ESA and sleep apnea

[scouserpaul]

hello everyone
first time poster on here altho ive read a lot of ur experiences of cpap etc since i was diagnosed in june 2010 and many thanks for being there as i think only us living it can really ever say how it is.......
anyway to my point, i lost my job last year due to my constant fatigue, long story short was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and was a relief to be honest as i think most people dont believe we r as tired as we say we are ...altho i never really been overweight (green beret with marines, ran marathons, fought for england at karate) i did gain weight since stopping smoking in jan ...i have been on cpap therapy now for 4 weeks and 2 masks in, i tolerate the mask altho not easy, at the moment tho i am just as tired as i ever was and claimed ESA untill i can get back to work...had my WCA medical today and it seems the horror stories was true... the doc as he said he was (bad grasp of english asked me wot i meant on several occasions) just ignored everthing i answered to his questions..can anyone give me any advice as too having severe sleep apnea and apealing ESA ... thanks ....

[Tigers Fan]

Ermmmm .....

Hi Paul

Welcome!

Sounds like you are having a tough time.

Would you tell me what are 'ESA' and WCA', please?

TF

[scotlady]

Hiya ,sorry to hear your going through a rough time hope it gets better soon Sorry cant help you with your query about ESA or WCA what are they ive never heard of them .
I have to agree when you say others dont believe how tired we can be only other people with this condition truly understand .I am tired too been on mine for a few weeks now but saying that the last 2 nights i have had good sleeps not waking up as often and not many leaks phewww dreading having to take the straps off to clean mask incase i cant get it back to where it is..lol

[James @ Intus]

HI and welcome.

I'm guessing ESA, Employment and Support Allowance:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/employment-and-support/

WCA, Work Capability Assessment:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/esa/DG_172012

Correct?

[shuckie]

Hi scotlady!

dreading having to take the straps off to clean mask incase i cant get it back to where it is..lol

I believe I'm right in thinking you have the same mask that I do. The cleaning instructions I was given by my sleep technician were to wash the mask each morning with warm water and a "pure" soap solution like baby shampoo followed by a rinse with clean water, and to wash the headgear weekly in the same manner. I was also wary of removing the headgear to keep it dry whilst washing the mask, so I just wash it altogether on a daily basis as there's no reason not to

I leave the mask and headgear to dry on a towel out of direct sunlight before I go to work, and by the time I go to bed it has all dried out. Would that kind of routine work for you?


shuckie

[scotlady]

I believe I'm right in thinking you have the same mask that I do. The cleaning instructions I was given by my sleep technician were to wash the mask each morning with warm water and a "pure" soap solution like baby shampoo followed by a rinse with clean water, and to wash the headgear weekly in the same manner. I was also wary of removing the headgear to keep it dry whilst washing the mask, so I just wash it altogether on a daily basis as there's no reason not to

I leave the mask and headgear to dry on a towel out of direct sunlight before I go to work, and by the time I go to bed it has all dried out. Would that kind of routine work for you?


shuckie

Hiya shuckie, thanx for the message , yeah good idea i have just done it so shud be ready for later thanx hun x

[scouserpaul]

thanks

hello again thanks for the welcome people its much appreciated
calmed down a touch after my bit of a rant yesterday ha ha......

just really annoys me to be treated like a lying criminal for being unwell after working since i was 16....

will keep you all posted re my appeal for employment support allowance (ESA)
and my ongoing compliance with cpap

[Berneta]

Tired

Hi Paul, I sure know what you mean by being tired and not being believed. For 6 years I could barely get out of a chair without help. Like others--I don't think people know what its like not to be able to sleep, or at least get quality sleep. This is a place where people understand. I hope you get your claims worked out ok--and things look better for you. I always take my head gear apart when washing it-- then work for an hour to get it back to the right fit. I believe they can shrink up some when washed and dried--so they might not fit perfectly unless re-adjusted again. After awhile you get used to the "feeling" of the right fit--so its not all that hard to adjust it. Of course Masks and Headgear are all different. So do what seems right for you. Just takes some time. Welcome and good luck, Berneta

[shuckie]

Hi Berneta

Like others--I don't think people know what its like not to be able to sleep, or at least get quality sleep.

