FREE ADVICE from a sick blogger

In her book, You Don't Look Sick: Living with Invisible Chronic Illness, Joy H. Selak teaches "The quiet activities illness demands can train patients to listen, a skill they will need to further perfect. Chronically ill patients who aspire to live better will need to listen to what their body is telling them and understand they cannot fix everything just by trying harder. They will need to spend time listening to the emotions, fears, and anxieties tied to the past and sort out what they can now release. They will need to listen less to the negative people in their lives, and with greater attention to the people willing to support and share with them. They will need to listen more closely to their own inner and spiritual selves as they learn new ways to navigate life with illness."

Grieve for your old life, it's so healthy to let yourself feel emotions of pain and sadness. If you allow yourself time to mourn, you will see how quickly you are ready to move on with your new life!

One of the huge benefits my illness is that it has enabled me to find out who my true friends are. I realize now that if I have a friend who is judgmental of my new life with a chronic illlness or impatient with my illness, he/she is not good for me. Having a chronic illness is a constant strain, so I chose to be around supportive friends who help and strengthen me.