Frequent Flyer

Lemonade - My Chronic Illness Story

When I first became sick and was ending up in the ER a lot, it was always the same hospital and they were great. On one visit, I commented on how much I appreciated them and one of the nurses said, “We definitely take good care of our ‘frequent flyers.’ We know how much you need us.” I loved that term, ‘frequent flyers,’ and I loved that level of care for those of us with cancers, or autoimmune conditions, Parkinson’s etc. Unfortunately, I quickly learned that it was the only ER with a positive spin on the term ‘frequent flyer.’ All of the places I have been since think that people who visit often are simply looking for drugs or attention, or are lonely. They, too, use the term ‘frequent flyer’ but it is used as an excuse to ignore me. It is as though I have committed a crime in simply trying to stay alive. Consequently, I almost never go to an ER anymore. Instead, I just lie there and accept whatever happens next.