Truly Living with Chronic Illness

I've been wanting to write this blog for a while. But it's hard to write a blog like this when you're really trying to write to yourself and you truly don't believe what you're about to write just quite yet. When you don't think the words of wisdom you are about to impart are true because it's hard to understand. 

But I'm here to tell you, whether I believe it or not. It is possible to truly live with chronic illness. We can all have dreams and want to do things. We can all have hobbies and passions. We can all be someone in this world. We can all do something to change the world. No matter how disabled or ill we are. There is still something we can do. You have to be positive and think about the things you can do and not focus on the things you can't do. Focus on the positive aspects of your illness not the negative aspects of your illness. 

So many of us with chronic illnesses think that because life has changed that it's over. But it's not. Maybe it's just beginning? I for one don't know anybody that has the perfect life. No one that doesn't have a single obstacle in front of them. Something to grow them and make them a better person, someone who they never knew they could be. Maybe your chronic illness can change your life for the good, in some ways, obviously not all the ways, because let's face it...chronic illness sucks. 

We want to have our old normal lives back, be able to do normal things. Heck we want to be able to go to the grocery store without symptoms. We want to work, we want to be able to go to parties. We want to have nice things and not spend all our money on medical supplies. I really like this quote that summarizes how we feel a lot of the time because everyone is broken and we all want nice things. 

“It’s okay to want things other people have; it is quite natural and we should want good things for ourselves. But we should not fool ourselves into thinking that other people have picture-perfect lives. Everyone struggles, everyone hurts, and everyone is enduring something that they probably won’t tell you about. Whatever picture people paint their life as, rest assured that any one life in all its parts is beautiful and dark, hopeful and weary, a blessing and an everyday battle. Focus on the good parts of your life and be grateful. Don’t compare yourself to anyone and while we’re at it, let’s be a little kinder to each other along the way.” - Kovie Biakolo

While we are busy realizing that everyone is fighting a battle everyday, everyone has hurts, habits, and hangups. While we are trying to be kinder to each other we need to try to find some hopes and dreams. It may be a little harder to do something that we are passionate about. It may seem ludicrous. But we have to have identity. We have to be independent. We have to have something in our lives where we do not rely on the help of someone else. Something that we rock at.

“Chronic illness can rob you of your hopes and dreams – if you let it. Sometimes we need to focus on the small ways we can reclaim our identity or independence. Sometimes we need to look past our disability to see the person who we really are inside, not just who we are physically. We deserve to reach for the stars, even if our bodies want to keep us firmly planted on the ground.” - Unknown

 For me, I have this blog to focus on. My small business of making satchels and totes for people. And dietetics school because I'm determined that no matter how hard and crazy it gets I will be a kick butt dietitian one day. I will succeed. Even if I only volunteer with my degree. Somehow I will succeed. I stay as independent as possible in my care too. I strive to have hopes and dreams with chronic illness, no matter how bleak the winter gets and brings me down. No matter how many new symptoms emerge and try to keep me in bed 24/7. I will achieve. No matter how long it takes me. Or no matter how different a way I do it in. This is how I know that I'm truly living with chronic illness. Because I have passion. And I have things that I want to achieve no matter how bad the days get.