List of Illness Articles By Guest Bloggers

Here is a list of illness related articles by our guest bloggers here at Invisible Illness Week. What is on your mind today? Are you looking to find some inspiration or motivation? Or maybe a friend or co-worker said something that really hurt and you need to not feel so alone for awhile. In our list of illness articles there are all kinds of topics from people of all ages, with all kinds of illnesses. Chances are one of our guest bloggers have addressed a mixed emotion you may be experiencing about living with an invisible chronic illness.

• Guest Bloggers & Articles
• What I Learned About The Variety of Illnesses During #iiwk12
• 3 Challenges of Being an Illness Advocate
• Feeling "Naked" In a Crowd Due To My Invisible Illness
• Let's Choose Friendships Over Fragrances
• Living with Invisible Illnesses -- Including Mental Illness
• My Hope For You, Those With Illness
• Chronic Illness: It Affects The Whole Family
• I Am Not a Slob, I have an Invisible Illness
• Don’t Isolate Yourself in the Swamp
• The Invisible Anchor: The Coming of Age Story of a Young Girl With an Invisible Illness
• When is Enough, Enough?
• Remission: How to Find Purpose While You Wait For It
• The Invisible Illness of Myeloproliferative Neoplasm
• How Absorbing Our Environment Will Help Us Grow
• Neurocardiogenic Syncope, The Invisible Illness That Changed My Plans
• Invisible Illnesses: What Do They Look Like?
• How to Get Some Sleep When the Pain Won't Go Away!
• What it is like to have an Adult Child with Fibromyalgia
• Labels of Love
• Shedding Light on Invisible Chronic Illness
• Rebuilding After Illness
• Video: Trying to Explain Your Illness to Well-Intentioned Friends
• Is Living With Illness Choosing to Give In?
• "You Look So Good!" To Wear Make Up or Not?
• Why Are We Expected to Be Brave in the Face of Illness?
• Seeing Beauty Through Our Pain
• Am I Too Invisible For Accessible Seating?
• Healing Words
• What Does it Mean to Accept Your Chronic Illness Diagnosis
• 5 Ways to Cope in a Crisis When Living With a Chronic Illness
• The Little Things We Take for Granted
• The World Keeps Going And So Should You
• Does Michaele Salahi's admission of living with MS help or hinder awareness about invisible illness or multiple sclerosis?
• How to Decide Your Career Future When Chronically Ill
• The Invisible Woman
• My Illness No Longer Controls Me
• The Invisible Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis
• How Do You Start Becoming a "Well" Ill Person?
• Discovering A New Normal
• Finding My Voice -- To Sing Despite Chronic Illness & Pain
• "Bring On The Rain" Video is Comforting
• Savoring the Privilege of Walking
• “You’re not alone. I have a pebble, too.” The Invisible Illness Experience
• This is Where The "Healing" Begins
• Chronically Connected - How The Chronically Ill Form Relationships Online
• Can You Still Be Friends If They Think You Are Faking Your Illness?
• To Move Or Not to Move - A Dramatic Day of Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Should I Feel Guilty When I Have a Good Day?
• "What do you do?" Explaining About Your Invisible Illness and Career or Lack of It (Or Do You Need to?)
• Mental Illness - The Invisible Illness We Don't Talk About As Easily
• Have You Ever Considered Sometimes it is The Caregiver Who is Invisible?
• Creating Pain Awareness Through Photography
• You are Too Young to Be That Sick! Chronic Illness & Young Adults
• Talking To Your Spouse About Your Illness: How Much is Too Much?
• The Battle with The Mirror When Living with an Invisible Illness Even I Cannot "See"
• "I Just Want To Help!" When People Comment On Your Illness
• Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Can Be Considered an Invisible Illness
• People With Invisible Illnesses - Look Out! We Are Everywhere
• Exercising and Acknowledging Your Limitations When Living with Daily Chronic Pain
• Your New Chronic Illness Small Group: Who Is Invited?
• How To Really Help Me When I Ask For Your Help
• How to Cope With Unsolicited Advice When You Have an Invisible Chronic Illness
• Rainbow of Hope Sticky Notes Encourage People
