Sentience and transcendence: personal reflections on physical and mental adaptation from a near-death event and life-limiting surgery

Abstract

In this article I reflect on my experience of adapting physically, mentally and spiritually to a medical trauma that had life-changing consequences. I consider how, over 7 years to the time of writing, mental difficulties were inseparable from the physical; and how, for me, both are aspects of a form of understanding knowable only as mystery. Writing from a position of religious faith, I try to convey my experiences in a way that will be of interest to others regardless of their views. At the end, I reflect on aspects of my care that might be particularly relevant for a holistic, person-centred therapeutic approach.