What happens when the person providing care becomes the one who needs it?
In this episode of 3Spoonies, we’re joined by Shelley Gautam to explore the reality of working in healthcare while living with a chronic illness.
Find out more about Shelley here.
It’s an honest, sometimes frustrating, and deeply relatable conversation about burnout, identity, and finding a way to build a career that actually works with your health — not against it.
When Burnout Isn’t Just Burnout
Shelley began her career as a fertility nurse, working in direct patient care. Like many in healthcare, she pushed through exhaustion, long hours and intense pressure.
But something wasn’t right.
At the time, she didn’t know she was living with a chronic illness. She just believed she was failing.
That idea — that you’re the problem — is something many Spoonies will recognise.
Eventually, everything came to a head in a severe burnout. With no real plan, Shelley made the difficult decision to step away from her role.
Looking back, that moment wasn’t the end of her career — it was the beginning of a completely different one.
From Clinical Work to Remote Healthcare
At the time Shelley made that decision, remote work in healthcare was rare.
But she knew one thing: something had to change.
Over time, she transitioned into the world of digital health, working remotely while still using her clinical skills. It opened new doors — combining healthcare knowledge with business, strategy and consultancy.
But even then, things weren’t simple.
Without a diagnosis, the symptoms continued. The fatigue, the limitations, the uncertainty.
And that internal narrative of “this is my fault” didn’t just disappear overnight.
The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
Eventually, after years of searching for answers, Shelley was diagnosed with Lyme disease.
Like many chronic illness journeys, getting to that point was long, expensive and emotionally exhausting.
Healthcare appointments didn’t always help. In fact, many made things worse — with dismissive attitudes, lack of understanding and surface-level solutions.
It’s a stark reminder that even those inside the system can struggle to navigate it.
Seeing Healthcare From Both Sides
One of the most powerful parts of this episode is Shelley’s perspective as both a clinician and a patient.
Working in healthcare, you’re trained to focus on problems, symptoms and solutions.
But living with chronic illness changes that.
It brings a deeper level of empathy, awareness and understanding — especially around invisible conditions and the wider impact they have on someone’s life.
At the same time, it can be overwhelming.
Seeing how the system works (and doesn’t work) from both sides makes it impossible to ignore the gaps.
Why Healthcare Professionals Struggle to Care for Themselves
Healthcare is a profession built on giving.
Long shifts. High patient loads. Emotional labour. Pressure to perform.
But very little space to stop.
Shelley shared just how extreme this can be — from early starts and relentless workloads to environments where basic needs like eating or taking breaks are pushed aside.
Over time, that takes a toll.
And when you add chronic illness into the mix, it becomes unsustainable.
There’s also a cultural layer to this:
- Taking time off is often discouraged
- Asking for help can feel like failure
- Productivity is prioritised over wellbeing
It’s a system that doesn’t leave much room for being human.
Rethinking Careers: Flexibility Over Perfection
One of the key themes throughout the conversation is that careers don’t have to be linear.
Shelley now works in a more flexible, consultancy-based model — something that has significantly improved both her health and her quality of work.
And she’s not alone.
As discussed in the episode, many people with chronic illness move towards:
- self-employment
- freelance or consultancy work
- flexible or remote roles
Not because it’s easy — but because it’s often the only way to build something sustainable.
That flexibility allows you to:
- work around fluctuating energy levels
- adapt your schedule day by day
- prioritise your health without giving up your ambitions
The Reality of Living and Working with Chronic Illness
One of the most relatable moments in the episode is the discussion around how unpredictable chronic illness can be.
You don’t just plan your week — you plan your day.
Sometimes you can do more. Sometimes you can do very little.
And that unpredictability is something many people struggle to understand.
There’s also the ongoing challenge of perception.
People often assume:
- once you’re diagnosed, you’ll “get better”
- you should return to your previous level of work
- if you’re not, you’re not trying hard enough
The reality is very different.
Living with chronic illness means constantly adapting — and redefining what success looks like.
The Myth That Needs to Go
Towards the end of the episode, Shelley calls out a major myth:
That you can’t work in healthcare if you have a chronic illness.
It’s simply not true.
What needs to change is not the person — but the system.
More flexibility, better support, and a shift in expectations would make healthcare careers far more accessible for disabled and chronically ill professionals.
Final Thoughts
This episode is a powerful reminder that:
- You are not a failure for struggling with your health
- Careers can evolve and still be meaningful
- Flexibility is not a weakness — it’s a necessity
- And sometimes, the best thing you can do is build a life that works for you
If you’re navigating chronic illness, career changes or burnout, you’re not alone — and there are ways to move forward.
Find out more about Shelley here.
Listen to the Episode
Search “3Spoonies Episode 64 – Being a Healthcare Professional with a Chronic Illness” on your favourite podcast platform or YouTube.
Or you can find the main links here.
About 3Spoonies
3Spoonies is a podcast exploring disability, business, wellbeing and everyday life — honest conversations from people navigating the world with not enough spoons.
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