Adventures in Chronic Illness-heroic edition

Looky here.

If you are engaged in a chronic illness battle, don't be afraid to gird your loins for a western medicine onslaught. It is difficult to advocate for yourself when you are at your sickest and feeling scared and desperate, but you can channel those feelings into becoming your own best friend and warrior, charging the ramparts of your illness in order to get the best care available.

Some practitioners will try to tell you that your depression is contributing to your symptoms when it is the other way around. They will tell you that "maybe" your initial diagnosis isn't really true as you don't test for all of the arbitrary markers of one disease as opposed to another. They will step into the examination room with an intern and act like you are a piece of meat, a specimen to be poked and prodded. They will try to cite time limits as an excuse to not answer all of your questions. They will medicate you up the wazoo, trying to take a stab in the dark to manage your symptomology.  They will "forget" your other diagnoses, or questions, or name or insurance limits and will take advantage of you being too intimidated or shy or sick to advocate for yourself.

You must be your own shining knight and you can also enlist friends and family members to assist you as reminder advocates and standard bearers. Take your friend with you to appointments. Write your questions down as they occur to you. Solicit advice from nurse practitioners who are often more compassionate and knowledgeable than some of the doctors they support. Take full advantage of your health insurance--many companies now have chronic care programs where they take a holistic approach to chronic diseases which often tend to multiply into several maladies. Create your team of doctors and insist that they communicate with each other. If they don't or won't, don't be afraid to say "you're fired" more than Donald Trump does on a season's worth of The Apprentice.

The initial diagnostic process can be the scariest time in your life, especially if your symptoms are diffuse. Western medicine sees itself as an exact science and many doctors have a difficult time dealing with patients who present with a range of symptoms that don't fit into a traditional paradigm.  If your doctor seems to give up or tells you "I'm not sure what to do," Donald Trump him/her and ask a medical practitioner that you trust to recommend someone who is going to work with and for you no matter what. Once you do have a diagnosis, solicit advice from online resources about support groups and doctor recommendations. Many disease websites have excellent advice about coping, what questions to ask, and what medical practitioners in your area are highly rated in treating your ailment. And don't let your fear keep you from asking for second opinions. Find out about experts in the field in treating your illness and ask your doctor to refer you to them for a consultation. Ask friends and family to keep up on the latest research and clinical trials.

Managing a chronic illness can seem like a full time job. There are emotional ramifications and disease causing depression. Enlist a therapist or social worker to help you with stress, family issues, and self-advocacy. They can also be very helpful in educating friends and family about the disease itself and about your needs. People who love you will want to help, both because they care about you and to alleviate their own feelings of helplessness. LET THEM.

And, finally, explore alternative treatments. Try acupuncture. Get tested for food and other allergies.
Explore reiki, tai chi, cranio sacral healing, swim therapy or one of the many other healing and stress reduction modalities available. Identify or continue a fun hobby that brings you joy

Dealing with a chronic illness can be a wonderful opportunity to identify what is most important to you in life. It can have a rich silver lining and definitely affords you the opportunity to become your own best friend. Take up your sword and shield, saddle your steed, and charge into the fray.