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Ill Health retirement

Carrie38
Carrie38 Community member Posts: 73 Courageous
Hi has anyone else been ill health retired because of their disability . I was last year and still find it hard 

Comments

  • Sam_Alumni
    Sam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,671 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @Carrie38 what is it you are finding hard? There are so many great people on the community, I am sure you will find others with similar experiences.
    Scope
    Senior online community officer
  • Carrie38
    Carrie38 Community member Posts: 73 Courageous
    Getting used to not working being I the house all the time 
  • iza
    iza Scope Member Posts: 703 Pioneering
    edited January 2017
    Hi Carrie 38, I do not work financially for the last 2 years  apart the fact the Job Centre is forcing me to back to work anyway. 
    It is the best time of my life as I do now what I never had time to do before.
    I suffer medical condition 4 years already  and stop working over 2 years ago. Until my medical condition appear,  I was so active in my life.  I can say I lived the life of more than 3 people in once. By the age 32 I had two Master degree in hand completed in 2 different countries, learn English & Bulgarian Language as my native is different. Work mostly in private sectors full time completing my second MSc degree. Once I had my medical condition and had to resign from work,  I really  liked.  Dr were thinking that I will not be able to settle to home environment due to my previously busy life. I sufferd more stress related issues by being force back to work and still  I am.
    It took me 3 year to encourage my Gp dr that for my benefits I should leave  the life I want. Anyway the JPC (DWP) is still  forcing me back to work (where there are barrier for me created by the nature of my condition ).  

    Can I ask you  what did you do to ill health retired? I am asking in terms are you on any social security benefit or live dependently on someone? If you think is is too personal please ignore my curiosity! 

    There is lots of staff you can do to full fill your days?

    A  little list: 
    - volunteer,
    -  share your knowledge, skills in real  life or from home online, 
    - socialise and drag yourself to coffee mornings in local community hubs, 
    - get creative if you can (create hand made staff if you can)
    -  colour mandalas for adults - they apparently learn  you to concentrate on drawing and  do not  allow you to think about past and future, 
    - get a pet if you like,
    - tidy flat/ house, sell staff you do longer need 
    - decorate rooms, 
    - read, watch, listen to and share,
    - empower yourself and others (life, digitally), 
    - who know perhaps you could couch, 
    - do back to any sport relevant to your medical condition, 
    - take photos, 
    - travel even little destination to discover/ rediscover places nearby 
    - write blogs, poems, books, 
    - create presentation on different topics. 
    - enjoy life and see yourself lucky  as you do not need to finically work. 
    - share your times with others 
    I hope I helped you to fulfil tree time. 

    Make your dreams come true. 






  • Carrie38
    Carrie38 Community member Posts: 73 Courageous
    I have cerabal plasy and because of this Have arthritis really bad all over my body. I was a nursery nurse had to give that up because I have major surgery on legs and back. I use a wheelchair and crutches to move now.

    Did admin for 8 years and it got to the point where I could not sit for long  periods of time.  I have other things wrong with me . 

    I can't leave the house without help and others at work .

    I do read , jigsaws , TV , crafts etc. 

    I can't do physical tasks.

    I have joined a diet group  which has helped .

    I will not work again and I am pleased in some ways as it was getting too much for me as the pain and tiredness was too much
  • fathag
    fathag Community member Posts: 2 Connected
    Hi Carrie38,
    I am 62 and had to finish working when i was 40 due to a lower back condition, i loved the job i was in at the time working in marine engineering, working outdoors and something different nearly every day, driving and operating cranes, 360 excavators, inflatable boats, or working with explosives etc' after finishing work i tried to go back a couple of months later but only lasted just over a week, it was very hard for me in the beginning and i soon fell into deep depression, i was offered operations on my back but with no guarantee that i would be any better and in fact could be worse i decided against it, over the years i developed arthritis in my knees at first and now have it in just about every joint so still get depressed a little, from the early days of going on to benefits i had to fight for everything i got and after being found fit for work by the DWP a couple of times had to have independent examinations from medical experts and won my appeal tribunals every time, they make you feel like a fraud and treat you as such and just don't believe or care what you say, now with this new Tory government and their changes to the system it looks like i will have to prepare to fight again,  one of the most important things is to try and keep active to as much as your condition allows and definitely keep your mind active, i took up cross stitch and oil painting, carving, etc' anything with a final product, if i can give you any advice or help in any way at all please don't hesitate to ask.
    Regards and best wishes Peter.     
  • Carrie38
    Carrie38 Community member Posts: 73 Courageous
    Thank you i I have been retired a year now . At first it just felt like being on the sick. It's the routine the company and purpose I miss . I have done some good things this year I have lost over 3 Stone in weight just by what I eat. I just get lonely and pension is better than just benifits but still not like working I will never work again I was in too much pain and was taking so much out of me just being there
  • mossycow
    mossycow Scope Member Posts: 500 Pioneering
    Hi Carrie,  you have my sympathies.  I am still grieving my job.  Not my 'career' or any success or money I might make..  But the identity,  the day to day relationships and the much more predictable future. 

    It's really really hard.  It's what I thought I'd spend my life doing and what I'd spent my life up to that moment working towards. 

    As my pain lady says it's left a big big hole.  You can fill up the hole with lots of other things but none of them will have the exact shape... So gaps will always remain. 

    But I reckon as life goes on the gaps are getting smaller and the things are filling up.  It's just a case of finding them,  ceasing them and learning new stuff. 

    A lot of the activities above will be hard for someone unable to work. I'm too tired now... But going to pop back to this thread tomorrow 


  • Carrie38
    Carrie38 Community member Posts: 73 Courageous
    I agree with everything you say above  I still wake up as if to go to work etc  

    My pain does stop me doing a lot of activities and I don't sleep well  x

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