I wasn’t sure how to title this post. The “medically complex patient” part was easy. When you have a chronic illness that affects multiple systems, you’re naturally complex in a medical system that likes to compartmentalise the body’s functions. Who oversees your care when you need to see multiple specialists? And chronic illnesses often do not exist in isolation – they like to group together. So “medically complex” fits the bill. But what word best describes the grief, pain, trauma, and frustration that comes from trying to navigate these systems and access care, whilst regularly being let down? I went with “challenge” in the end, because it is what it is, essentially. And yet it doesn’t feel strong enough somehow. To me it feels too sterile a word for all the emotions roiling around inside me right now, which prompted this post in the first place. But, language is limited. As much as I love it as a linguist and writer, I also recognise how impossible it can be to sum up the reality of life in just a few short words. So, I hope you will indulge me as I try to expand upon this idea of a “challenge” […] The post The Challenge of being a Medically Complex Patient appeared first on A Spiral Dance.

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