Boatbuilder
John
Administrator
Lowestoft Online Addict
Gender: 
Posts: 4752
I've learnt to take everything life throws at me!!
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Have a read through this article. What do you think having reviewed the 'clickable' chart?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16812185
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 An Oyster 575 |
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funkychick
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My, My, My,- Love the quote 'its between eating or heating' its actually between Sky tv , cigarettes, tobacco, beer, mobile phones, holidays and eating
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Boatbuilder
John
Administrator
Lowestoft Online Addict
Gender:
Posts: 4752
I've learnt to take everything life throws at me!!
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I don't think there is any mention of having holidays, FC, although I agree with what you say. He had been unemployed for about 4 or 5 years when they had a child which is what annoys me. They couldn't afford it then, I wouldn't have thought, so why did they have another child? Also, is there no maintenance paid by the father of her children and if not, why not? If so they fail to mention it. Just a couple of unanswered questions.
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An Oyster 575
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funkychick
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Sorry if that was my edition whoops - doesnt really change my thoughts though
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Scorpio
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'We get the Sky Movies package because we're stuck in the house all week - otherwise we wouldn't have any entertainment.'
There must be over 40 free channels of entertainment available on Freeview.
'My wife and I have mobile phones, and so do all of the teenage children. You try telling teenagers they're going to have to do without their mobiles and there'll be hell to pay.'
How about having just one landline phone for essential calls? If the teenagers protest they can go online & use Skype. Or they could all use a pay as you go mobile to receive calls, not to make them.
If the family understand & accept using public transport because they can't afford cars & motorbikes they'll understand & accept using a landline or Skype because they can't afford 5 mobiles. Mobiles are a minimum of £10 a month each.
On the cigarettes, my wife tried to give up, but she missed one appointment on the course and they threw her off it.'
Reads like an excuse. Did she say, 'Good, there we go, now I needn't bother trying any more?'
If she missed an appointment she should re-register.
The family receive a total of £30,284.80 a year in benefits - well over......
What many working families earn. And they have to pay tax & National Insurance on their earnings too.
Re the shopping Tesco & Morrisons are expensive. They could try Asda & Lidl's.
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funkychick
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Blimey wish I earned £30,000
The NHS dont throw you off the course if you miss an appointment I can absoutely vouch for that as I work for the NHS
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Karen
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It's disgusting. This is wrong on so many levels. He hasn't worked for ten years because there are no jobs in his field? Sorry, but if that was me, then I would have been looking for job in another field a looooong time ago. It seems to me that if you need a job, you'd take what you could get. Why did he continue to have kids when he had no means to support them?
I have no problems with there being a safety net to catch people and help them when they fall on difficult times. It could happen to any of us for a variety of reasons, but they should not be better off than someone that actually works for a living. There should be a cap on benefits, both on the amount and the length of time it can be received.
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Mel
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I have no problems with there being a safety net to catch people and help them when they fall on difficult times. It could happen to any of us for a variety of reasons, but they should not be better off than someone that actually works for a living. There should be a cap on benefits, both on the amount and the length of time it can be received.
I agree with you 100% Karen and so does according to some opinion polls over 70% of the country. There is the usual do gooders and religious left wingers in the House of Lords who do not agree but hopefully the government will stand firm as there is good cross party support for a cap on benefits and they will enforce a cap on the money people can claim.
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Boatbuilder
John
Administrator
Lowestoft Online Addict
Gender:
Posts: 4752
I've learnt to take everything life throws at me!!
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He hasn't worked for ten years because there are no jobs in his field? Sorry, but if that was me, then I would have been looking for job in another field a looooong time ago. It seems to me that if you need a job, you'd take what you could get.
That's perfectly correct, Karen. I worked in the food industry from when I left school until I was made redundant in 2000 and knew that I couldn't expect to continue in that field so I took the opportunity to diverse at the age of 53 and what could be more different than boatbuilding for which I did a training course at the local IBTC.
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An Oyster 575
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funkychick
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... and I too completely changed my career path at the grand age of 54 and so glad I did
There are always some fields that need people,- cleaning, caring industry and with his background he could have probably set up for himself .
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Scorpio
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The problem is probably that there aren't many jobs you can just walk into that pay £30,284.80 a year. So anyone receiving that much isn't going to want to work for less, then lose housing benefit, council tax, & other benefits too. With tax at 20% on all earnings over about £7,000, & National Insurance (wild guess!) at 10% of earnings they'd probably have to earn over £40,000 a year working to equal what they're getting now just watching Sky TV & talking on their mobiles. It's wrong but it's a sort of common sense, from their point of view, to stay as they are.
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funkychick
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The wrong part is the benefits are too generus you should never be in a situation where you are better offsitting at home than working because then the only incentive is your own moral judgement which seems to be seriously missing from many
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paulears
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I'm self-employed through choice, having given up a well paid job I hated. I'm not entitled to benefits and am pretty much on my own. Before satellites and videos, people on benefits could get help with essentials - which meant a cooker, a fridge and maybe a bed! Luxuries were not considered essential, so people didn't get them.
