Forum Discussion
Centrelink disability interview.
Centrelink appointment for my disability claim and job assessment. Only four months of waiting since my application went in. We met with a psychologist (I think that’s what she said she was) called Lynda. She started with a big long rehearsed spiel that went on for about three minutes during which my eyes glazed over and I lost attention after one minute.
She picked through my side effects one by one about the lymphedema and the eye trouble and seemed happy they weren’t too bad at the moment.
Sometimes she asked a question but I had trouble comprehending and then I couldn’t remember the question she asked in the first place (thank you chemo brain – not) so it was a hard slog answering everything and I was getting a stress head ache.
Questions like can you sweep a floor I could answer but only one floor before I am worn out.
Then she asked why I wasn’t seeing a psychologist? I said I wasn’t aware of any phycologists in my area who bulk billed as that’s what I asked my doctor for in the first place after I found out at the BNCA seminar that I could see a psychologist for free. What I got was a psychiatrist who stuck me immediately on antidepressant medication which reacted badly with me in diarrhea and weight loss and swollen glands, then when I complained he said that’s how you know it’s working, when you get side effects. I got a lump in my good arm pit which sent oncology and my head surgeon scurrying for an ultrasound and blood tests and they were not impressed about the medication and told me to stop taking the antidepressant. Next appointment with the psychiatrist isn’t for months so I don’t know what I am supposed to do.
I got a little upset inside but the interview with the Centrelink lady was nearly done so I was holding my breath, ready to jump up and bolt and she said I should be seeing a psychologist. Well then, I lost it and the tears came and I couldn’t stop and I have no idea why I was crying, but I just wanted to get out of there. She said hubby and I should apply for New Start, I think she said it was and register with a job provider.
I got the sobs under control and she let us go, finally. I was thinking about the New Start thing when I got out and I would be a fraud to apply with a job provider as I know full well I cannot work atm. So embarrassing, sheesh!
81 Replies
- Finally, a staff member with some initiative. Hooray!
- Good on you, @Brenda5. Having to deal with a new computer system is so daunting so you can tick the box of one big achievement.
Nice to get a decent Centrelink person, too. Guess you do not have her name and contact details as you will probably never get to speak to her again. The calls seem to go to anywhere in the country.
Good luck with your application.
Summer :-) - Fantastic news @Brenda5
- I had taken to ringing centerlink fortnightly to see how my pension application was going. Eventually I got a lady who was most helpful who said she couldn't see why my application was taking so long to process as it looked like they had all the information they needed.
On my behalf she lodged a complaint on how long the application is taking. She also told me to go online to centerlink in mygov and apply for Newstart which will provide some income while I wait on the pension. She said they would just transfer all the medical stuff into Newstart so I would have an immediate exemption on having to have a Job provider.
To someone with chemo brain this was pretty daunting and I had to tick a declaration that everything put in there was true and correct. Not sure how legally binding that would be with my brain issues but I had a bash at it and completed it all. A few days later a lovely centerlink lady who actually listened to some of my health issues and told me how to take screen shots of my bank account and where to upload that info into the Newstart application. It worked I think and didn't seem quite as difficult as I thought. Sometimes you do catch a break. :) - @Brenda5 the real estate course in QLD is pretty full on, and not cheap either. It requires memory for certain things as well.
It is a cut throat market for sales and property management pays a pittance for a whole lot of work. property management is stressful & a lot is expected of you for very little pay & even less thanks. That's one reason i got out of it.
i'll go back to admin when i'm finished my treatment & am able to look for work again. - I had my overies out but still had to take hormone blockers
- Yep...well if you had a break and found you radically improved. ..whipping your ovaries out might be a better option with a AI. Something to discuss perhaps.
- @Brenda5 this year at my Oncologist suggestion I came off Arimidex for 6 weeks and was told to keep a diary, it was mainly to see if pain decreased, it took a few weeks to notice anything, however there was a definite decrease in joint pain. So he switched me to Aromasin which is very similar but somehow i manage it ok.
They can do it, with no harm to you at all for 6 weeks, at least it would eliminate it. I was on Tamoxifen for 4yrs after 1st diagnosis and didnt notice any probs, though I didn't have chemo at that point. For me I noticed Chemo has caused the biggest fuzz brain and the other thing was I was pre menopausal also before 2nd diagnosis, so chemo threw me into menopause and I know for me it's the combination of those 2 things that have impacted my brain function. Having said that, its actually improving, but on days of fatigue or stress it's no good.
Just a thought, it might be good to talk to your Oncologist about it, try off it and just see. Hugs M x - Since I wasn't even started menopause when I got the breast cancer, my doctor said I would have to take the Tamoxifen for a few years at least.
I am frightened to do anything normal really. A few weeks ago I thought I would clean around my desk. Bumped my coffee ( a full one) into the laptop key board. Spent the rest of the day blow drying my laptop. The other day I tried again to tidy up this desk. Somehow with a hoard of papers and rubbish I was putting in the counter bin in the kitchen I turned to put away the hard drive and oops, it slipped and went in a sink of soapy water. Fortunately the hard drive was in a soft case so only a little water got in. Henceforth I am NOT tidying my table up by myself again. Its just not worth the trouble. :persevere: - What a good suggestion from @primek I wouldn't have thought the medicos want to leave you in a fuzzy brain mode if there is a better choice!
I, like most, don't qualify for any other payment apart from my own savings, which are dwindling!
Take care and I hope you get a resolution soon!
