Coping With Chronic Illness - I Can't Do It Alone

Coping With Chronic Illness.   I Can't Do It Alone.

I have a lot of friends, whom I love and care about and who love and care about me.  But I have a small support group, the nucleus of my everyday life, who are my inner circle.  I could not do it without them.

My inner circle helps me with:

Every day tasks – from eating to laundry to cleaning to bathing to changing my sheets, whatever I can’t do on my own.

Emotional support – when I get down they gently and gradually help me find positive again.

They push me in my wheelchair when I can go out.

They support my weight when I need help walking.

They talk to me. 

They listen to me.

They believe me and acknowledge what I am going through.

They give me sound council, practical suggestions, and encouragement.

They give me an occasional push to see what I can do now.

They give financial support.

They give health care.

They help me get to and from doctors.

They drive me everywhere I need to go.

They stay flexible so they can take me back home if I am collapsing.

They cheer me on when I am having a good streak.

They pick me up off the pavement when I plummet.

Everything.  They help me with everything.  Whenever I say I did something or I was able to work through this or that, what I really mean is I and my inner circle did it.  

I am deeply grateful for these people.  They are my family.  Literally, some of them are the family I live with (mom, dad, and brother) as well as my sister and her family, who live out of town, and two of my aunts. I also have some very good, non -family friends who are part of my support group.  Your situation may be very different, but I hope that you can make your own “family”.

I cannot do it without them.  They give me so much and it's not exactly easy for them.  But I love them also because they let me give in return.  I cannot always give the same kind of help they give me, but I do my best to be there for them when they need me.  So I am part of their support group as well.  And I am really grateful for that too.  And since some of them read this blog, I just want to say thank you.

And now it's your turn.  Do you have an inner circle?  What does it look like?  Why are you grateful for them?

More Coping with Chronic Illness posts:

It's OK to grieve your losses
Knowledge is power
Do not eat, breathe, and sleep your illness
Part 1 - Friendship is a basic human need (the dilemma)
Part 2 - Friendship is a basic human need (who can be a friend?)
Part 3 - Friendship is a basic human need (10 ways to be a good friend while chronically ill)
Part 4 - Friendship is a basic human need (How to be a friend to a friend who is chronically ill)
2 Reasons why lying keeps you sick
Let go of the dream, accept reality, and be happy (it breaks your heart and then rebuilds it)
Accepting reality - what it does NOT mean
3 Ways to advance in a new direction
18 Ways to ward off sadness


Energy Economy posts:

How to get food into our mouths while chronically ill part 1
Food part 2
Food part 3
Grocery shopping and chronic illness
Wardrobe considerations for the chronically ill - part 1
Wardrobe considerations for the chronically ill - part 2
15 suggestions for Leaving the house while chronically ill
14 suggestions for cleaning the house while chronically ill
Personal hygiene and chronic illness
Dealing with people while chronically ill
12 Ways to simplify your grooming and dressing routines