Hello.
My name is Angela, and I am writing to ask for help as I find myself struggling with a long-term illness and am unable to work at the moment. I am not sure when I will be able to return to employment.
I suffer from chronic pain, and I had an operation this year on my lower back due to a calcified herniated disc. This issue led to me being let go from a new job I had started, which I tried so desperately hard to avoid by going to work, even though I was in pain, and I had even paid almost £1000 for two private consultations and an MRI so I could find out quickly what was going on and get fixed. Unfortunately, as I was still in my probationary period, the company decided to terminate my employment.
I had to cancel my trip to Florida, which I had saved for 2 years for, as my operation was in August. It is taking me a long time to recover, as I have two herniated discs in my cervical spine and a tumour in my spinal cord, which a neurosurgeon will remove at some point next year. I paid some of my loan off with the money I got back, but I am still in debt for £17,000, and I have had to go to Step Change charity in order to work out small payments I can just about afford to make to my creditors out of the benefits I am getting, which isn’t an awful lot as I am single and have no dependents.
I have worked my whole life. I have never taken any long-term illness from a job and now I find myself in a position that is damaging my mental health due to the worry and stress of not knowing when I will be fit enough to return to work.
Any help would be appreciated, and I thank you for your time.
Angela Young
paypal.me/therealajyoung