It is out there. It exists. There really are medical
establishments that care; that appreciates your needs; that are willing to take
hold of the reins and piece back together the fragmented remains of an incredibly
disjointed transition process. I literally could not be happier about writing
this incredibly positive post following my visit to the Student Health Centre
at Sheffield Hallam today. For the first time, since departing from my previous
GP surgery, I felt listened to, understood and supported in achieving my goals
for recovery and maintenance of health.
The positivity of this story actually begins a week or so
ago, when I had an appointment to speak to a new GP at the Student Health
Centre. Having explained my situation to the medical professional- because
there was no clear communication of my medical history- the understanding of my
situation was immediately appreciated. I was weighed, height measured, with blood
pressure and pulse rate recorded and booked in for blood tests to be performed
the following day. This routine procedure is something that I have become
accustomed to, but not having it performed for a long while, during my
transition to university, made my parents and I feel uneasy. Not only that, but
the feeling of being forgotten and dropped enhanced the welcoming of the
proactive systems displayed by the GP. It was also made certain that I would
have my blood test results reviewed with one of the eating disorder specialist
nurses that are present in the clinic. It goes without saying that this
provided an overwhelming sense of relief for my family and I- an indication
that I was still going to be monitored.
So today was my blood test review appointment and
unsurprisingly, I anticipated that it would last no more than 30 seconds.
Wrong. Having read through the letter that my previous GP had provided me with-
which I did hand in on the first day of university and it did not get looked
at- the nurse made me feel at ease by congratulating me on my achievements
throughout my recovery so far. Raising concerns about the need for me to still
be routinely monitored without me even having to ask, I felt safe and cared
for. We discussed my physical and emotional state, my eating habits, any
difficulties I was experiencing, where to find support, her willingness to see
me at any time- it goes without saying that the sense of relief I felt was
enormous. I know I have to work on my recovery with a certain degree of
independence, but for anybody that has been through what I have, I think you
will agree that the knowledge of having somebody there makes the process a
little bit easier. Thirty minutes passed and another appointment was booked for
4 weeks time- as happy as I was, this is not to be mistaken for a countdown.
As I have mentioned, it is encouraging to have a medical
professional supporting you, but there is still that niggling thought that
every time you meet them you are going to have to go through the same process-
being weighed. Not just that, but the thought of physical assessments is
daunting. Memories of the ones I was having 18 months ago and being told I was
days away from a heart attack, or that I was going to be wheelchair bound for
the foreseeable future; they ricochet worryingly in my mind. But that is in the
past. I no longer use the notion of satisfying a medical professional with an
adequate set of results as motivation anymore. I have my own set of goals- achievements
for health and a fulfilling life that I want to accomplish for me.
Having being left out of the loop and with a sense of being
dropped off the radar, I cannot tell you how reinforcing today was for me in
restoring my faith in the healthcare system. As grateful as I am to be
receiving this level of support, and hearing about the fantastic establishments
there are now available to me in Sheffield, it saddens me that not everybody
can have access to these types of organisations. I suppose it only fuels my
ambitions to succeed and hopefully contribute to more positive developments in
the future.
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