I'm working on an article for HealthCentral about Breaking Rules with Chronic Illness. My topic will explore how your rules for living change when you have a chronic illness, or have they?
Lene Andersen explains:
"As a society, we have a norm, an average, and this determines how we react to each other. For instance, if you are having a meeting with your boss, showing up in ripped jeans and a cropped shirt is not likely to enhance your promotion chances. Adults are expected to work, couples are expected to marry and live in the same home, and we are all expected to say please and thank you. Not following those rules can bring censure by others and possibly societal stigmatization.
When you have a chronic illness, you find out that there are a whole lot of unspoken rules regarding health that you didn’t know about. Which makes sense — when you’re a healthy, able-bodied person, you’re not navigating those implicit commands of the chronic illness world we live in. Throughout September, we will be exploring what it’s like to be a rule breaker, the consequences we face, and how to cope."
I'd love to hear your comments about the rules you have now that you have a chronic illness, versus those pre-diagnosis:
- Do you have rules?
- Do other people have rules or expectations of you?
- How have either of them changed since your diagnosis?
- What happens if you break a rule? How do you feel?
- How has this impacted you, your loved ones, your colleagues, etc.?
Please feel free to contact me to add your input.
Please share this post if you know someone who might like to comment. Thank you in advance for passing it along.
I can’t wait to reads what’s next!tc
I have diabetes (insulin dependent 43 years) and RA
1. I have to know 30 minutes before we do it, that I will be doing an active activity (walking, riding a bike, etc). So I cna adjust my insulin or eat more.
2. I cannot eat some things (Pizza is a killer)
3. I take way more pills than anyone. (please get used to it)
4. Three times a year we do not do vacations (I use rituxan 3 times per year so the months ahead of each are no goes)
5. Driving is always iffy. Blood sugar going up or down will usually mean I have to relinquish the wheel.
6. Long walks might be romantic but, not if you have to carry me.
I hope some of those work out for your article
By the way, I hope you join us for 2017 RABlog week. Check out the great prompts: bit.ly/2gOYv69
I am unable to work due to the erraticness of RA at this point. My children and fiancee now have to help with chores, grocery shopping and others that I was once able to do myself. Not being able to do what I once did is very hard on me mentally, it causes me anxiety, stress and depression. All rules are out the window, old ones anyways. It’s a full time job managing chronic illness.