PLEASE HELP ME////I need urgent advice

I think we've all encountered enough people with the wrong kind of attitude, and it tends to make us all a little suspicious.  I've met people who were living in emergency housing here and yet, had the latest cellphone/blackberry/ expensive clothes.  It puts us all off.

I stay at home with two children.  Which would be a job for someone if I put the two children in daycare, right?  So, why do people ask me when I will go back to work and "contribute" to the system?

Congratulations on graduating top of your class, a real achievement, and I am glad you've got some friends nearby who can help you.  Best of luck with your decisions and I'm sorry you've had a few really rough weeks.

I've heard some horror stories about people from countries claiming asylum and not having to do anything and getting money from the British government... I don't remember the details but a Sudanese friend of mine was telling me about it. Really bad stuff.

People claiming asylum are not permitted to work, even though most of them want too.

Don't buy into this 'scrounging asylum seeker' crap, please.

Vicky

burgy76, i would go where you feel you are going to be best taken care of. i personally would want my family in the US to take care of me if possible, and would go that route especially since your treatment doesn't seem to involve surgery. also, there are plenty of us who have paid big £££ into the NHS system and don't feel comfortable using it, due to poor service and disgusting hospitals in our part of town, and are HAPPY that someone is getting the service they are eligible for.....

I'm sorry to hear your problems. Back problems are no fun, I know.

Another consideration - can you even travel in this condition? I can't imagine a trans-atlantic flight would be good for a spinal problem. Heck, its no good for my back and I don't have a current problem. I know medical conditions that prevent you from traveling are considered valid reasons to extend a visa. I don't know the process, but Victoria probably does.

You should try to find out the waiting time for treatment where you will be staying. Sometimes they can be quite a while, and you might not want to wait that long, even if you could extend your visa and support yourself long enough to get treatment.

And call the company where you had the job prospect. Don't assume your problem is a "kiss of death". If they like you they might be flexible about your start date so you can get treatment then start work in good condition. I've been in a hiring role before and we did things like that. Or they might not want to wait. You can't tell unless you talk to them and explain the situation.

Good luck,
David

People claiming asylum are not permitted to work, even though most of them want too.

Don't buy into this 'scrounging asylum seeker' crap, please.

Vicky

I'm sorry -- maybe it wasn't an asylum situation, like I said I don't recall all of what he said.

David,

You've proven to be right. I contacted the company that has been interested in me (and I in them of course)  and they didn't seem to make much of an issue of my situation at all. They really felt that I was a very talented graduate with a very successful year, and right now am just down on my luck. They emphasized that they are REALLY keen on my work. Basically they were looking to recruit some graduates for the time being but weren't in a terribly big hurry. I told them that I would be staying in touch with them and looking to be getting healthy as soon as possible and that I was eager to get back to work. For now I am going to be working on a little flash greeting card with an "on the mend but still eager to work" kind of theme. It's not very strenuous to work on my laptop from my bed sitting up in a safe/comfortable position. They've been very impressed with the promotional work i've been sending them so far, so come hell or high water I am determined to land this job and become a bitchy working resident U.K. taxpayer, too.

I am feeling gradually better each day (which isn't hard, last Wednesday was without a doubt one of the worst days of my life.) But am able to putter around a little more and more and do things on my own every day. I think what caused my spasm was that i was doing one of the rehab exercises wrong.

In most cases, prolapsed discs don't require surgery and they get better within a few weeks so I will choose to see the glass as half full. I am feeling much more positive today -- I have a tendency to catastrophize things and I have to stop doing that. The doctor (again, who I've been seeing 100% legally) told me to think positive, that this is very important when it comes to recovery and dealing with pain.

Thanks!

I don't have any real advice for you, but I just wanted to send my best wishes for a speedy recovery! 

My parents have both suffered from back problems since I was a child (and in the case of my dad, before I was born) - my mother broke her back whilst on roller skates (!) at my seventh birthday party and my father just had emergency surgery to reposition a vertebra that had slipped out of place and was pressing against his spinal cord.  If the pain you're in is anything like theirs (and it sounds like it is, if not worse!) then I'd think you're much better off staying here and getting the medical help that you need, rather than trying to survive a move (and a flight!) back to the US.  You'll likely get priority treatment, due to the severity of your case (and I don't care where you're from or why you're here, I firmly believe that the sick and injured should receive treatment, regardless of whether they've "contributed" - it's one of the major problems I have with the US, but that's another rant!), and hopefully you'll have time to recover and secure a job before November, so that your visa worries will be for naught.   *crosses fingers*

i was incorrect -- if I stayed on in the U.K. after my student visa expired in November, I would be here on a visitor's visa only, and at that point would no longer be under NHS and would arrange for my own private medical coverage during my stay anyway.

I don't have any real advice for you, but I just wanted to send my best wishes for a speedy recovery! 

My parents have both suffered from back problems since I was a child (and in the case of my dad, before I was born) - my mother broke her back whilst on roller skates (!) at my seventh birthday party and my father just had emergency surgery to reposition a vertebra that had slipped out of place and was pressing against his spinal cord.  If the pain you're in is anything like theirs (and it sounds like it is, if not worse!) then I'd think you're much better off staying here and getting the medical help that you need, rather than trying to survive a move (and a flight!) back to the US.  You'll likely get priority treatment, due to the severity of your case

Heh, they might also give me speedy treatment so they will be able to kick my butt out of the U.K. in time for my visa's expiration. "You're well, now GET OUT!" 

(and I don't care where you're from or why you're here, I firmly believe that the sick and injured should receive treatment, regardless of whether they've "contributed" - it's one of the major problems I have with the US, but that's another rant!), and hopefully you'll have time to recover and secure a job before November, so that your visa worries will be for naught.   *crosses fingers*

Well, as an international student, I paid about three times as much in tuition to study here as EU and UK nationals/residents... so I'm guessing that's where my "contribution" came from. I appreciate your well wishes! 

I'm adding my well wishes to the pile, burgy- hope things get better for you really soon!

And

Well, as an international student, I paid about three times as much in tuition to study here as EU and UK nationals/residents... so I'm guessing that's where my "contribution" came from. I appreciate your well wishes!

This is so true- I'm gladly paying the extra £££ in order to get the opportunity to study in the UK, but international students do make a valuable contribution to the UK economy because they pay so much in tuition fees.  I wish you a speedy recovery, and if you do have to get medical care back in the States that it's not anything too major (and too expensive!)

David,
You've proven to be right. I contacted the company that has been interested in me (and I in them of course)  and they didn't seem to make much of an issue of my situation at all. They really felt that I was a very talented graduate with a very successful year, and right now am just down on my luck. They emphasized that they are REALLY keen on my work. Basically they were looking to recruit some graduates for the time being but weren't in a terribly big hurry. I told them that I would be staying in touch with them and looking to be getting healthy as soon as possible and that I was eager to get back to work. For now I am going to be working on a little flash greeting card with an "on the mend but still eager to work" kind of theme. It's not very strenuous to work on my laptop from my bed sitting up in a safe/comfortable position. They've been very impressed with the promotional work i've been sending them so far, so come hell or high water I am determined to land this job and become a bitchy working resident U.K. taxpayer, too.

I'm glad to hear that. 

This is so true- I'm gladly paying the extra £££ in order to get the opportunity to study in the UK, but international students do make a valuable contribution to the UK economy because they pay so much in tuition fees.

Yeah, at my university they encourage international students because the extra tuition is how they balance the books.