• When Co-Workers are Chronically Ill Or Have Cancer: How To Support Them
• When Illness Hits a Young Married Couple
• Living With Invisible Illness: 5 Ways To Get Over Aggravations
• 10 Things I've Learned From Chronic Illness
• Why Do We Pit One Illness Against Another? We're All In This Together
• What Exactly Is A Chronic Illness And Who Defines It?
• Those with Invisible Illness Are A Hidden Minority Group - Among Us But Invisible
• Is Autism an Invisible Illness?
• Living with DAILY Frustration of Chronic Illness
• Even a Good Cry Can Lead to Hope
• Invisible Illness: Type 1 Diabetes
• Laurie Edwards Reflects on Invisible Illness
• How to Give an Ill Friend Love, Understanding, and Support
• Job Interviews and Illness Disclosure
• How to Be a Fabulous Friend to Those with Illness
• Reevaluate Your Methods of Getting What You Want
• What Others See Isn't Our Reality
• The "What, the "How" and the "Then What" of it All
• Is Dementia an Invisible Illness?
• Dancing Backwards in High Heels
• When Your Children Are Ill
• Self Consciousness and Other Thieves Of Peace
• Poem "Too Young"
• What I Know Now...
• When Abnormal Becomes The New Normal
• Dear World: An Explanation of the Illnesses I Cope with Daily
• Life is Hard, but I am Still Blessed
• Healing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: 5 Tips for Empowering Your Recovery
• On Listening and Judging
• The Importance of a Good Support System
• The Hardest Part is that People Just Forget Our Illness
• Will You Receive Disability Benefits If You have an "Open and Shut" Case?
• 10 Ways to Make Your Invisible Illness Visible
• From Invisible to Invincible: How to Take Back Control of Your Health and Live Well with an Autoimmune Condition
• Coping With Crisis on Top of Chronic, Part 1
• 10 Tips for Starting a Business While Living with a Chronic Illness
• Can You Job Hunt, Live with Illness and Stay Motivated
• Tips for When Your Spouse is Chronically Ill
• Making Your Pain Doctor A Partner
• You Don’t Look Sick - Poem
• Why I Rode Space Mountain and Celebrated Irresponsibility
• The Cave of Denial: A Place to Hide
• From Police Officer to Patient... to Ironman
• In Sickness and in Health...or Just in Sickness?
• Being a Teenager with a Chronic Illness
• How Illness Was Both My Loss & My Salvation
• Today You Walked Past Me...
• Let's Take a Vacation
• A Letter to My Donor Family
• When Police Don't See Your Invisible Condition
• How to Answer, "How are you?"
• Hope Springs Eternal - Illness and Art
• Feeling "Like the Dog..."
• Be a Guest Blogger!
• "You Don't Look Sick" Can Sting
• Study Surprisingly Shows that Chronic Illness is a Taboo Subject
• You Know You Have a Chronic Illness When...
• What Awareness Colors Mean for Health
• When Your Spouse Doesn't Believe You are Ill
• Winning Your Disability Case in 3 Words
• When Friends Turn Away
• Making Desireable Changes
• No Cast, No Cane, No Pain
• Articles to Read
• I Never Know What to Say or Do!
• Is "Dear Abby" Confused About Invisible Illness? Why Not Give People the Benefit of the Doubt Sometimes?
• Lab Tests When You Are Chronically Ill: Do you wait for results... or call?
• Do You Think of Yourself as Sick?
• Unlikely Chameleons, Living with an Invisible Disease
• My Husband Lives With An Invisible Chronic Illness Too – “But he looks so good!”
• From “It’s all in your head” to the “Accidental Significant Find”
• When Your Doctor Gives You "The Look."
• 51 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friends
• When Your Illness is Embarrassing Who Really Wants to Hear About It?
• Can People with Invisible Illness Park in the Blue Spots Without Others Seeing RED?
• Why My Invisible Illness Makes Me a Label Reader
• Should I Claim the Label to My Illness as Part of My Identity?
• Seeing Isn't Always Believing
• How Should the Chronically Ill Respond to Well-meaning Christians?
• Parenting with a Chronic Illness
• Beat the Heat - 10 Tips for the Chronically Ill
• No One Knows the Real Me...
• Can You Still Be Friends If They Think You Are Faking Illness?
• Explaining Invisible Illness is Hard!
• How a Church Care Ministry Can Help The Chronically Ill