My wife used to work in a building society, and when people lost their jobs and couldn't pay the mortgage, they'd come in and talk things through. She's look down their standing orders and direct debit and circle SKY TV, BT Internet, holiday forms etc and suggest how much they'd save by cancelling them, and then they'd be able to keep the house. The looks she got were legend.
Nobody NEEDS internet, extra TV channels, foreign holidays and maybe even the car - but these people who can't manage on a FREE handout of 26 grand make me sick. They're simply users, scroungers and useless members of society. Their attitude that somehow not contributing to society means you benefit from things many people in work can't have makes me angry beyond words. Nobody nowadays has to have children, or drink or smoke - it's a choice. As a tax payer, I fume when I see these people. I've every sympathy for somebody who loses their job, but they have to make sacrifices until they're back on their feet. I don't have sky sports or movies because I've better things to do with the money. If anybody wants to just give me two grand a year to make my leisure time better, I'll gladly accept it - but I don't deserve this, any more than the the people who want a posh house, good standard of living out of my tax contributions. The example of a bloke who's not worked for ten years because nobody wants his skills - wow! Perhaps getting some new ones could have been better!
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Paul Johnson
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Margo
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Blimey wish I earned £30,000
The NHS dont throw you off the course if you miss an appointment I can absoutely vouch for that as I work for the NHS
FC, Up here we do. If you miss an appointment you have to start all over again by going to the doctor as i found out by accidently missing an appointment for my physio.
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funkychick
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Sorry Margo I was obviously going by the Stop Smoking course down here which is too forgiving I think, people really play around but even having said that if he got kicked off but really wanted to stop he could have reapplied or gone to his local pharmacy for support which most pharmacies offer 'walk in' apps. or done it on the internet which I am sure he will have in his own home
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paulears
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Confused - Where is Margo? Her profile doesn't say. Here in Lowestoft, you just wander into the Physio department at Lowestoft Hospital and make your own appointment?
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Paul Johnson
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freelance
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Confused - Where is Margo?
Lancashire.
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Gawden
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Paul, since when have you been able to walk straight in to the physio dept at Lowestoft hospital and make your own appointment, there is a 16 - 18 week waiting list according to my Doctor.
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paulears
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Load of squit! You go in and you get a quickish appointment to do an assessment. It's a self-referal system, no need to involve your GP at all. I've had a fair bit of problems with a shoulder, and have had three series of treatment. The last time involved a two week wait for the first assessment, then they squeezed me in two weeks later, and then every week for a few weeks until they said no need to come back. It's been this way for at least 2 years. I can't complain whatsoever about the service I had. Your appointment urgency is assessed by the pain you are in, and how distressing the pain is. If your pain is too bad, then they refer you to the docs for pain relief before you get treated. I needed 5 or 6 days of painkillers before they could start because it would be too painful. You normally also get to keep the same therapist, and as you go out, you rebook. They also phone you up and offer cancelled appointments if you're able to turn up on the spur of the moment. First appointments are very early 8am is quite possible.
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Paul Johnson
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paulears
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Funny it has a name, if it doesn't exist!
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Paul Johnson
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funkychick
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Fybromyalgia certaily exists and is very painful and no consultant would tell you, you have a condition that didnt exist perhaps he said you didnt have it. Its like saying theres a disease going round called measles but you cant have it because it doesnt exist - doesnt make sense does it
You can self refer to physio
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snowdrop
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thats right we do self referral..they phone you up take details then you go down they take more details..from referral to being treated was 10days for me..would been quicker but got stuck on the traffic jam last week..i have to agree about the pain managment i have see the same chap privatly at the spire...
if you read up about polio syndrome then put it to dr again...thyroid also very like fybromylaliga..i was told years ago i had same as you,i told dr not to insult my intelligence made him fo vit 12 levels and thyroid and bingo it was thyroid
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Gawden
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You are quite right Funkychick, but he did tell me I have it and he did tell me he didn't believe in it.
I am not telling tales here, I have better things to do with my time.
Thanks Boatbuilder for the link
and thank you also Snowdrop for your support. Dr Wright at the Paget a complete and utter waste of space.
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paulears
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If it had been me I'd have asked him what symptoms I had that made him decide I had it? Then when he said he didn't believe in it, I'd have asked him why he thought the symptoms matched?
It's a bit like M.E. lots of doctors really don't believe in this one, yet they have to accept that the patients are ill, and M.E. fits. I guess this is what he means. You have all the individual symptoms, but he's perhaps not convinced it's something else, maybe as yet unknown.
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Paul Johnson
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funkychick
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Sorry if it seemed as if I was disbelieving you Gawden i didnt mean it that way I dont know Dr Wright however you can ask for a second opinion in fact you can ask your doc to refer you to any hospital,- Norwich for instance.
