I am not a fragile flower
Or your identified patient
Until I’m dead, I’m surviving
I deserve independentance
And whatever autonomy I can have
Treating me different doesn’t help
It just makes me feel seperate
Treating me as incompetent
Just makes me like you less
It isn’t yours to manage my health
Illness doesnt respect expectations
Symptoms don’t conform to timelines
Your frustration just makes me worse
And all your aims to get me in line
Like your uninformed advice
And you unsolicited help
Are a barrier to your understanding
Give me the respect of personhood
Why must I remind you I’m human?
Elizebeth Turnquist 
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