Monday 24 January 2011

Todays update

I recently volunteered to be a tutor for the expert patient program. Its based on managing long term illnesses. For years Ive avoided it thinking it was designed to make you an expert in your condition and therefore (as doctors are concerned) a total pain in the neck (or wherever you feel)
I very quickly learnt that the expert patient is about teaching people to manage their conditions and live the best life they can.

From a personal point of view I found that applying for DLA and attending a tribunal the worst thing ever, and the attitiude of managing your condition means theres no problem which isnt true. I have written various letters and will update you in time.


Today I attended the first training session Ive had in goodness knows how many years. It was about safeguarding children. Although I dont expect to be working with children it really opened my eyes. It made me realise that my childhood experiences now would be classed as abuse. They WERENT!!! and I know that but it totally freaked me out. Things that as a kid happened and even though my parents loved and protected me, things happened to me that I couldnt control. I look at as an an adult and realise the lack of choice that my parents had and feel so sorry that they feel so responsible for circumstances they had no control over

4 comments:

Kitty said...

How did you find the EPP? I wanted to do it online and applied before Christmas but the woman didn't seem to want me to do it from home, even though I explained 2 hours out of the house would be too much to take in with all the info etc, and never heard from her again :-(

Tab said...

I found it very useful and although its 2 hrs there were breaks and stuff. I cant really see it working at home because a big part of it is interaction with others.
I was the only person on my course with ME but it was amazing at how similar other conditions were. We all felt isolated, no one understood and things like that but as a group you make suggestions that may help. Its good at building confidence back up with youve been down for so long.
Id definately recomend it when youre up to going out for that long

Tab said...

OK I stand corrected they do do it online lol
http://www.expertpatients.co.uk/course-participants/courses/expert-patients-programme-online-course

Is this where you applied?

Kitty said...

Hiya,

Yes that's where I applied for it. I just can't learn something for 2 hours outside of the house, need it broken up a LOT - went into uni for just 2 hours per week for my MSc and I missed half of the seminars and when I was there I couldn't remember what I'd learnt and even slurred my speech!! lol..

Decided to look after myself, not pushing myself through anymore that I don't have to. I can only wash 1-2 times a week as it is so I can't manage anything else on top of what I'm doing already unfortunately. Plus if I do it online I can refer back to it and do it in 10/20min chunks :-) Maybe I will email her again!!x