A complex patient and a physiotherapist

My inspiration for a career in healthcare was my father, a radiographer, who would sit with me with anatomy textbooks while I was waiting for fracture clinic appointments when I was a child. 

As a physiotherapy student, I have always felt a calling to give back. My interest is in pain education, as I think it is the biggest barrier to improving a patient’s health. Learning to live with my pain and not fight it has been the biggest turning point. 

I was diagnosed with a form of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome at the age of nine. Throughout my life I have experienced ableism, medical gaslighting and societal alienation from my peers for being ‘different’.

For over 25 years, I’ve spent my life in and out of hospitals, and this has led me to gain a great insight into what attributes I feel a physiotherapist needs. 

Listening and believing in your patient’s problems is one of the biggest but underrated attributes. 

And, when I was at my worst, a physiotherapist said the three most validating words I needed to hear, ‘I believe you’. 

I am also a firm believer in holistic care; we are not limbs but people. From my experience, a ‘complex patient’ often knows more about their condition and medication, than the professional dealing with us. Hence, we are known as ‘expert patients’.

I’ve gained resilience throughout a life of many surgeries, rehab and challenges. I know what it is like to be on both sides of the fence, and it is all about perspective. 

As vice chair of the CSP DisAbility network, I hope to connect with disabled peers who can recognise my experience and who want to be better physiotherapists because of it.