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Long term health conditions >> Women 24+ >> Lynn - Interview 28 >> Physical pain can place a lot of strain on a relationship. She felt guilty about affecting the life of her partner.

Lynn has lived with chronic pain for the last fourteen years. She experienced the pain before and during her periods. At first health professionals thought that she had endomietrosis. She had several exploratory tests and treatments, but she still does not have a clear diagnosis. She describes her condition as 'a chronic pelvic pain sufferer; or as a chronic lower pain sufferer with a black hole'.

Publication date: October 2007 Last updated: February 2012

Review date: February 2014

Various long-term health conditions can occur in young people. We interviewed 30 young people about their experiences of different chronic illnesses. Select from the key topics below, choose from the full list of topics on the right hand side of this page, or explore all the interviews by clicking on people's stories below.

Sophie says: “I've had a good weekend despite my lungs not feeling too good. My boyfriend's training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro so we have been hiking!”
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Long term health conditions

Publication date: October 2007 Last updated: February 2012

Review date: February 2014

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Jodie - Interview 18 >> Has a very good rapport with her children's consultant and his direct approach inspired her to learn more about her condition. She gave nicknames to a

Jodie has cystic fibrosis (CF) and was diagnosed with CF related type 1 diabetes in her early teens. Of the two conditions she finds her diabetes the harder to control particularly because she has a very active life. She finds that the specialist care she received is brilliant. She remains thankful for all the nagging she got from her Dad and her children's consultant.

Long term health conditions >> Women 16-18 >> Charlotte - Interview 10 >> Her first children's consultant talked to her mother and not to her. Her adult consultant is nice but she finds the physical environment old and depre

Charlotte was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 13. She sees her consultant every three months and feels well supported by her. Her main problems are the frequency, till recently, with which seizures have occurred and the fact that her memory has been affected by the frequent incidence of her 'absence' seizures. Until three months ago Charlotte was having seizures twice a month and sometimes, even as frequently as once a week.

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Lynsey - Interview 14 >> Felt ambivalent about being transferred to the adult clinic at the age of fifteen. Found it a scary experience but liked feeling more grown up.

Lynsey was diagnosed with Cystic fibrosis at birth and says that her parents and now her husband are most supportive. She and her husband would love to have a child and they have discussed all the implications involved in such a decision.

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> In the adult clinic you are in control and it is a quicker and more relaxed service than in the children's clinic but he misses meeting other young pe

David has had twenty-seven operations in twenty-three years - the main ones including knee and hip replacement, leg straightening and spinal fusion. This meant that he has missed a great deal of schooling but he has always been determined to continue with his education. He finished his GCSE's, did his A' levels and has recently finished his university degree.

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Sophie - Interview 15 >> Nurses from the adult clinic visited her at her paediatric clinic and at home before she transferred. Is now really happy with the care at the adult c

Sophie was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was 8 years old. She was taught by her parents to do all her own medications and treatments and encouraged to do sport. She is the Social secretary for her university Netball Cub. Sophie has a positive approach to her condition and says that she lives life to the full.

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> His gradual transfer built up his confidence. Suggests what needs to be done to make sure that young people have a successful transition from the chil

Long term health conditions

Publication date: October 2007 Last updated: February 2012

Review date: February 2014

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Kate - Interview 19 >> She felt ill-prepared for what would happen at the adult clinic, and was especially shocked at the lack of privacy for lung-function tests. She was in

Kate was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) when she was 4 years old by a new consultant who spotted the symptoms straight away. Previously, she had been misdiagnosed with other conditions such as asthma and a milk allergy. Kate has very few CF related symptoms and although she has had the odd chest infection, she has never required intravenous antibiotics.

Long term health conditions

Publication date: October 2007 Last updated: February 2012

Review date: February 2014

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> William - Interview 22 >> Children's wards feel safer and nurses are more supportive than in adult wards. His bed, in an adult ward, was next to someone he felt very uncomforta

William has lived with sickle cell anemia since birth. His mother and father have both got the sickle cell trait but his sister is not affected. When he was a child he remembers that he was in hospital many times. His condition is much improved now that he is older. He takes penicillin and folic acid everyday and says that he does not need to take medication but he does it because his aim is to prevent crisis.

Transition from children's to adult services/clinics

full list of topics

Diagnosis & learning more :

Physical problems, med's & managing your condition :

Life style :

What makes a good doctor and transition issues :

Living with it :

Talking about relationships :

Advice to others :