Popularity: 16% [?]

It Is Hard to Explain Illness To Friends

Part of the challenge of living with an invisible illness is explaining it. I mean, if we lived isolated and it was you and your illness on a deserted island, would it really matter if it was visible or invisible? Not really.

It’s trying to find our place in a culture that values health and who pretty much believes, if you are ill, you must have done something to cause it. We find ourselves defending it, trying to show the legitimacy of it. We can get caught up in explain illness and all that it entails rather than just focusing on being the healthiest ill person we can be.

Many of the seminars this week have focused on how to better explain your illness to those who expect to see the pain you are in. Wayne and Sherri discussed things people say that are not (and are) helpful; Georgia talked about how our personality styles can make a difference in how we respond to being “cheered up.”

Rosalind discussed what it’s like when your peers at work cannot see your illness. Mary talked about how much talk about it is too much. And Tiffany described ways to try to educate those around you. More seminars coming up talk about marriage, and recovery and trying to explain illness to those around us.

Can we admit. . . it’s tough, isn’t it? Even when we have people who sincerely want to learn what is helpful and hurtful, it’s still hard for them to remember all the time because (1) they don’t live in our shoes–or rather, in our body. (2) Since they don’t have the daily pain, they can easily forget. It just slips are mind. We all have a lot on our mind, so can we really blame them?

But the key here? We keep trying. We offer suggestions. We allow others to make mistakes. We give grace when we are angry. We learn to take care of ourselves, by stepping back from certain relationships, and we learn when to take what someone can offer and lower our expectations.

I put this little video together last year for Invisible Illness Awareness Week and it has nearly 9,000 views. You are not alone. We are in this together. And remember, when people say things that hurt, it is because they don’t know better. They don’t know it’s bad etiquette. Most the time, they are not trying to be hurtful–they just don’t know how to help.

 

 

 

 

 

Did this hit home with you? Do us a favor and pass it along to encourage someone else. Share it, pin it, whatever — we appreciate it!

Popularity: 17% [?]

Download Your Invisible Illness Week Goodies

Invisible Illness Week is almost here and I am eager for our virtual conference to start. Remember. EVERYTHING WILL BE ARCHIVED, so if you miss a seminar, come back and watch it at your convenience. Also, everything we do is in Pacific time, USA, but if you go to our virtual conference page there is a time zone converter that is easy-peasy.

We will kick things off with a short welcome video with me that will air at 8 AM Pacific time, Monday morning. Then our first workshop with Wayne and Sherri Connell will air at 9 AM. I know you will just love them, as they discuss what not to say, what to say to an ill person.

So, for today, I encourage you to get ready. I have created some fun little handouts. When you go to a conference, you get a goodie bag, right? Well, I have put together one for you. It includes a note from me, notepaper you can print out and use during the workshops, a desk sign to remind you of something special this week, quotations, a coupon for our store over at illnessbooks.com and a schedule that you can print out and post at your desk, on the fridge, whatever. Now, if only I could sneak a granola bar or a cheese stick for you. Oh, well.

• Click here to download a zip file and then unzip it of all items
• Click here is you have no idea what a zip file is and will just download the pdfs straight to your computer individually.

I hope you are looking forward to a great week. I certainly am!

Popularity: 18% [?]

Is An Ill Friend Spiritual? Say, “Tell Me About God.”

If you live with illness and depend on your faith, you may find a friend who asks, “Tell me about God and how he gets you through these challenges.”

