Part Two - The key challenges people face when living with multiple health conditions
The impact of a diagnosis of a chronic health condition can be devastating. The need to change your lifestyle, and learn new and often difficult words and meanings. The challenge of explaining to others, finding out what you need to know. Taking regular medication and finding new ways to enjoy life as you did before.
The pandemic has made some of these challenges even greater. There's more pressure to manage our conditions ourselves with longer waiting times and difficulties having checkups and GP appointments when needed. The stresses of medications not always being available and alternatives being sought.
The top problems faced include:
Understanding — or lack of it — this can be from family, friends or even medical professionals.
Doctor letters not appearing on your file — with many secretaries still working remotely there are often delays. GPs are often unaware of appointments patients have had and the outcome of these. The delays can have a knock-on effect for new medications to be introduced or referrals to be made.
Mental health notes can be ‘hidden’ from your consultant(s). Often run by separate departments and not based in actual hospitals mental health services do not always communicate with other medical professionals involved in our care meaning they are unaware of the difficulties we face unless we inform them.
Organisation — the time needed to plan, stay organised and on top of our own appointments and treatments is demanding and in itself can cause fatigue, and frustration and take up considerable amounts of time.
Multiple health locations — hospitals we attend may be in different areas — different ways of working and more difficult for medical professionals to work together.
No linking between all departments/specialities concerned with the treatment. Some Doctors and hospitals see and implement measures for good communication between each other. In some cases for example a designated professional such as a pain management consultant will co-ordinate between everyone involved but not everyone is lucky enough to have this opportunity.
Awaiting surgery and its impact on other conditions is something that has come to prominence since the COVID pandemic and the continuing strikes that are taking place. The NHS is under constant pressure. Delays in treatment for one condition can exaggerate another. This can lead to additional problems. That could be increased pain or a deterioration in mental health.
Amount of appointments — with multiple health conditions the amount of appointments needed will be increased and the energy used and time taken up by these is always going to have an impact. Not only on basic health but also our ability to be able to complete other daily chores and often the need to cancel more enjoyable activities to accommodate appointments. If these are useful then the benefits are great. If they don’t support us or help us improve they can leave us feeling low and resentful.
The need to be an expert on all conditions managed — Understanding one condition can be tough, especially after diagnosis. There is often a lot to take in and to manage. New medications — new diets — lifestyle changes and the psychological impacts. Add in multiple conditions and how one affects the other and there are additional pitfalls. The need to research and find our own treatments can also be a factor. Knowing where to start is often difficult.
As you can see managing multiple health conditions is a complex and demanding situation to find yourself in. Recognising this is a good, positive and helpful step to take. A reminder that you are doing well. That you are enough. That there are brighter days to come. Understanding there will be good days and there will be hard days. Staying motivated is a challenge.
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