Re: EDU: Coping with Chronic Illness (Worth Reading)

[Guest guest]

Caroline (Empress), Thanks for posting those EDU's this week. If

anyone hasn't yet taken the time to read Dr. LaMaistre's piece on

" stages " of coping, especially relative newbies like me, it's

definitely a good read. Made me realize that I'm not actually losing

my mind here... I'm just going through a " normal " process (if you can

call this emotional roller coaster normal). I really appreciated the

way she explains that there isn't any " right " way to do this... that

sometimes a person loops back to a stage. I've been in a beating

myself up mode for the last month--it started just after my one year

anniversary--and I keep saying to myself, " What's wrong with you? Why

don't you have your act together yet? It's been a year... get it

together!!! "

As I sat here reading what LaMaistre had written, and balling like a

baby, of course, I realized that I've been stuck in an early stage,

probably because I just kept thinking that I was going to be one of

the lucky ones whose Still's disease just magically disappears and

never comes back. (ha... even as I write this down I can hear a voice

in my head saying, " you still MIGHT be... " ) Until I come to terms

with what " chronic " means, I'm going to be stuck. I jump up and down

and shout how it isn't fair that this stupid disease is so

unpredictable and how can I ever get my life back under control again

when I can't tell day to day whether my stupid ankles are going to

make walking difficult or my stupid wrists are going to make working

at the computer keyboard too painful or the stupid fatigue is going to

knock me out for half of the afternoon or the stupid methotrexate is

going to have me camped out in the bathroom for an entire day... whoo

hooo and hurrah for the ANGER stage.

When can I move on to the maniacal laughter stage? Is that what

happens in Vegas?

Hope everyone is doing okay today. I'm sending Danni my best healing

thoughts.

in Maine

>

> Information that follows is from:

> http://www.alpineguild.com/COPING%20WITH%20CHRONIC%20ILLNESS.html

>

> COPING WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS

> (This is adapted from the book After The Diagnosis by Dr. JoAnn

LeMaistre. >

[Guest guest]

OMG - I hope so! i could use some maniacal laughter!!!!!!!!!!

houston

>

> When can I move on to the maniacal laughter stage? Is that what

> happens in Vegas?

> in Maine

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Information that follows is from:

> http://www.alpineguild.com/COPING%20WITH%20CHRONIC%20ILLNESS.html

>

>Caroline, let me say thank you for finding this and other articles for

us. It really opened my eyes to several things; even after all these

years of counceling and help. I appreciate it.

Till soon, Melt