There are some people who may not like this message. But despite what our culture tells us today, people are seeking for why they are here. What is their purpose? And what is the reason for their pain? If you have a friend who is ill and believes in God, depending on Him for support during the challenges, never hesitate to ask her, “Tell me about God. Why do you still believe in Him even though He is allowing you to be in such pain?” What gets chronically ill people up each day and still feeling hopeful?

Those who have a faith in God, and I include myself in that community, find great peace in knowing that God is in control of it all. We are here for a specific reason. We do have a purpose. And just because we have a chronic (painful, daily, exhausting) illness, doesn’t mean that we are going to get any less than God’s best for us.

We try to keep this life in perspective because it is just a short time when you consider we are offers life for eternity. And when you give us the opportunity to share how we still get out of bed I the morning, despite the pain, it delights us. We want to hear you say, “Tell me about God.”

Note from -ljc. . . I know some people will read this and be offended. If so, just click away. I have the choice to be offended every day by a million things that do not offer accommodation to my beliefs, but life is just to short to expect people to change for my benefit. I hope you will still find much value in our web site here.

TWEET THIS: Things TO SAY to an ill person #20 Tell me about this God who gets U thru 1 more day? #iiwk12

PIN IT! Join us at Pinterest for chronic illness tips and goodies. We hope you will help us pin our tips reaching out to those with chronic illness to help spread the word.

-ljc

Popularity: 10% [?]

Pain Week – Yes, There is a Pain Week

This is Pain Week

Did you know this is “Pain Week?” I know, I know. . . maybe in your household every week is “Pain Week.” I get it. But officially, this is Pain Week 2012, when physicians meet from all over the world in Las Vegas to talk about chronic pain, treatment, causes and more.

September 5-8, 2012′s Pain Week will feature one of “the nation’s largest pain conference for frontline clinicians with an interest in pain management. Over 1500 physicians, nursing professionals, physician assistants, dentists, pharmacists, and psychologists are attending this year.” (According to painweek.org)

What do these doctors learn? Here is a fun display of their “feedback cards” complete with even Fred Flintstone, sharing the highlights.

The web site also states:

100+ hours of continuing medical education are presented in the following areas: behavioral pain management, complementary and alternative medicine, emergency medicine, health coaching, hypnosis, interventional pain management, medical/legal, neurology, pain and chemical dependency, pain and palliative care, pharmacology, regional pain syndromes, rheumatology, and sex and gender differences in pain management.

Find out more at their web site. It is interesting to hear (watch videos) and read doctor’s perspectives on those of us who live with daily chronic pain.

See the video below for more information about Pain Week and what doctors say.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Help An Ill Friend Get Stuff Done

Though it may seem silly, helping an ill friend get stuff done, is a great gift.

When someone is looking for ways to help out an ill friend, they often think of bringing a meal or emailing a note of encouragement. But one of the things that people rarely think of is to offer your services or transportation to help her get stuff done.

What kind of stuff? It may be taking her to get her haircut, grabbing a short lunch after taking her to the doctor’s office, even taking her vehicle over to get her oil changed.

if you live with illness, you likely know, it’s those little things that tend to stack up on our lives. It may be putting seasonal decorations back in the attic, scrubbing a tub, hanging a bird feeder, spraying down the patio, helping your friend Christmas shop.

Take a moment to ask a friend who is ill what practical things you can help out with that no one else has thought of.

You can even ask her to start of list of what would be on her wish list of things to get stuff done. And if there is something on the list that you are not able to help with, do your best to help her find someone’s to take care of it.

Having some of those major products done well be a major burden off of her (or him!) and you willingness to help get stuff done will be very appreciated.

TWEET THIS: Things TO SAY to an ill person #19 I have Monday free if you need me 2 run some errands or take you somewhere #iiwk12

PIN IT! Join us at Pinterest for chronic illness tips and goodies. We hope you will help us pin our tips reaching out to those with chronic illness to help spread the word.

