An accident in the Sahara in February 2024 was the start of a year filled with pain, mistrust and a fight against the system. Now Maria Teresa Cristofoli (54) wants to raise a voice for those who are not seen in the public healthcare system. - Those who are on sick leave over a long period do not always choose it themselves, she says.
It began with an active holiday in the Sahara. Maria is the type who thrives on physical challenge and adventure, and decided to wallow in the desert. A misstep ended with a broken right hand and a dramatic evacuation to a local hospital.
- I had never broken anything before, and completely trusted that I was in safe hands. But when the cast came off after three weeks and the hand looked like wax, I felt the first pang of panic. And that was just the beginning, she says.
A hand that never got better
At the check-up, Maria was told that the swelling and pain would go away. Only after many weeks was she finally able to see a doctor.
- I was put in a booth. An active woman with lots of drive was suddenly reduced to a difficult patient, she says.
She had to fight to be taken seriously. Eventually she was told that a surgeon's meeting was to be held where a new operation could be considered - but not until six weeks from now.
The turning point
A turning point came when, during the waiting period, Maria chose to use her employer's health insurance. She consulted surgeon Jan-Ragnar Haugstvedt at CMedical.
- I finally felt that someone saw Maria: who wants to work 100 percent again, who wants to go skiing and do all the things she used to do. Which was not just a piece in a large public apparatus, she says.
- He even said after the operation that the damage was even greater than he first assumed. There was close follow-up, communication was clear and the surgeon was supportive. Now I really understood the value of actually having time for the patient, safety and, not least, results, says Maria.
- A fracture will normally heal within six weeks. When it does not happen, it is crucial to detect it in time. Here we had to transplant bone to heal the fracture. Postponing such an operation can have serious consequences, says Jan-Ragnar Haugstvedt.
A scratch in the paint for the public sector
– Jeg har følt meg som en belastning. Som en kost/nytte-sak. Og det skremmer meg, for hva med de som er enda sykere, mer sårbare, som ikke har ressursene til å stå på sitt?
– Denne saken er en ripe i lakken for det offentlige Norge. Når det pågår en sykefraværsdebatt samtidig, så er det et paradoks. Det er ikke alle sykemeldte som har valgt det selv. Noen av oss har bare hatt ekstremt uflaks, sier hun.
Maria har nå en ny hverdag og kan endelig leve et aktivt liv igjen. Men historien hennes blir stående som en påminnelse om at det å bli sett og tatt på alvor kan være forskjellen på å bli frisk – eller bli stående fast.