MA MSW RSW | Virtual Therapy for Chronic Illness, Pain & Disability
My first brush with uncertainty rooted in illness (that I can remember) occurred when I was ten years old and facing my first open heart surgery. It wasn’t until my sociology of health and illness courses in undergrad, around age 21, that I learned there were people, words and theories that talked about what I experience/d yet could not name.
I would like to share some of the reasons I ending up finally choosing social work and what I was thinking when I applied to the MSW program in late 2014. I put myself out there in a way that felt bold but true..
More than anything – I yearned to embark on this journey on my own terms. I was ecstatic at the prospect of mapping out my own course, even if that included joining a 12 day coach tour, because.. baby steps. I was tired of waiting. Waiting for the right time. Waiting for other people to go with me. Waiting until I felt more confident to set off on my own. I was ready to take a chance and hopefully prove to others and more importantly, to myself, that I could do this.
Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an example of a chronic illness with acute episodic periods. What makes it a chronic illness is its long lasting nature, which means instead of "curing it" you "manage it". However, there are times when a person with MFS may need immediate or emergency care that if not received can result …
Sarah Elizabeth McMillan 