Unseen chronic illness and work: authentic stories from “women in‐between”

Abstract

Presents extracts from the stories of mid‐career women who have unseen chronic illness, exemplifying numerous gender and work‐related issues. Uses Heideggerian phenomenology to understand the experience of being a woman with an unseen illness, who also works full time. Eight women were interviewed. These women were seen to reside “in‐between” wellness and sickness, junior and senior organisational roles, and home and work responsibilities. They shared some of the difficulties they have faced. First, were problems influenced by the medical community as associated with getting a diagnosis. Given their full‐time career responsibilities, this was interpreted as being problematic. There were also related problems reported about colleagues assuming, because of their healthful appearance, that nothing was the matter and acting accordingly. The “woman’s role”, as experienced by sick women who also worked full time, added to their struggle to continue careers, care for others and attempt to attend to their own health. Illness, especially invisible illness, is rarely examined through the combined lens of workplace and gender.