I was so overwhelmed by emotions of rage, frustration and, worst of all, helplessness. I was lying in a hospital bed surrounded by doctors who didn’t understand my body and didn’t appear to want to listen to me. But I was lying in a hospital bed, which meant I was depending on them to help me — and it didn’t appear that anyone was going to. I was reluctantly dependent. I was weak. So the only words I managed to utter in response were: “I am here because I need your help.”