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Long term health conditions >> Women 24+ >> Nicola - Interview 13 >> Thinks that people should be given written information when they are diagnosed and also have opportunities to get more information as they grow older.

Nicola has moderate asthma and needs to take her inhaler everyday to keep her symptoms under control. She does not get many asthma attacks now, but is prone to developing bronchitis which can last for up to a week. Nicola recently saw an asthma nurse and found it most useful. It provided an opportunity to discuss her asthma and treatment in detail.

Long term health conditions >> Women 24+ >> Miriam - Interview 07 >> Her mum found an internet group for young people with ME. She felt scared to ask the GP for information and feels that her GP had no idea what to tell

Almost ten years ago Miriam was diagnosed with glandular fever and given three courses of antibiotics. Her symptoms didn't improve and she couldn't continue with her university course. It was a homeopathic doctor who suggested she might have developed ME or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). It has taken her nine years to feel better again. She says that pacing and the acknowledgement of limitations are important tools for mending.

Long term health conditions >> Women 24+ >> Lynn - Interview 28 >> It can be very reassuring to hear that others have had similar experiences - whether they are positive or negative. Her GP has emailed her with articl

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 >> Women 24+ >> Lynn - Interview 28 >> Has not wanted to attend a support group. Really appreciated the care given by a trainee at the hospital and her GP.

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Elizabeth - Interview 01 >> It would have been helpful to see the same consultant when she went to the hospital. She should have been told that her scoliosis was a long term cond

Elizabeth was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 16. She now works for a Department of Health funded project. She says that as a teenager she 'rebelled' against her condition and stopped taking her painkillers. Her attitude now is to work with her condition rather than against it. She takes regular exercise and does a lot of walking.

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Elizabeth - Interview 01 >> Says that doctor's language is 'over the top' and thinks that some can be insensitive and impersonal.

Long term health conditions >> Women 24+ >> Lynn - Interview 28 >> She divides consultants between the authoritarian and the dismissive types. She prefers her GP because she can talk to him on a more personal and inti

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Elizabeth - Interview 01 >> She feel very well supported by her GP but receptionists can be a problem when she needs to see or talk to him. She has learned to be persistent witho

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Katie - Interview 23 >> The GP ignored her when she was talking about a new treatment. She found it rude and felt angry. She wants more information from health professionals

Katie was diagnosed with chronic eczema at the age of 11 but her eczema began to get worse in her teen years. She has had lots of different treatments for her eczema and has learned from experience what works and has improved her symptoms. She said that sleep is important as well as drinking plenty of filtered water.

Long term health conditions >> Women 24+ >> Nicola - Interview 13 >> Thinks that GPs and nurses have different roles when it comes to help her with the long-term and everyday control of her asthma and its symptoms.

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> Rollo - Interview 11 >> Says that doctor-patient relationship is difficult because doctors are used to treating your illness but in terms of ME it's not the case and to recom

Rollo thinks that what triggered his ME/CFS was an overdose of vaccinations that he had received at school prior to travelling to Asia. Following this he started having joint pains and became very emotional. He was diagnosed with ME/CFS by an 'alternative practitioner' a few years after getting ill. Says that ME/CFS affects different people in different ways and that doctors should learn to recognise that.

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Jodie - Interview 18 >> Her diabetes and cystic fibrosis require a very specific treatment. She finds that apart from her medical teams other doctors find it difficult to und

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

Publication date: October 2007 Last updated: February 2012

Review date: February 2014

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 :