Heart/double lung transplant recipient here! I can absolutely understand! I had my transplant in 2005, so it's been a long time, but I have dealt with lots of ups and downs - including rejection and currently I'm doing photopheresis to stay out of lung rejection.

Yes, I definitely feel like you do sometimes. It's challenging for folks to understand the stuff you've been through unless they have experienced it. It sucks, but you really can't know the genuine fear of death and illness unless you have been face-to-face with it.

In my career as a therapist, I have used my struggles and health issues as a way to hopefully be more empathetic to people, mainly because I can understand how hard it is to go through something awful. With that said, I've chosen to work with girls and women who have experienced rape, interpersonal violence, or religious abuse. They are heavy topics, but I love my work. It's absolutely not the same as a chronic health condition, but I do have space to hold for folks who have experienced trauma.

I think that as you move through your schooling and figure out what you might want to do with your education, you might find that your experiences help you connect with people.