Raging Against The Machine

Just be warned I am about to have a rant, but first lets cover some of the nicer things in life.

Reviewed the photos I took yesterday and I must say they came out better than I hoped. You can see these pictures at  http://www.flickr.com/photos/gwynhafyr

Then it was off to the garden center to buy the herbs I wanted after my old herb garden was destroyed by building work. I bought a variety of plants including Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Mint, Oregano, Dill, Bergamont and Marjoram. My long suffering husband then prepared the bed and tomorrow I will be pointing out where I want them to go and he will plant them.

OK Hazel, deep breath.

Bloody DWP! What landed on my doormat this morning? Only my renewal pack for my DLA (Disablility Living Allowance). For those of you who don't know what it is, this is a benefit which allows you to pay for all the extra things people like me need in order to have as near as normal a life as possible. I use mine to hire motorised scooters when out shopping, to keep my car in good repair (I would be housebound without it) and for petrol, food and sometimes bed and breakfast when I have to attend the Royal Brompton or Harefield to visit clinics and have the endless tests you need for transplant.
Anyway 2 years ago I filled one of these forms in and was promptly disallowed because I "only have high blood pressure." This was because the form was assessed by some university reject with 3 GCSE's in media studies and art, an IQ no higher than their shoe size and an inability to use the Internet or a dictionary. This resulted in an appeal which was also rejected and then a tribunal where my DLA was hurriedly reinstated following a letter from my specialist. In case the same brain dead retard is still employed I am really going to town with it in the hope they realise that this is something more than 'high blood pressure' the first time around.
All this stress and aggravation could be avoided if the DWP (Department of Work and Pensions) looked up the word 'terminal' in the dictionary and understood what it meant. People with terminal illnesses, such as PAH, are not going to get better, the only way I will get better is to have a transplant, sadly most of us will die before that happens. Why can't the DWP grant permanent DLA to seriously ill patients instead of putting them through stressful, and often humiliating, applications, medicals and groveling. Do they not realise that all the worry can make things worse. You can apply under 'special rules' where you get DLA immediately, no questions asked and for life but that life has to be guaranteed to last no longer than six months. And while I don't begrudge anyone that ill the help they need what can't it apply to to all patients classed as seriously, terminally ill? Maybe it is time the DWP stopped giving DLA to those who are too drunk, drugged or obese to work. They chose their illnesses, I did nothing to deserve this, nor did the thousands like me. Rant over.