Life With Chronic Illness Or Pain!

Managing Chronic Illness Can Be CHALLENGING!

Have you been diagnosed with a rare disease or suffer from chronic pain? If yes, then you have probably become quite familiar with the many limitations that coexist with having chronic pain and/or a rare disease like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. More than likely, life has changed quite a bit for you, and you are now growing concerned about how life will play out, what will you be able to do and is the active life you once knew over?

For many, it takes quite some time to digest the actual idea of being limited, never mind the diagnosis and/or prognosis. So, whether you have just been diagnosed or you have been suffering from chronic pain, remember it’s important to allow yourself time to grieve. Yes, grieving is essential and an important component as it relates to managing chronic illness and/or pain.

No matter what your particular circumstance or however it makes you feel, there is hope and we are here to help. It’s ok to feel sad, frustrated, scared or overwhelmed, your feelings are real and they are valid. Managing chronic illness takes time but there are work arounds.

Much of what you are experiencing takes time to come to terms with and so much of it is about your state of mind. What you think, is what you become. Remember, “whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” So, it is absolutely critical to become friends with your thoughts. Now, please do not think for one moment that your thoughts will cure your illness but rather our minds can either be our greatest ally or our worst enemy.

A positive, creative state of mind is a powerful tool and one of our greatest assets in combatting chronic illness. There is no glory in thinking small, limiting beliefs. Build yourself up, believe in your abilities and know you are destined for great success. Raise your vibration and you will raise your ability to navigate this new life, with optimism and hope.

Well, perhaps you are shaking your head in disbelief, saddened about all the things you can no longer do. Work is a probably a thing of the past and so are most of the activities you once enjoyed. We get it, this is not easy and beyond frustrating….. BUT life is not over! It’s time to learn some new ways to LIVE, new enjoyments, new activities and even new types of work.

There are plenty of ways to fill our days but we must be open to swapping our old life with a new way of living. It’s time to get creative and dive deep within, as there are alternate ways of filling our days and keeping the mind active. Here are few ideas to get you started.

Activities

Weight lifting - I use to love to weight lift but thats now a thing of the past. Now I perform non weight bearing activities, like resistance training, swimming, stationary bicycles or water aerobics. It was not my first choice by any means but I must say, I have truly found enjoyment in many of these activities.

Work

Doesn’t matter what your chosen profession is, there are many variations of work. Yes, we all need to work and not just for financial purposes but work provides self fulfillment and sense of purpose. Volunteer your time at your favorite organization, begin blogging about your experience or sign up for some online classes and explore something different.

Life

I don’t know about you but I love to cook and entertain. Cooking is not easy these days but that does not mean we cannot still enjoy a home cooked meal. Employ the help of your partner, spouse and even children. Life is about delegating, as we cannot do everything and nothing brings a family together like sharing in the preparation of a home cooked meal.

Life is about HELP, ACCEPTANCE AND LOVE if we just open our hearts to it. Chronic illness is no doubt exhausting, frustrating and down right depressing at times but all the more manageable once we allow ourselves just a little bit of help. You would be surprised what one can accomplish with just a few small changes in thinking and a little bit of motivation from those that truly care.

Most of us are absolutely terrible at asking for help, as we are so used to fighting this battle on our own. We are not alone though and life is so much easier and more fulfilling with someone you love, care for or respect helping you along the way. So toss your ego aside and make just one small change today, you are WORTH IT!