Dusty Wentworth

​When I was first admitted to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in October 2023, I told my wife I would be left like this. It was not a prediction born of panic, but a quiet recognition of how the system treats people who become complex, inconvenient, or costly. I was reassured my fears were unfounded, and that support would be immediately forthcoming. Two years on, those reassurances feel hollow. The reality has unfolded precisely as I expected. ​This whole period of my life began when the situation was still uncertain. Months later, in April 2024, the aneurysm that had first been suspected of leaking and later declared stable eventually ruptured. That rupture led to the surgery that saved my life. Crucially, survival should have marked the beginning of structured recovery. Instead, it marked the point where support completely evaporated. Surviving the operating theatre is one thing; surviving the system afterwards is something else entirely. ​My time dealing wit...