I agree. I recently felt too tired to drive over to the West Midlands for my niece's birthday so my partner had to travel by train and explain why I couldn't make it. I was quite surprised when my other half told me that my sister-in-law and her husband were taking the mickey out of me as a result. I don't know what they find so funny about the idea of someone not sleeping properly each night, at risk of developing serious health problems as a result, and needing to have a mask strapped to their face each night to have the same kind of sleep most people take for granted. But hey, maybe that's just me...


shuckie

[scotlady]

I don't know what they find so funny about the idea of someone not sleeping properly each night, at risk of developing serious health problems as a result, and needing to have a mask strapped to their face each night to have the same kind of sleep most people take for granted. But hey, maybe that's just me...


shuckie

I find that terrible i just hope it doesnt come back and bite them on there ass !!!!

[SeaSoldier]

Osa & Esa

scouserpaul,
Hello mate, just joined this forum and read your post with interest. Small world - I am also a former Booty with OSA who was shafted by the WCA doctor.

There is real hope mate. I had my tribunal last week in oxford and won. They awarded me the 15 points on physical descriptors on the grounds of remaining conscious during waking moments.

I did, however, submit a 5 page statement of facts to the tribunal clerk prior to my hearing which the panel said helped no end. They only asked me 2 questions, then adjourned for 4 minutes! They called me back in and told me I was successful. Not been so happy since gashing the cap comforter all those years ago!

(Apologies to those who don't understand some of the words used above, it's a 'Royal Marine thing!)

If anyone wants to PM me for more info of how I beat them, I would be happy to talk or provide a copy of the letter I composed, it's pretty generic and could be used by anyone!

[scouserpaul]

ello old bootneck

ello mate glad to hear from u and made up u lived up to marine mantle n never gave up

made me laff at cap comforter (they was the days huh .. pain ...) .. maybe get these atos pple (they cud be paras in discuise.. kiddin ok ) to ctc and drag em around endurance course maybe drown em in peters pool hey... anyway serious... as if i was jokin hmmmm ha ha

i'm at 14 week deadline for decision now.. had appointment today with jobcentre n they said my claim aint even been looked at yet by DM isnt it funny that they can move times back to suit em but we cant.. i was ok to him no point shooting the messenger hey

will be interested (in ur report to tribunal) and how u went about it if u dont mind mucker after i get my rejection ... i'm gettin really paronoid now as my girlfriend says my legs r goin all nite as in restless leg syndrome (is this my fatigue prob).. maybe its all that yompin ha ha ...

i notice many read but not reply.. come on pple its about us that r living it .. make ur point cos it means much more than pple who never been there.. we need to build a data base...get involved u lot...

we cud have sleep apnea nite out who brings the horlicks

n old sea soldier respect for u and the green lid hey

[acebass]

Replies

Well, seeing as you asked so nicely, I am replying even though I have no idea about half what you 2 are going on about!!! lol

[SeaSoldier]

scouse paul,
Good to hear back from you opps. Good to talk to another ex-RM. It's pretty strange really, my pash said about the leg thing years ago but coupled with the apnoeas (I wasn't diagnosed then), we put it down to nightmares and related sh*te from my days in the Corps (the sitting bolt upright gasping for breath, kicking around, etc.)
I have no problem copying you in on the statement I sent to the tribunal prior to the hearing mate, as I said, , it's pretty generic and you can finetune it to suit yourself. It definitely worked mate and the panel were impressed. PM me your e-mail addy and I'll get it off to you.

Good idea to get them on the Endurance through the smartie tubes etc, but I think we should break them in on the bottom field first!

Per Mare Per Terram.
(Once again, apologies to the civvies reading this!)

[shuckie]

Hi scouserpaul!

Well, seeing as you asked so nicely, I am replying even though I have no idea about half what you 2 are going on about!!! lol

Are you allowed to translate what you're talking about for the rest of us or would something horrible have to happen to us if you did that?


Cheers

shuckie