Thread by @Tamacoleo

Decided to write up all the diagnoses I’ve received since 2004. Majority of these came about from differential diagnoses of a few key issues. And it’s even harder when places like @Centrelink say “you can study science, you can work.” #DisabilityRights #exsistenceiseffort

Literally gave Centrelink all my medical files for a decade. I was told I was 2 points from the correct criteria & removed from DSP. It’s been an exhausting battle ever since just to survive day to day. Half of these issues were diagnoses before I went on it in 2009.

The other half were diagnosed after Centrelink wanted more information. Now when I speak to someone about Newstart & they ask about my health I tell them & their reaction is “you should reapply for the DSP”.

I asked the woman what that entailed now. Apparently I need to have ALL of my diagnoses, REDIAGNOSED. I’m not sure the people at Centrelink have had to deal with specialists via Medicare before. It took me 5 years just to get a differential diagnosis of Ménière’s disease…

And even that wasn’t a conclusive diagnosis.

Apparently the way to make sure someone really is worth the govt money is to make them go through the exhausting effort of rediagnosis. What a waste of health professionals limited time.

And these are just the diagnoses I can remember from the top of my head. I know there are others I’m forgetting I just can’t think of them. It’s been so long since many of these were diagnoses I’ve just become used to exisiting.

I literally feel like a Mr Meeseeks from @RickandMorty that was given an impossible task 14 years ago. That’s probably the best way to describe having to rely on a broken system like @Centrelink

Many of these issues are benign in and of themselves. However many of them feed into each other. Psoriasis is fine right? Sure, but it feeds into depression/anxiety which feed into DSPD/vertigo/menieres. Which feeds back into depression/anxiety et al.

When a health care professional asks me the seemingly innocent question of “any other health issues?” I literally have a panic attack at the thought of trying to explain all of this to them in the space of a 15-60min appointment.

And so I inevitably tell them about the major ones. Even though so many of them are a weekly if not daily issue. (Migraines always seems more important than IBS or psoriasis).

And then there’s the fact that Centrelink ask you for the three issues that cause the most “significant” impact. They’ll tell you “just tell your GP to add an extra page”. My GP doesn’t have time for that… and the one time he did go to that effort @Centrelink ignored the pages.

I look like a goddamn hypochondriac with all these diagnoses. In 2004 my biggest issue was stress of yr 12 & figure skating & constant migraines. In 2005 a work injury, 2006 a knee injury, 2007 vertigo (migraines & back pain have been a constant issue since ~1998)

I’m sure come Monday or Tuesday I’ll get some stock standard reply from Centrelink about how I can “xyz” via <insert link to webpage with no valuable help on it>. That wasn’t the point of this thread. I gave up on @Centrelink 3 years ago. I firmly believe they don’t give a shit.

This literally came about from laying in bed awake (Delayed sleep phase disorder) feeling shit (vertigo/menieres/gastro) & overthinking (Anxiety). I’ve long since given up hope of any sustainable understanding or help from Centrelink.

I feel like I should’ve tagged a journo like @JeremyPoxon in this shitshow of a thread 😂

Some of my favourite Centrelink endorsed responses during my initial appeal process are: “you’re studying science, obviously you’re not impaired enough to not be able to work” “we’ve been talking for 20mins and you seem fine to me (not a medical professional)”

From a medical professional (a gynaecologist from NSW interviewing me via phone after skimming my medical files) “some of these aren’t that bad, you can study, you should try and find a job in a lab” (hint - THERE ARE NONE!)

But my ALL TIME favourite was this exchange…
Me: “what about people with cancer, with weeks to live?”
Centrelink employee: *absolutely deadpan & uncaring as possible* “people with cancer can still work”

PEOPLE WITH CANCER CAN STILL WORK

PEOPLE
WITH
CANCER
CAN
STILL
WORK

One of the biggest issues I’ve noticed with Centrelink is the complete disconnect they have with doctors not being able to give absolute diagnoses. In their mind, if it’s a maybe it’s nothing & you should just go get a job

Example: in 2007 I started experiencing severe vertigo. I was 20. After 5 years of seeing neurologists & ENTs I got a “maybe” diagnosis of Ménière’s disease. They had exhausted every test & every alternative disorder

including one that would’ve meant brain surgery (I actually prayed for this - 1) I’m not religious 2) it was a disorder that was FIXED by surgery, I was so over it I was ready to have them cut my brain open & just FIX me).

Ménière’s is usually in men over 40. I was a woman in her 20s so they had trouble saying I *definitely* had it. They ultimately decided, it might not be it, but try the meds & diet for it & if it helps it helps.

It helped. Big time. Which according to my GP was a good indicator that I probably had the disorder. But Centrelink operates under absolutes. I wasn’t fully diagnoses, treated OR stabilised. So they refused to consider this for the DSP.

To put this into perspective, this is a disorder so debilitating that I WELCOMED the idea of invasive brain surgery. Centrelink have never recognised it as one of my “significant impacting disabilities”. I’d still go for brain surgery if it would fix the problem.

During those 5 years I went to such dark places that at times I hoped something would show up on one of the MANY MRI/CT/X-ray scans I had. Just because it meant a definitive answer. A tumour? Sure it’s scary as hell but it’s visible. It’s absolute. Vertigo isn’t.