The lifecycle of an ongoing emergency

There's a point in time when your pain, fear, or discomfort are just no longer... interesting.

When it starts, you are enveloped in attention. The shock, the confusion, and your own helplessness trigger the quick creation of a huge safety net that cushions the bad news, and the daily challenges.

As time goes by, the shock wears off, the fear becomes mere apprehension as you begin to study the repercussions of your condition, and your pain and discomfort... well, you start to get used to them (most of the time). You also become acutely aware of the discomfort your pain causes everyone else around you, and so - you hide it (at least when you can).

When more time goes by (in my case, a month - more or less), everyone is eager to put it behind them. You/They just can't stay in "crisis mode" for so long. It's not healthy, it's tiring, it's... well... boring. It's not a bad thing. Even you, Mrs-I-love-attention-I-am-a-drama-queen-look-at-me, have grown tired of being the center of attention - for all the wrong reasons.
There's other people too, who have needs and issues. Lives have to go back to normal. Everyone's .
And so - slowly but surely "crisis" becomes "distress" becomes "discomfort" becomes "routine".
As it should.

Except that in this "routine" you are still in as much pain, fear and discomfort as you were when it all started... only now everyone - including yourself - is just fed up with it.