Long Dark Tunnel
Rachel Gelder
During my course, I have met numerous people who have felt physically trapped by their medical condition, but one lady in particular stood out. She hadn’t stepped outside for a year, unable to leave the relative safety of her home for fear of falling. For hours each day she would stand and look outside where she felt she was no longer able to reach – and each day it seemed like if was getting further away. The longer she remained inside the harder it was becoming for others to convince her to try. To be able to stand outside is such a simple pleasure, but this lady’s lost confidence after her falls had created a solid barrier, preventing her from doing so. To her, it was like standing at the end of a long, dark tunnel, seeing the outside world fade further and further away.
Whole Person Care, Year Four
This painting really captures the trapped loneliness people with disabilities may experience, and strikes a similarity with the story of a bed-bound patient I visited on my GP placement. He too felt the restrictions of his conditions as suffocating as the metaphor of the tunnel suggests. The tunnel could represent the growing distance from the lady to her friends and family, and resulting difficulties in them relating to one another. However, I feel the painting also has the ability to portray hope – integration with society, and having the strength to engage in outside activities lies at the end of the tunnel. The light green contrasts to the dark tunnel, making it alluring and an obvious target for the woman. The length of the tunnel represents the journey of convalescence required to regain confidence and normality. I hope the woman found the strength to take this ‘journey’ towards the end of the tunnel, rather than finding herself slipping further and further away.