"I can do what I want, and plan my days better, that's freedom" - An interview with Linda about her story
I enter Linda's apartment, and am greeted by many beautiful ornamental angels in the apartment. The angels feel appropriate in the context, as Linda's story is indeed a story that has been lined with angelic guards.
Linda was struck by an uncontrollable sepsis, which left her in a life-threatening condition in a matter of days. Before all this happened, Linda didn't know what sepsis was and that its course could
go so fast. It can be hours before it becomes serious," she says. Ahead of her waited 7 months in hospital, starting at the emergency room in Sollefteå, a turn down at Karolinska Hospital and the burn unit at Uppsala Hospital and at the hospital in Sundsvall. Linda says she has had fibromyalgia for 15 years, and interpreted her symptoms as a common "relapse" of fibromyalgia, at least at first. But the symptoms worsened, the fever reached life-threatening levels, the pain in her body became unbearable and Linda started vomiting uncontrollably. After a week, Linda ended up in the emergency room. She remembers the journey there, that she didn't really know where she was, even though she had been there many times. At the emergency room in Sollefteå, it was discovered that she had sepsis. Sepsis is a serious infection that causes the body's immune system to overreact and damage its own organs, which can be life-threatening. Linda's heart, kidneys, liver and brain were severely affected, and had started to shut down. A long time in hospital, where at times it was uncertain whether Linda would make it. Linda says that she is lyrical about the care, she has felt like royalty the whole time. As a result of the disease, Linda had to amputate both fingers and legs.
I have met Linda twice before in different contexts, and have been struck by how hugely positive and happy she seems to be. I ask her what she has done to keep her spirits up? "I'm a warrior, adversity doesn't bother me, it just pisses me off" says Linda. Linda also says that of course she has her dark moments. She deals with them by talking to her loved ones. "My dad said the other day when I was down, that but Linda, what if you had had to amputate all the way from the wrists. Then I thought that it could actually have been worse."
It's been a big change, from being used to doing everything myself to being dependent on others' help. "I like to fix things myself. It's been like that since I was little, Linda can do it herself! I want to develop all the time," says Linda. Already at the hospital, Linda got help with applying for personal assistance. Carelli became Linda's choice of assistance companies. Linda knew nothing about personal assistance before. In the beginning when Linda came home, she had home care. She feels that it worked well with the home care service, but that the personal assistance gave her a completely different freedom. "I can do what I want, and plan my days better, it's freedom" says Linda. Linda also says that it was important to get assistants, so that her husband and parents can be just that, and not be caregivers to her. I ask Linda about what a good assistant should be. She answers that for her, a good personal assistant is someone who is responsive and positive. She also expects an open and honest relationship. It is important to her that the personal assistant is someone who is close to her, but still takes their job seriously.
Before all this happened, Linda worked as a guide dog instructor for the visually impaired and blind. In the future, Linda hopes to work with dogs in some way. Traces of Linda's four-footed friends can be seen in her apartment, and it is clear that Linda is passionate about dogs. "Dogs are my life, and of course I'm sad that it's not the same as before I got sick," she says. With Linda's stubbornness and zest for life, I have no doubt that Linda's desire to work with dogs again will happen, it's not a question of if it will happen, but when.
Malin Lindberg