Finally! Back in business. It feels really good to be writing again and this post I am going to answer some of the other questions that were asked when I put out the call for any Questions people might have about living with Chronic Illness, this website or myself. Hopefully the Part 1 answers satisfied, I aim to give honest and up front answers and will continue to do so. So here we go…..
Q. You seem to believe that your attitude affects your health, can you explain why?
A. I do believe that your attitude has an affect on your health and the medical community is now acknowledging this also. There have been studies done in the USA with two groups of patients. One group of people who have a positive attitude to their health and wellbeing and the other group having a neutral or negative attitude to their health and wellbeing. The people who had a more positive attitude to their health had faster and more complete healing than the “neutral” group. That is very interesting. Even more interesting is that when people are assessed for transplantation they also make assessments into the person’s mental health and attitude. For transplantation to be successful it takes many factors including medical complications and risks but doctors also look for a patient that has a positive and resilient attitude as these people are more likely to be able to handle the stress and uncertainty of the transplantation process. Medical evidence aside, I have seen the benefits of a positive and resilient attitude when dealing with serious health issues. I have lived it myself. It is becoming more accepted that things like attitude and resilience effect our health and healing processes. There are some people that feel you cannot change your attitude. That it is the way it is but this is not true. Anyone who has suffered with Depression knows this. The most important step to changing your attitude is awareness. Once you start to become aware of your attitude and how you react to things in your life you have taken the first step to changing your thought patterns. I think in the future it will become part of a medical treatment plan to help encourage a positive and resilient attitude in patients as the benefits are well worth it. Wonderful question, thanks!
Q. You have a positive outlook on life – do you ever get down? Do you ever not take your treatments or just want to have a break?
A.Thanks, this is a great question. I am proud to have a positive outlook on life but it doesn’t mean that I do not have my moments! As I have mentioned before I have suffered Depression in the past and I used that experience to change my attitude and outlook on life however Cystic Fibrosis and Diabetes are a never ending fight. A daily battle. Everyday I am having to take pills, treatments, needles and so on just to be able to do the day to day activities that healthy people do without effort. There are times when I feel like not taking that lot of tablets, like not having a ventolin when I have to get out of bed to do it, when I have no energy to get up and have something to eat even though I know if I don’t I definitely won’t have energy to do anything. When I am sick I get tired and cranky – all I want to do is hide, curled up in bed. I have at least one day a week when I have to spend the day in bed because I cannot lift my head from the pillow. I used to feel ashamed of this, that I was being lazy, selfish. I had to learn to accept the outcomes of my being ill as much as the illness itself. It can be hard to live with the affects of Chronic Illness when you have “normal” expectations of your body. You have to learn to take it day by day and not to beat yourself up for things that are not within your control. Trying to control the Illness is not possible. Controlling your expectations of yourself is a more achievable goal. And I choose to do that with the aim of keeping a positive outlook. I hope that helps.
Q. What is your favourite book at the moment?
A. Hooray, an easy one! I have just finished reading “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert for the third time and it is definitely up there with my all time favourites (which also include “Pillars of the Earth” and any Nigella cookbook!). I came across this book at a time in my life when I really needed it. I had been very ill and was just getting over Depression. I found the authors description of her own struggle with Depression comforting as well as her humour and passion for finding her own happiness and not other peoples ideas of what her happiness should be. It is hilarious in parts and deeply moving often. It is one book that I have given as a present and it will always be a fixture on my bookshelf.
There we have it. I hope to have given you a further insight into living with Chronic Illness. Thanks to everyone who sent in a question, it was great to hear from you. Thanks to everyone for checking in again, I look forward to giving you more information about living with Chronic Illness and living positively in the next few posts. See you soon….!
All the best, Lily
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