Chronic illness is difficult to manage. Not only does it change your life but also the lives of all those around you. Finding out that you have a chronic illness can be quite difficult to understand. You feel mixed emotions – that your body has let you down, you feel that your life has taken a turn for the worse and sometimes it becomes all too overwhelming to take in. Doctors appointments and talking about a newly-diagnosed chronic illness can become too much to manage.
I have been down this road and understand how life can change. Different emotions surface and each day looks and feels different. However, how you manage this challenge is what is going to make all the difference. November is National Diabetes Month – diabetes affects people around the world. More children and families are affected by this chronic illness. Therefore, it is an important topic for us to talk about and create awareness around this illness.
Diabetes presents in the form of Type 1
or Type 2 as well as gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is when you are insulin dependent (with every meal of the day – and when you are diagnosed at a young age). Type 2 diabetes is when this illness presents at a later age and can be controlled with
lifestyle changes and oral medication. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. Sometimes, pregnancy tends to be more stressful (instead of a beautiful period of life) when there are complications that accompany it. I have loved ones who are diabetic and therefore go through the motions of living with testing sugar levels and watching diet. Mindset and the way we tackle these daily life matters is what is going to either make us stronger or not.
Embracing the change within lifestyle is key to living a happy life. Understanding that you still have control over your body (exercise, food and daily choices) will make the difference in how you tackle illness. For me, I have made an intentional choice to choose my health and focus on living a more intentional life (meditation, yoga, prayer, healthier eating options and invest time in my physical well-being).
Many people believe that when you are diagnosed with a chronic illness it just has to deal with the body. However, the mind is so important in managing the situation. When you feel that you have control over the situation – you will feel stronger in dealing with it. You will also feel physically better in order to begin exercise (even if this is a 30-minute walk a few times a week).
Let us not forget about those care-givers to those with chronic illness eg. parents (to children with chronic illness), spouses and children (who care for their elder parents). This takes special patience, care and lots of inner strength to manage and keep strong. I salute those who care for loved ones with chronic illness. It is certainly not an easy
road and requires extra resilience to keep going.
Remember that diabetes is certainly not the end of the road. Early diagnosis and striving for a healthy lifestyle will make you feel better. A strong mind allows for a strong body!
About the columnist: Krsangi Radhe is the founder of Sankalpa Coaching. She is an educator, certified coach, author, NLP Practitioner and Time-Line Therapist.
