A living book.

An evolving collection of memories, experiences, medical history and reflections, documenting a life that has been profound in some ordinary ways, and in some horrific ones.

It is a record of what happened, how it happened, what was known at the time, and what became apparent afterwards, sometimes following seemingly ordinary events.

Some of it is difficult to comprehend.  Much of it raises uncomfortable questions about the systems, decisions and circumstances that shaped what came next.

It is a record of a life as it was lived, and continues to be lived

Whatever meaning we assign to the things that happen to us, to the things that happen with us, and to the things we do ourselves, the consequences can reach much further than we might or could imagine.

Preventing harm to others and ourselves matters because it’s effects can spread through an entire life.

Not all harm is deliberate.
Sometimes it happens through decisions that seem reasonable at the time, or through reasons that were not thought about, assumptions, omissions, failures of communication, unconscious prejudice, or systems that leave important information unseen or unknown. 

But the absence of intent does not necessarily mean the abssence of harm.

Harm that is not recognised can be particularly difficult to address.  If nobody knows what happened, nobody takes responsibility for it, and nobody understands what it has set in motion, the consequences can continue in harmful ways and also affect other lives.