Living with a chronic illness is not easy. The physical part is hard but the emotional part of it can almost be harder. And sometimes even I forget that I have to check in with my emotional side and see how I'm actually coping. When my physical symptoms are under control and I'm chugging through life well and happy I can forget that somewhere in the back of my mind I am slightly concerned about when the next IBD flare-up might hit. Will I be on vacation? Or, will it hit when I'm in the middle of a big project with a looming deadline?
If you've read my book, Living with IBD & IBS: A Personal Journey of Success (www.ibdandibs.com), then you know that I try very hard not live in my IBD but rather with IBD. I think there's a big distinction between the two. When I was first diagnosed with IBD and at my sickest I live in my disease, I became IBD, I let it take over my whole life and who I was. But then I learned to live with IBD - to function, to work, to play, to travel with the disease but not to let it take me over and to keep me from living and growing and being me.
At times, like last night, I have to remind myself that I'm not IBD and it doesn't have a hold on me and my life unless I allow it to. Yes, I am a slightly different person today than I was B.C. but in reality I am a stronger person today than I was ten, 15, even 20 years ago. Today I live a better quality of life because I truly try to appreciate every good day that I have when IBD isn't a commanding part of my life. And I do fight the fear and the difficulty of living with a chronic illness. But I am learning that talking about these feelings and these fears is an important part of successfully living with IBD. And, thankfully I have a very patient, loving, and understanding husband.
Related Information:
The Physical, Emotional and Societal Effects of IBD
