Ah, Louise! I identify with much of this, the walking away from a vocation, the “what now?” questions. Mostly though, what you’ve written moved me so much because I was once that paediatric surgical patient. I spent a fair bit of my childhood at Alder Hey. I had the same surgeon from age seven until I was seventeen. Mr Green! God bless him. It’s fascinating for me to read the perspective from the other side. Wishing you joy, peace and fulfilment as you forge this new creative path. Cheering you on!
Oh wow! That’s a lot to go through at such a young age, but I’m really pleased that you were cared for so well ❤️. I never met Mr Green, but Alder Hey is such a special place. I loved the hospital, and the city - I’m so grateful that I got to be a consultant there. Somehow I’d never even visited Liverpool until I applied for a job there, what a wonderful experience I have had. Thank you so much for your kind comments, and such support, it really does mean so much!
Wow - so glad i've found you! Thank you for your honesty. I am a former GP who had to leave sooner than planned - at 52 - due to burnout combined with a caring role. So much of what you said here resonated with me. The job itself was wonderful, but working in a strained system, experiencing that from the other side when my husband developed advanced cancer, a pandemic and realising just how little my role was valued by the NHS, the loss of autonomy you describe, and then the post covid backlogs where it was an increasing struggle to practice how you wanted to, and eventually I burned out. I understand the grief you have gone through. It has taken me three years to overcome the loss of identity and community, and I felt rudderless for a while, once my husband ( thankfully! ) improved and my caring role reduced, but I found myself unable to return to the intensity of work. I do non clinical roles now, and am finding my new normal! I look forward to reading more of your articles - so well articulated! I am also a northerner, but from the other side of the Pennines.
Hi! How wonderful to ‘meet’ you, and thank you for such kind words! I’m so sorry for your experience, and how difficult it must have been to face the other side in such a way. I’m thankful for your husband’s recovery, and that you have found yourself a place to be you in those non clinical spaces. I haven’t found my normal yet, but I just keep writing and will see what comes. This weekend is a big milestone, though - I’ll be paid for my writing for the first time! I’ve won a place to read one of my poems at a London writing festival and it still doesn’t feel quite real! I will be bringing out the Yorkshire accent for it! Thank you so much for your lovely comment, I really do appreciate it! X
I loved this and it resonated so much with me. I left midwifery when my children were 4 and 9. It took me about 2 years to make the decision and to this day I still regard myself as part midwife, it never leaves you. However, I made the right choice and spent precious time with my girls before I rejoined the NHS, this time in mental health and I now work, non clinically, in Health Visiting. I felt it was like falling out of love too, not with midwifery, but with a system that could not meet the needs of the women I cared so much about. I will post a link to my piece about it - feel free to read if you fancy, no pressure, just thought it might resonate with you. x https://itwillgetbetter.substack.com/p/why-i-left-midwifery
Ah, Louise! I identify with much of this, the walking away from a vocation, the “what now?” questions. Mostly though, what you’ve written moved me so much because I was once that paediatric surgical patient. I spent a fair bit of my childhood at Alder Hey. I had the same surgeon from age seven until I was seventeen. Mr Green! God bless him. It’s fascinating for me to read the perspective from the other side. Wishing you joy, peace and fulfilment as you forge this new creative path. Cheering you on!
Oh wow! That’s a lot to go through at such a young age, but I’m really pleased that you were cared for so well ❤️. I never met Mr Green, but Alder Hey is such a special place. I loved the hospital, and the city - I’m so grateful that I got to be a consultant there. Somehow I’d never even visited Liverpool until I applied for a job there, what a wonderful experience I have had. Thank you so much for your kind comments, and such support, it really does mean so much!
heading out, can’t wait to read it later xoxo
Wow - so glad i've found you! Thank you for your honesty. I am a former GP who had to leave sooner than planned - at 52 - due to burnout combined with a caring role. So much of what you said here resonated with me. The job itself was wonderful, but working in a strained system, experiencing that from the other side when my husband developed advanced cancer, a pandemic and realising just how little my role was valued by the NHS, the loss of autonomy you describe, and then the post covid backlogs where it was an increasing struggle to practice how you wanted to, and eventually I burned out. I understand the grief you have gone through. It has taken me three years to overcome the loss of identity and community, and I felt rudderless for a while, once my husband ( thankfully! ) improved and my caring role reduced, but I found myself unable to return to the intensity of work. I do non clinical roles now, and am finding my new normal! I look forward to reading more of your articles - so well articulated! I am also a northerner, but from the other side of the Pennines.
Hi! How wonderful to ‘meet’ you, and thank you for such kind words! I’m so sorry for your experience, and how difficult it must have been to face the other side in such a way. I’m thankful for your husband’s recovery, and that you have found yourself a place to be you in those non clinical spaces. I haven’t found my normal yet, but I just keep writing and will see what comes. This weekend is a big milestone, though - I’ll be paid for my writing for the first time! I’ve won a place to read one of my poems at a London writing festival and it still doesn’t feel quite real! I will be bringing out the Yorkshire accent for it! Thank you so much for your lovely comment, I really do appreciate it! X
I loved this and it resonated so much with me. I left midwifery when my children were 4 and 9. It took me about 2 years to make the decision and to this day I still regard myself as part midwife, it never leaves you. However, I made the right choice and spent precious time with my girls before I rejoined the NHS, this time in mental health and I now work, non clinically, in Health Visiting. I felt it was like falling out of love too, not with midwifery, but with a system that could not meet the needs of the women I cared so much about. I will post a link to my piece about it - feel free to read if you fancy, no pressure, just thought it might resonate with you. x https://itwillgetbetter.substack.com/p/why-i-left-midwifery
I’ve shared with my sister who is a doctor too. Excellent article.
Thank you, that really does mean a lot!