FM is a very very painful illness it is also very very hard to diagnoose as it can seem like many other illnesses with non specific symptons a lot of people do not get correctly diagnosed with it i dont think there is a specific test either and it can often be believed to be connected to pyschological stresses maybe hes the sort of doctor that thinks 'you should be able to pull yourself out of . The pains can change places too one day in your back one day in your legs aking it seem even more vague
Do get a second opinion i know there is a specialist at N&N who I think specialises in FM
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funkychick
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Paul it is like ME but where ME drains you FM can be very painful but as I say non specific s very hard to diagnose
Definately need a second opinion Gawden dont leave it as there is hep out there ust needs the right diagnosis
this might be helpful
http://www.nnuh.nhs.uk/dept.asp?ID=62
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Gawden
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Thank you Funkychick.
I'm seeing my Dr Thursday and will be demanding a 2nd opinion and referal to the N/N
you are right, it does effect different parts of my body on different days, most of my pain is in the upper left quadrant, some days I feel like there is a knife between my shoulder blades, other days I get shooting pains up the front ofmy lower legs and they feel like they might give way other days my left arm from pit to wrist knuckly bit feels really tender as if I've been beaten, I also get a lot of unexplained bruises, some as big as my fist. I can hold my head high though as I refuse to give in and I keep at my work 
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Eileen
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Gawden have you had blood tests? They mentioned fibromyalgia when I was first feeling ill. Unexplained bruises sound like a problem in the blood...not to freak you out, but I would be pushing for tests for leukemia or bone marrow problems. wish someone had pushed me into going for tests long before I got so bad.
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funkychick
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Gawden does the doc know about the bruises if not PLEASE tell him that could be symtoms of other things?
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funkychick
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Didnt see your post Eileen thats what i was worrying about, but Gawden dont worryat this stage as there can be other reasons just ask for some bloods as Eileen suggests
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Margo
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Well there's a job for me Friday, on my day off, I've yet to come across medication to treat my pain, I was told my an idiotic consultant at the pathetic Paget that I have something he don't believe exist. Dr Wright was his name in pain management, he told me I have fybromyalgia, but he don't believe it exist. Huh!!! 
I sympathise with you, my friend has this and ME and has lost her benefits due to the reform.
She is now working an hour a day to build up to some more hours but it is flaking her out.
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Margo
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The new reform of the benefit system is going to stop all those that have not worked in a long time or never worked and it is about time.
There's so many people out there that have never grafted and have had absolutely no intention of doing so, it's maddening! 
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Gawden
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Thanks Margo, my pain is at it's worst when I'm inactive, sitting down for more than 10 minutes is almost impossible, yet my job involves manual handling and I rarely have any pain, sitting at work to do the pen pushing clap trap as I call it, support plans for the most stupid of things is starting to become very difficult.
I know of many people on all these disability benefits who are more than capable of doing a days hard graft and without dobbing them myself, I hope the new reforms catch them out, instead it is as always the most vulnerable and needy in society that suffer.
I myself need support with a few things and have had to have stair rails installed, some personal care, like washing my hair, putting a top or coat on. that sort of thing, but I doubt very much I'll get any form of DLA, so I don't bother claiming, I just carry on regardless.
Such is life eh?
Funky, I had blood test just before Christmas, testing my platelet levels, all came back normal, my Doc is fully aware of my bruises and the fact that they look old, brown/yellow before I notice them, it's like they are old bruises on they're way out.
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Gawden
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here is a recent one, outer lower leg
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Trigger
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but I doubt very much I'll get any form of DLA, so I don't bother claiming, I just carry on regardless.
Gawden - may I make one comment about your statement above - “I doubt very much I'll get any form of DLA, so I don't bother claiming” - I think that is the wrong approach. Apply . . what is the worst that can happen - they might say no. But - they might say yes!
I’m a great believer in the old saying “It is better to have tried and failed, than not to have tried at all”.
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snowdrop
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i know people who got dla for less.you need to have so many points etc..it arbrtary way it given and luck as to judication..apply as trig say what worse that can happen..
aS A X NURSE i would say bruises like that need to be investigated...the pain you getting is cellular which basically means what ever it is takes 2weeks to roughly get into cells..eg thyroxin a blood test shows what your thyroid was doing two weeks or more ago..so many people have been told they got fm and it not it thyroid...alas the nhs only allow two different blood tests for thyroid and that often comes back negative even though it not..vit b levels is another or if you taking asprin or related medications epilepsy meds.fm itself is underatted condition telling a dr you have that is tantrament to saying it all in your head...dont accept that,although i know with that condition you proberly feel to tired to argue with them
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funkychick
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Gawden I m glad you ve had the blood tests and they ve come back ok, however something is causing those discolourations and needs an investigation and a diagnosis I would definately ask your doctor for a second opinion Good luck
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