[Bxbhtjnr]

Congratulations!

Must... resist...

[cypedembeda]

I find it terribly amusing that ATOS who are tasked with running tests to weed out benefit cheats claiming DLA and other sickness benefits are the ones sponsoring the Paralympics.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...-medal-1283031

My g/f had a ATOS interview and despite her having CFS/ME, Fibromyalgia, Degenerative disc disease, Pelvic Congestion syndrome and a whole host of other long term illnesses they deemed her fit to return to work.

Seriously, WTF is the Government playing at.

[chppjdf]

http://www.businessinsider.com/boost...lympics-2012-8

[Loolasant]

http://www.businessinsider.com/boost...lympics-2012-8

So, they are injury doping. Why didn't Lance think of that? He could have electrocuted his phantom testicle. Not that the USADA requires proof.

[NETvoyne]

About as excited as I was for the Olympics....*Yawn*...

[shumozar]

http://www.businessinsider.com/boost...lympics-2012-8

Because of my past involvment with the wheelchair sports and because my brother is a quadriplegic, I've learned quite a bit about the medical requirements of these guys. And I can tell you that doing some of that stuff is not only dangerous, but deadly.

For instance.
blocked their catheters for days in order to make the bladder swell. Sure, that would boost your heart rate, but it is also life threatening and there is no way you could go for more than a single day without it killing you. I'm quite positive the article is greatly exaggerating what these athletes are actually doing. Most likely, they are keeping just enough hold on their bladder to cause an onset of autonomic dysreflexia, but if it is not kept under control, it will kill you.

[Aluback]

About as excited as I was for the Olympics....*Yawn*...

I'm sure you'd feel differently if they were taking place in Edinburgh.

--- Post Update ---

I just found out I'm going to get to see Oscar Pistorius in action on Saturday.

I've struck lucky with my athletics tickets for both Games: Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and now Mr Pistorius.

[Savviioor]

I find it terribly amusing that ATOS who are tasked with running tests to weed out benefit cheats claiming DLA and other sickness benefits are the ones sponsoring the Paralympics.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...-medal-1283031

My g/f had a ATOS interview and despite her having CFS/ME, Fibromyalgia, Degenerative disc disease, Pelvic Congestion syndrome and a whole host of other long term illnesses they deemed her fit to return to work.

Seriously, WTF is the Government playing at.

Can she walk to the shops? Can she watch TV and surf the internet and go to the toilet by herself? How does any of her afflictions stop her doing a menial desk job a few days a week?

[artenotreah]

Can she walk to the shops? Can she watch TV and surf the internet and go to the toilet by herself? How does any of her afflictions stop her doing a menial desk job a few days a week?

You've never met anyone with any of these conditions, have you?

[Aw1HhC0m]

You've never met anyone with any of these conditions, have you?

Yes. I manage someone with ME and depression linked fibro, another with severe Crohn's and a lady with arthiritis so bad her hands are balled. The difference is that they WANT to work, so we get them the tools to work whenever they can. Only the lady with arthiritis has worked for us long term, the others have been with the company about 2 years and I took over their management when I joined 5 months ago.

I've managed a lot of sensitive cases over the years and, physical impairment aside, people who don't make an effort to come to work fall broadly in to either a depression linked category or piss takers, it really is that polarized.

[byncnombmub]

I've managed a lot of sensitive cases over the years and, physical impairment aside, people who don't make an effort to come to work fall broadly in to either a depression linked category or piss takers, it really is that polarized.

That's fair enough, but depression is often bad enough to make work impossible.

[carfAball]

I'm sure you'd feel differently if they were taking place in Edinburgh.

--- Post Update ---

I just found out I'm going to get to see Oscar Pistorius in action on Saturday.

I've struck lucky with my athletics tickets for both Games: Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and now Mr Pistorius.

Finding something extremely boring is generally not made more fun by the said event being held nearby...

[xtrudood]

That's fair enough, but depression is often bad enough to make work impossible.

I completely agree. I believe that fundamentally, admitting depression to oneself is the first step to truly getting help, but some people can't do this.

The initial, albeit rather agressive, point was that these 'interviews' may have flaws and there have been some suspect cases, but for the main part, they are to assess whether a person can perform some type of work, which may not be what they did before and it may not be available, but if you can do something then the meal ticket is being phased out. Whether I or anyone agrees with it is largely irrelevant; it's happening.

Anyway, back to the Paralympics. I was on holiday for most of the Olympics and haven't yet been to the Park, so am going to try and catch a ticket if possible.

[Glanteeignile]

...haven't yet been to the Park, so am going to try and catch a ticket if possible.

I think that's probably the main reason why people will go to watch the Paralympics (sadly enough)!

[vNGiDaFX]

I used to have a strong interest in the athletics as I was an tether guide for a blind 100m sprinter when I used to run at Sale as a teen, but that waned over the years. I would like to see the park but the spectacle still exists, it not like going to Don Valley for a weekend track meet!

[cigsstorenick]

Can she walk to the shops? Can she watch TV and surf the internet and go to the toilet by herself? How does any of her afflictions stop her doing a menial desk job a few days a week?

She can't walk to the shops alone as she also suffers from "absent fits" or seizures.

She can sit and watch TV, but only for 20 minutes or so as she then has to stand to relieve the pressure on her spine.

She can do most other things, but needs help with cooking and other kitchen duties as she occasionally drops things and there is a risk of scalding herself because of these problems.

She couldn't sit at a desk for more than those 20 minutes because of the pain to her back and legs.

The ATOS nurse that did the medical with her, was not trained or fully aware of the issues surrounding her with regards to the CFS/ME, Fibromyalgia, etc.

She definitely wants to work and so do I, this past year has been the first year in the past 25 years that I haven't worked and I hate it.

She and I have been through hell this past year, we've both suffered depression, her's worse than mine, due to various things going on in our lives, we both entered into a debt relief order last march due to our ex's in our marriages leaving us with nearly £20K debt, so we've both really been through the mill this last year and the ATOS medical was the last straw, being told that we were both pretty much nothing but "scroungers" when its obvious we both suffer from long term illnesses that are not about to just get better.

I can understand ATOS wanting to root out the benefit scroungers like the alcoholics and druggies on DLA, but those tossers don't want to work, we do, and we both hate being on benefits, but at the moment we don't have a choice.

[BoomBully]

Seeing an amputee on a wheelchair doing 110m hurdles... Now that would be priceless.

[aLZ9zKsO]

You suggesting they use ramps? That would be fun for them taking part and fun to watch.

[doogiehoussi]

You suggesting they use ramps? That would be fun for them taking part and fun to watch.

I think he means he'd like to see the hurdles hit the guys in the wheelchairs faces as they do the 100m hurdles. its an old joke.

[adesseridopaw]

I think he means he'd like to see the hurdles hit the guys in the wheelchairs faces as they do the 100m hurdles. its an old joke.

I know.... I was.. don't worry.