crafting wise I haven't done a lot. I'm doing it in small bits...frustrating!
Anyway here are some pics of some that I have managed over the last 6 months I apologise for the quality of the photos.  Quite a few are using Hunkydory papers and also papers from Making Cards magazine. Brilliant when your mojo deserts you, as it has done quite frequently of late.

Thank you for visiting and I will try not to leave it so long between postings.....health permitting.