Santa’s been! by Lisa Dabson

Photograph

Artist statement: My name is Lisa Dabson and I have several long term health conditions recognised as “Invisible”. The irony is not lost on me.

I am not an artist but I started to write a poem about the language I’d learned over the last 26 years of suffering, the categories I’d been placed in, the stages I fit into. It all got rather complicated!

Then it struck me. Pain is a universal language and everyone has heard of Morphine. No one pictures, aged 26, that this will be a regular part of their lives or something they’ll be hoping to receive for Christmas. No one pictures a scenario whereby Morphine would be their drug.

So, I have become one of those people who lie in bed, take Morphine, and await the next harrowing diagnosis.

You have to be brave having an illness.

It almost doesn’t matter the name or stage, the reality of your day-to-day life is altered. Sometimes being brave is accepting you need pain relief at 1am in a Wednesday and the name of the drug doesn’t come into it.

Illness teaches you to take the drugs. Pride shouldn’t come into it.

Santa’s been! by Lisa Dabson

Photograph

Artist statement: My name is Lisa Dabson and I have several long term health conditions recognised as “Invisible”. The irony is not lost on me.

I am not an artist but I started to write a poem about the language I’d learned over the last 26 years of suffering, the categories I’d been placed in, the stages I fit into. It all got rather complicated!

Then it struck me. Pain is a universal language and everyone has heard of Morphine. No one pictures, aged 26, that this will be a regular part of their lives or something they’ll be hoping to receive for Christmas. No one pictures a scenario whereby Morphine would be their drug.

So, I have become one of those people who lie in bed, take Morphine, and await the next harrowing diagnosis.

You have to be brave having an illness.

It almost doesn’t matter the name or stage, the reality of your day-to-day life is altered. Sometimes being brave is accepting you need pain relief at 1am in a Wednesday and the name of the drug doesn’t come into it.

Illness teaches you to take the drugs. Pride shouldn’t come into it.