-ljc

Popularity: 10% [?]

Ill Friends Know How To Listen, Not Just Say “Feel Better”

There is a time and a place for telling a friend you hope they feel better. But listening is even better!

Isn’t it awesome when a friend sincerely tells you that he or she hopes you feel better?

There is a saying among the chronically ill that Jenni over at chronicbabe uses a lot: “Be AWAP.” As Well As Possible. In other words, you may not “feel better” as in the full sense of the word, but there is hope that you can’t least feel as well as possible.

As someone who lives with illness you have likely heard all kinds of things that people have said, some of them comforting, some of them not so much. And there may be days the words “feel better!” are an encouragement and other days when someone flippantly says “feel better” you may want to kick something.

But whether you realize it or not, it is a skill to have an idea of what kinds of things are helpful and what are not. It is a gift that you know real encouragement goes way belong the words, “feel better.”

And so this makes you a very special kind of friend. We have talked a lot about how we would like our loves ones to have a better understanding f what we are going through. But for a moment, let us remember that with all we are learning (even if it is through our frustrations), we have a responsibility to be a better friend to those we care about.

Even if you have a friend who says all the wrong things, you may find her gong through her own struggle of a divorce or an aging parent. You can be a model listener to her about her struggles for a bit, avoiding giving advice.

I know, I know. When you are feeling miserable yourself it may be hard to listen to other’s problems, but if I can give you a gentle reminder. Remember, we all have our own struggles, our own challenges. Yours right now is illness and all that comes along with it, but to your friend, her problems may seem bigger because they are the problems under her roof. And she needs someone who can listen too, not one more person who just says, “Well, hope you feel better soon!” but really. . . Listens.

TWEET THIS: Things TO SAY to an ill person #18 U listen 2 me better than any other friend. Thanks for not trying to fix it. #iiwk12

PIN IT! Join us at Pinterest for chronic illness tips and goodies. We hope you will help us pin our tips reaching out to those with chronic illness to help spread the word.

-ljc

Popularity: 11% [?]

How to Help a Friend Who Has An Invisible Illness

How do you help a friend who is chronically ill? So frequently we hear what NOT to say. . . but here are some things that most people would like to hear. Sometimes it really is all about how you word it. Click any graphic to find a short article explaining in more depth why this matters and how it can help a friend. (The last 3 will post in the next few days!)

Popularity: 29% [?]

“You Look So Good!” 55 Ways You Say You Respond When Ill

“You look so good!” Why do these words convey criticism to one who is ill rather than good wishes?

Over 1200 people took our survey back in 2008 and one of the things they shared was how they respond to the well-meaning (but annoying) comment, “You look so good!”

We know people mean it as a compliment, but still. . . doesn’t it sort of feel like they are saying, “You don’t look sick, so what’s this about some illness?” Even though we know they have good intentions it seems like it gets under the skin of many of you. One author even wrote an article for us about whether she should wear makeup or not when she feels really lousy.

And we discovered from our survey, that sometimes you just have to respond to “but you look so good” — a smile doesn’t say all that you want to say.

But, of course, one of the temptations is to use sarcasm in our response.

Most of us can say that it depends on who says it. We may be more likely to smile and say, “If only it were true!” to a friend who doesn’t really get it. To the person behind at us the grocery store who commented about our groceries, we are more likely to say something sarcastic since we don’t have to deal with repercussions of a stressed relationship.

Just remember that our seemingly justified bitter comments back at them can only alienate people more and it does nothing to create an awareness of invisible illness. But who of us doesn’t relate with wanting to say a few of these things on the list below?

The most telling comment I read was from a woman who simply said, “I wonder why they can’t see my pain in my eyes?” It’s a good reminder that though we sometimes think the world should accommodate our emotional needs, who around us is hurting for other reasons (divorce, loss of job, loss of loved one, etc.) and they are wondering about us, “Why can’t she see the pain in my eyes?”

Be sure to add your own at the bottom in the comments section!

