Need advice. Insurance company taking away my income. **Read MOD note Post 35**

Cathal Niamh find out what fibromyalgia support group is operating in the Cork area and get recommendations from them. I now attend the Pain Consultant in St. Vincents Private Hospital in Dublin. I have all those procedures you mention and then some. None helped the Fibromyalgia but a neuro stimulator implant has helped the daily migraine that accompanies my fibromyalgia. However you really want to be suffering severely with headaches to go down that route. It has been grueling but ultimately worth it for me.

With regard to the firbro pain after trying everything under the sun I found that simple daily walking, pacing activity, stress reduction, and a combo of tramadol and solapdeine keeps my pain at a bearable level for having some quality of life. But I have had to accept that I can't work and do all the activities I would wish to do if normal and this had been one of the most difficult aspects to come to terms with. I recommend finding a good cognitive therapist to help with the latter.

I would respectfully suggest you don't waste your time, money and hope on so called 'alternative therapy'. I used to. Probably spent thousands on them in the nineties especially. But with the advent of the internet and access to peer reviewed studies I came to realise that they were all little more than scam artists trading of an ability to charm their clients into thinking they were sincere. Not one of them has something worth offering and most of them will charge you more than a qualified doctor for the privilege of their con artistry.

I'm not sure about your specific insurance plan. I had permanent health salary protection insurance through my place of work and I claim on that. It is not much as I had already gone part time to try to cope with my illness so just get two thirds of a half time salary but it is better than nothing. If you do qualify on your insurance for ongoing salary the insurance company will torment you with reassessments sending you to a different person every year or so until they find someone who will dismiss your condition. This is when you will need a good strong minded professional consultant in your corner willing to send them a strongly worded letter supporting your inability to work. Generally they back off as long as you fight your corner. I did get my income stopped once but was reinstated after about three months probably thanks to my consultants strongly worded letter and my determination to fight. I'm told that after ten years they are obliged to stop this harassment but I haven't been able to confirm that fact. An acquaintance did have recourse to this ten year rule but she had the powerful teachers union fighting her corner so I'm not sure it applies to everyone. You may need the help of a good consultant for social welfare assessments as well although I have found the medical social welfare assessor for my area to be very ethical and understanding. Best of luck with managing this life changing circumstance. It won't be easy and I hope you have some family to support you.