Quick question to all

[Speakeazi]

Would you call yourself a patient or a sufferer? I was talking to a friend and she gets migraines and she said she is a migraine sufferer. I ha e PAD a d some heart disease and I call myself a patient!

[Sunnie2day]

I call myself a patient (multiple heart conditions) - I work at not saying something like 'I'm a heart patient and suffer from/with...' as I refuse to go anywhere near 'victimhood' (calling myself a sufferer). About the closest I come to saying 'I suffer...' is the occasional '...endure/ing/ed...' as I do understand having heart and/or other long-term conditions is an endurance situation.

Everyone is different and I want to be clear I firmly believe those who do say they 'suffer' are as entitled to term their health challenges in any way they choose as I am regarding my terminology.

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

It is as Sunnie2day a very personal decision.

I don't like the idea of victimhood either.

I am a heart patient and I live with my heart condition and pain.

Sometimes Healthcare professionals and even the NHS will inadvertently create hierarchies of suffering which does not serve in particular those with long term conditions well.

[SpiritoftheFloyd]

I think whatever terminology anyone chooses to describe their condition is fine. We're all different and the way we each see our condition varies form person to person.

Personally, having had a heart attack and a cardiac arrest, the odds of getting out of the other side of that are frequently not good, so I'd describe myself as a survivor and a patient with a heart condition.

[Inamoment]

Never ever call myself a sufferer. Or a warrior or any of the rest of them. Just a patient

[Rose54]

Hi

I consider I have a disability but I am not disabled

I am neither a patient as I only see my GP when necessary

And I dont consider myself a sufferer

I am a glass half full sort or girl

Have 2 Autoimmune illnesses that cause CF at times

But always feel that unfortunately lots of people are worse off than me .

But saying all that it depends on how ill each individual person feels

[Amikatari]

Hi Speakeazi, that's an interesting question. It's such a personal decision. I'm aware that many people prefer person-first language, ie. 'I'm a person with a heart condition' rather than 'I'm a heart patient' (or 'a person with epilepsy' for example, rather than 'an epileptic', which can make people feel 'labelled' with their condition).

I wouldn't like to identify as a 'sufferer', I think that would make me feel sorry for myself. But the word 'patient' actually comes from the latin for 'sufferer', I think, the two words have just taken on different meanings over the years.

I'm only 4 months post open heart surgery and your post has really made me think about how to describe my condition/identity, it's not occurred to me to think about it yet, as I had no idea I had a heart condition until 6 months ago.

I guess I'd say 'I have a heart condition', 'I am an endocarditis and open heart surgery survivor', 'I have an artificial heart valve and am warfarin-dependent'. Also, I was incapacitated with my heart starting to fail, for 3 years (I was misdiagnosed and it took a long time to get proper help, a long story!) I was so ill that I did identify as having a disability but I didn't describe myself as disabled - I said 'I have a disability', as it just felt more comfortable for me. Now I've been treated, I don't think I'll have a disability once I'm fully recovered from the surgery. As far as I know, I'll be ok, with just a few restrictions, so I'll probably say I have a medical condition or an artificial heart valve, rather than having a disability or being a patient or sufferer.

[Sunnie2day in reply to Amikatari]

Good points, especially the way the meaning of patient has changed from the original use.

For me and many like me, the word 'patient' means someone with a health condition and is actively receiving treatment - 'We have 25 patients on this ward.', 'Our GP surgery has 75 heart patients on our roll.', and my personal fav I can't wait to say - 'I've been discharged as a cardiac patient back to my GP'

[christina1947]

Hi all on the subject I have seen a cardiologist consultant because I have ectopic heart beats the consultant put me on 1.25 bisoprol and I see him in 3 months time maybe ablation. Would you say I had an heart condition I have very little symptoms Take care xxx