I’ve been MIA for almost 2 months. Not one person who is supposed to be my friend has checked in, called, or text. Or even asked my family when they’ve seen them. Except for my BFF who lives half a world away. No one has noticed. And that’s the loneliest feeling in the world. 4/4

But that text means the world, because it means they’re not forgotten. It means someone noticed they were missing and cared enough to check in. It’s so easy for us to be out of sight, out of mind. We see your posts and we know you’re having fun without us. But it’s nice to know we were missed. 3/4

It doesn’t have to be really eloquent or detailed. Just, “Hey, missed you at whatever, just wanted to see how you were.” Don’t worry about getting a detailed list of everything going wrong at the moment, they’re probably too tired to go into detail. 2/4

I’ve been in a fatigue crash for the better part of a month. I can get up and do my job. That uses up all my physical and mental energy for the day. I try to do complete rest at the weekends. Don’t expect me to take part in a deep clean. It just makes the crash worse.

No, fatigue is NOT the same as you occasionally not sleeping well.

Stay up three days straight, run a marathon without doing any training and then sit an exam you haven’t studied for and you have a fraction of an idea of what fatigue is like.

But most of all I love that I’m not just “the wee lassie in the wheelchair”. I’m the department excel guru. I’m the bookworm. I’m the geek with the TARDIS mousemat. I’m the quick learner. I’m a dog lover. I’m the smiley one who only loses her cool dealing with medical bureaucracy. I can be me.

I love my office was accessible without me asking for anything. I love that the people in the cafe know my morning coffee order (regular latte in a large cup so it doesn’t spill in my chair’s cup holder) (3/)

I love my boss, who is supportive of making me job work for my health, not against it, and who went to war for security to be allowed to police the misuse of disabled bays so I never had to stress about getting into work. I love the 2 layers of management above her who are just as supportive (2/)

Sleeping with a pillow under my arm last night was amazing relief. Unfortunately I can’t take it to work. So Vaseline here I come…

The only exception is raising it above my head, but with the extensive internal scarring from regular flares there over the last decade, it ranged from uncomfortable to painful to do that anyway before the past 2+ years of hell I’ve endured. But I’ll be whizzing around in my chair again next week.

Instead they booked a room, threw me a surprise lunch, & showered me with gifts. By boss made sandwiches. My desk mate brought a gorgeous homemade cheesecake. The presents were all just my style.

I’ve not even been there a year and they went all out for me. I’m so lucky in my colleagues.

They didn’t SAY it but l they implied it should have been passed to them a year ago. I certainly shouldn’t have been left in this state for almost 28 months.

But it’s done now. I get the stitches out in time for my birthday. And I can look for a sleeveless dress for my sister’s wedding this summer

It shouldn’t take the threat of a complaint to get the treatment I deserve. I would have happily gone on a waiting list (I’m on other waiting lists) and waited my turn if he would have had that discussion.

Appropriate treatment is everyone’s right. Not just for people willing to make a fuss.

He made a mistake, he’s human, we all do.

But failing to note a whole treatment plan is a huge mistake. As was dismissing the knock-on impact this was having on the rest of my life, physical health, and mental health. Leaving his nurses and secretaries to deal with my distress wasn’t helpful.

I know the NHS is stretched. They’re understaffed and overworked all over.

But even a phone call from the consultant anytime over the last three days apologising and taking accountability would have helped. I want to know this won’t happen again to me or any other patient of his.

Finally, at the urging of a colleague who knew what was happening, I used the magic words: “What is your complaints procedure?”

10 mins later I get a call asking if I could manage in for day surgery next week. I’ll be in and out in under 2 hrs.

It shouldn’t have been that hard.