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Living Life To The Fullest With Chronic Illness
Recently, I was diagnosed with lupus, a systemic autoimmune disease. When the doctor confirmed the diagnosis, I was silently relieved. After enduring years of chronic pain, fatigue and skin issues triggered by high levels of stress, I felt like I’d finally gained an important piece of knowledge that would help me better understand what was happening to me.
Then, during my consultation, my doctor gave me advice, which was suprisingly wise. You might call it his secret recipe for living a full and happy life with chronic illness. In this story, I share with you two main ingredients of this recipe and notably, you can apply them even if you are well.
Go and live a normal life
After explaining my diagnosis, the first recommendation my doctor gave was ‘Stay off the spices and go and live a regular life.’ A regular life? I thought, confused. I honestly didn’t understand what he meant. Then, I sat contemplating his words while reviewing my life in my head. All of a sudden, the penny dropped and I realised their significance. You see, I hadn’t had a ‘regular’ life. I had experienced many phases of high stress since childhood. These intense periods included caring for my mum, who was chronically ill, as a teenager and later trying to come to terms with her death while completing two intensive research degrees. During these times, I skipped over fun and rest. I didn’t date much or socialise often. I was so focused on achieving success and was convinced that everything I did had to somehow contribute to a larger goal or purpose. Don’t get me wrong, I have achieved so many amazing things and I am proud of them, but now, as I sat in my doctor’s office, he seemed to be giving me permission to stop pushing and just be me.
So, what does a normal life look like? I think this means different things to different people. To me, it means taking naps when tired, going to the movies, walking more often in nature, spending more time with my family, reading and creating more. In essence, I need more balance in my life and the key to achieving this is giving up my overperforming ways, which are primarily fuelled by my insecurities and lack of self-worth.
My doctor’s piece of advice also carries a second important implied message: don’t let illness…