1. I am hangin’ in there…
2. I am so blessed. God is so good.
3. Drugs are a wonderful thing
4. I have my good days and I have my bad days.
5. I clean up well.
6. I have my ‘good’ days….but this isn’t one of them!
7. Thanks, I wish I felt better.
8. That’s a perfect example of how you can never judge a book by it’s cover.
9. 

   Help us spread awareness by pinning this, sharing on Facebook, whatever. Thanks!

   Thanks, but there are many aspects of MS which you don’t see … would you like to know more about it?

10. That’s what most people think since pain can’t be seen most of the time. Have you heard about Invisible Illness Week? It’s really helpful to let people now that most illness is invisible.
11. I’m trying to appreciate that fact. I know the day may come when I have to use a wheelchair or a cane, and my illness will be more visible.
12. You should be on the inside.
13. Thanks. I have more to be grateful for than I have to complain about – which means I have a LOT to be grateful for!
14. Well I guess I did good job on my makeup, because I am having a hard time to tell the truth.
15. . . .And that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?
16. Powder and paint, make you what you ain’t!
17. It took a lot of work to look like this.
18. It’s God shinning through me
19. It’s nice of you to think so, but you’re missing the pain and agony that I really am in.
20. And you look so wise. Looks can be deceiving though, huh?
21. I’m having a “good face” day.
22. Yeah. My kid thinks it’s cool I’m an ill person working under-cover!
23. I do a great job hiding how I really feel.My life is still very challenging and probably will always be, but I am hanging in there, keeping a positive faith, and gratitude as THE attitude. Thanks for their concern.
24. I’m trying my best to do well OVER my circumstances instead of being under them!
25. It’s up and down.
26. I’m still struggling, but it IS nice to have a day when I am able to pull myself together and make it out of the house!
27. I’m not complaining about my looks.
28. I’m very good at pretending.
29. Good, because if I looked like I feel it would scare you to death.
30. Actually, I still am really hurting…
31. I am 36 years old outside but 85 inside
32. Thank you. I’m on my way to the Oscars.
33. Thanks, I’m grateful for this good day.
34. Things aren’t always what they seem.
35. Praise God, I’m glad that he enables me to look so much better than I feel.
36. Thanks, that’s God’s joy shining through!
37. Have you ever heard of the spoon theory?
38. I am upright which is better the alternative
39. Thanks, want to swap bodies for a few days?
40. Thanks, I guess I am fortunate that I have an illness that can’t be seen.
41. Thanks. I like good days.
42. Want to step inside my skin?
43. It’s amazing what a shower can do. I guess I am all cried out for now
44. Thanks. . . I wish I felt it!
45. I’m not complaining about my looks.
46. I’m very good at pretending.
47. Looks can be deceiving (and smile)
48. Thank God for makeup!
49. Thank you for caring. I try to act like I feel better than I really do.
50. Thanks, I am trying to even though it will never go away. i just try to remember things could be worse.
51. I’d be great if it wasn’t for the pain.
52. I’d complain but who wants to listen.
53. If I can’t feel good, at least I am determined to look good!
54. I’m in good shape for the shape I am in!
55. Smoke and mirrors!

What do you say when someone exclaims, “You look so good!”? Or what> would you say if you could say anything? (Keep it clean!)

If you struggle with people understanding that looks can be deceptive, you may enjoy Sherri Connell’s booklet, You LOOK So Good! This is just one chapter of topics: I Never Know What to Say!; It Seems Like I Can Never Get It Right!; I Still Do Not Understand!; Couldn’t I just Try To Cheer Them Up?;But I Really Think My Suggestions Are Helpful!;So, Why Do I React That Way?; What “Discourages” Them?; What “Encourages” Them?; Being A Comfort In The Face Of Tragedy

Popularity: 77% [?]

Wait With An Ill Friend While He Gets Test Results

Test results. It is so nice to have a friend nearby when you are waiting for the results.

