This topic is about someone who had an emergency ileostomy in October 2010 and has been dealing with the challenges of managing their health and financial support in the UK. They have ulcerative colitis and are waiting for two more surgeries: one to remove the colon and another for a J-pouch reversal. Their medication was stopped to prepare for surgery, which worsened their symptoms and delayed recovery. Since October, they have relied on Employment & Support Allowance (ESA), but after a medical assessment, they were deemed "fit for work," leading to the cessation of ESA and a recommendation to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA). Their surgery has been canceled three times, causing stress and uncertainty about their work availability and prompting them to prepare for a tribunal appeal against the ESA decision. They are seeking advice from others who might have faced similar situations.

Here are some helpful insights and advice:

1. Ask your doctor or consultant to formally recognize your condition as a disability and provide detailed medical evidence. A specific disability certificate can be crucial, as seen in similar situations in the USA, and might be helpful in the UK.

2. Obtain continuous doctor’s certificates (sick notes) that state you are unfit for work and detail your upcoming operations. These certificates can legally cover periods up to three months ahead and should support your ESA appeal.

3. Lodge an appeal against the ESA decision. Some people have found that once their case reaches an appeals handler and they explain the situation by phone, ESA can be reinstated, and back-payments issued.

4. Keep records of all canceled surgery dates and press the hospital for an earlier date. NHS guidelines typically do not allow three cancellations without "exceptional circumstances," so insist on escalation if necessary.

5. When communicating with the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) or tribunal staff, emphasize both your current incapacity and the certainty of upcoming major surgeries.