Out of many interactions with patients during my GP placement, one woman’s story remains particularly vivid. Her life felt utterly exhausting – draining and non-stop. Interestingly, her numerous physical health conditions were not her greatest concern. Instead, her constant worries about her children, her husband, finances, and even her basic needs seemed to weigh most heavily on her.

One phrase she used has stayed with me: ‘There’s no space left on my plate. I can’t fit it all on. I’m balancing things that can’t be balanced. It’s all going to fall off.’ This imagery perfectly captured the impossible juggling act she faced. Her plate was overflowing with competing responsibilities – nutrition, children, exercise, medications, disability, caring duties—none of which could be sacrificed without consequence. She was constantly forced to make impossible choices: ensuring her transgender teenage son attended school versus walking the dog, eating breakfast, or paying the electricity bill. On top of this came visits to her father in a care home she could barely afford and monitoring her husband’s fragile mental health. There were no easy answers, and often no one to listen—except her GP, and occasionally medical students like me.

This experience highlighted that many patients’ lives are more complex and stressful than we may ever fully appreciate. Their medical needs might be our focus, but not necessarily theirs…

I created my piece to be interactive – you cannot possibly fit everything onto the plate. Using cake as the medium felt apt, as baking was her creative outlet, a vital source of mental wellbeing, and a way to show love to her children.