If you ever thought life was moving to fast and you wanted to slow time down, all you have to do is start waiting for some test results. Time seems to stand still when you have to wait for those test results from your doctor or the lab. Is there a better way to spend the time than sitting by the phone?

If you have a friend with a chronic illness it may seem like they are always waiting for the test results for something. And there are seasons in our illness when there are a lot of labs or tests like MRIs or CAT scans that are being done. There will be times, however, when a test is major. It may be a spinal tap that will tell her if she has multiple scleorsis in addition to diabetes. She may be waiting for test results following a biopsy to see if she has cancer on top of her lupus.

Test results change lives. And it is a time when the clock seems to stop as we wait to see what will (or will not) be fitng. And she needs a friend.

Not every person wants someone sitting around with them. Your support may be as simple as texting her a few messages during the day while she is waiting, whether it be a simple encouragement message, a scripture you are praying for her, or a silly joke.

If she needs company while she waits for the phone to ring, ask how you can best support her. Does she just want you there to watch a sad movie and grieve with her a bit? Does she want you to try to be a goofball and get her mind off of things? Or will that drive her crazy? Does she want you to bring a bottle of wine, or a good old-fashioned milkshake?

If they are not good news, does she need a cheerleader who says, “You are going to fight this!” or does she need someone who hugs her and cries along with her and says, “This is just so unfair. I wish I had answers why this is happening to you. . .”

Ask questions. Ask her what she needs? Share these ideas with her and ask what sounds the most appealing to her (different personalities may want different things). But overall, be aware that test results can be debilitating to a person’s spirit sometimes. Be there and take your cues for. Her about what she needs most while waiting for those test results.

TWEET THIS: Things TO SAY to an ill person #17 Do U want me 2 come over while U wait 4 test results? #iiwk12

PIN IT! Join us at Pinterest for chronic illness tips and goodies. We hope you will help us pin our tips reaching out to those with chronic illness to help spread the word.

-ljc

Popularity: 11% [?]

Ask Ill Friend How They’ve Come To Appreciate Life

Do you appreciate life in a different way now that you live with illness?

Living with an invisible illness can sometimes feel as though we have turned the exclamation points in our life into ellipses. What is an ellipsis? You may know it as a triple-dot punctuation (it look like this . . . ), or a “suspension point.” It represents an intentional omission or unfinished thought.

Yep. Sometimes life feels like we have fewer exclamation marks and a whole lot more suspension points or intentional omissions. And yet, it is during the . . . (ellipses) we learn to appreciate life.

It can seem cliche to say that chronic illness or invisible disease can help you appreciate life is ways you never thought of before. And yet, I have to admit it is true. Rather than waiting for life to bring me memories and happiness, I must look around from where I am at–whether it be from my patio in the morning with coffee, or the wheelchair watching my son play at an amusement park. I have to find ways to appreciate life and what I have, instead of what it can bring to me.

When we are with someone who is healthy, it is an opportunity to share the gift we have been given by allowing them to see how we appreciate life, how we find joy in any circumstance. Rather than stomping our feet and saying, “No one understands! I can’t walk that far!” we have the choice to say, “You go run around at the park while I sit over here in the shade with my iced tea.”

We have all been around people who do not appreciate life. Regardless of their circumstances they can find something to complain about. Simply taking them to lunch can result in a long list of things they don’t like from the parking to the wait, from the seating to the waitress, and the list goes on. It is just not any fun to hang out with them.

Resist the urge you have to sometimes be this way. Instead, leave your friends asking, “How is it you appreciate life so much even though you are in constant pain?”

Not only will it encourage them today, it may inspire them in the future when they start to feel bitter about their own circumstances. They will remember you, your attitude, and what it is that you share about how you have found the ability to appreciate life.

TWEET THIS: TThings TO SAY to an ill person #16 It is amazing how U appreciate the little things in life. How do U do that? #iiwk12

PIN IT! Join us at Pinterest for chronic illness tips and goodies. We hope you will help us pin our tips reaching out to those with chronic illness to help spread the word.

-ljc

Popularity: 11% [?]

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