Phone assessment

Hi All,
Wanted to update you regarding my application for PIP.
I had my phone assessment today, scheduled for 13.10 and had a phone call to say the assessor was running late and would it be ok to take place at 14.00, obviously I didn’t have a choice but I was grateful to be informed and the lady who made the call was very pleasant. In a previous post I explained how anxious I was for the call and I had been unable to sleep because of the anxiety, I think because I was so worked up it contributed to my fatigue and as a result I was completely wiped out today and was bedridden due to exhaustion.
When the call came the lady introduced herself as a registered nurse, she had a young voice and was professional and very pleasant throughout the call. I know this will not have any bearing on the outcome but it makes the process easier when the person you are telling your vulnerabilities and daily struggles to treats you with respect and professionalism.
I had been advised by the forum to have bullet points which I wanted to cover and I did do this but I struggled as I wasn’t sure what would be covered in the assessment and what wouldn’t be covered so I ended up with a essays worth of bullet points so I didn’t miss anything out! This obviously wasn’t the best thing to do but it did give me a sense of security knowing that I had planned for the call as best as I could given the circumstances and how stressful the process is,
As I mentioned the lady was very pleasant and spoke with compassion but due to the horror stories that some people have experienced it was always in the back of my mind that she was being tricky and trying to catch me out, poor bugger was up against it from the start wasn’t she . She started to ask about my daily activities, what hobbies kept me busy, I explained what my previous hobbies were and how often I used to do them (I was an avid walker) but due to ill health and mobility issues I was no longer able to do this, she asked if I read books or do crafting and I said my fingers don’t allow me to craft anymore and my poor concentration makes reading books difficult and it’s no longer enjoyable so I don’t do that, she asked what I did do to pass the time and I was honest and replied that I sleep the majority of the day because I get so fatigued due to health conditions so hobbies or daily tasks are no longer something I am able to do, it will be interesting to see what she writes on the report about that. She moved on to what the set up of my home was, who I lived with and where the bathroom was. The majority of my time is spent in bed and in my bedroom as I have an ileostomy with a high output and need to be close to the toilet at all times so I stay upstairs. She asked about how I get dressed, how I shower and if I cook. It came across like she hadn’t read my paperwork at all so I had to explain it fully which made it easier for me to do a shower I felt like the emotion comes across far better. I struggle greatly with conversations and forget words or what I was supposed to say or what the point I was trying to make so there was a lot of umming and arring on my point which she allowed me to get on with. There was a point where I got very upset and cried and she allowed me time to compose myself, this was a prolonged period of silence and I actually thought she had dropped off at one point as it was so silent but I don’t get uncomfortable with silence so didn’t feel the need to fill I in the gap and looking back on it I feel like this was a tactical thing on her part to see what I would do (sceptical?, me?!......no!!) she then touched upon my medication and reeled off a load of medication and asked if this was right to which I replied yes. I was so exhausted before and during the call and yawned throughout which I apologised for but it obviously meant that I wasn’t fully cognitive about the meds and I just thought that she was reading off my prescription list so went with it and then it dawned on me that she had missed a few out and because I had my paperwork to hand I was able to add them in, I feel like she purposely missed these out to test me as they were clearly written on my prescription list. She asked if I held a driving license which I do and asked if I drive, I haven’t been able to drive since I had my last operation in August for a hernia due to ongoing pain and I find it difficult as it’s a manual car and I felt like it would be easier if it was an automatic but that isn’t an option for me. I explained that because I haven’t driven for so long the battery has actually gone dead so my car is out of commission anyway. She asked how often I went out and when was I last out, which was yesterday to the drs and prior to that was 10 days or so to the drs again. She then asked how often I used to go out pre covid and I said not much due to anxiety but when I did it would be in the car as it was my sanctuary and security as I get daily leaks with my stoma bag which then causes extra anxiety, I explained that prior to covid life was easier overall as I had the support of my partner but at the start of the year my marriage ended and I obviously no longer had the emotional and physical support to go out which I rely upon.
Overall I feel like I explained things as honestly and explicitly as I could do to the assessor, I did record the phone call for my reference should I need it. I currently feel ambiguous about the outcome and I am doing all that I can to put it out of my mind until I receive the decision. She said that she would finalise the report today and send it to the dwp and I should receive a response in 6 weeks time. Once I receive th text from the dwp to say the report is in I will ring to ask for a copy of it, is it true that there is dots on the side of each descriptor to indicate what the assessor suggests you should be awarded in points?

It has taken a little over 12 weeks for me to get to this point from when my paperwork was received and I live in the north east of England, just to give you an indication of time frames.

Now I shall wait to see what comes of it, I’m pleased the assessment is over with and can only hope the outcome is favourable.

Hope you’re all keeping safe and well,

Michelle xx