ABSTRACT
Yasmin's story exemplifies, as clearly as any story can, the rupture to the sense of self and life course following the devastation of serious illness. The nature of Yasmin's condition is unpredictable: the bag needs emptying frequently and therefore she has a loss of control over getting rid of waste. Yasmin's story epitomises the 'chaos narrative' whose 'plot imagines life never getting better'; for Yasmin, this is not just a temporary state, but a life lived in the midst of chaos. Yasmin's isolation within the medical setting is exemplified and also symbolised by the physical isolation she has to endure due to Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Yasmin wants to resist illness, but also needs to be aware of shifts and changes in her body. Yasmin's story is one of suffering and fear, of struggle for hope and search for meaning, of resilience alongside frailty, and of invincibility alongside immense vulnerability.
