“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyse you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.”
- Bernice Johnson Reagon
I love this quote. It speaks to the struggle that we all face. To be human and to have a human experience undoubtedly includes the fact that sometimes things do not go the way we wished for or planned.
It is what we do in the face of adversity that is important.
It’s ok to be flattened by bad news. That is a totally normal response. But how do we come to terms with a life changing diagnosis and adjust and adapt? How do we integrate this new way of being into our lives while also never losing sight of what is most important? How do we maintain those important relationships and goals, and also help them grow and become even more fulfilling and meaningful?
The Opportunity for a Better Illness Experience
You can significantly influence your illness experience through learning about and reflecting on how to navigate a life-changing diagnosis
Along the way you will:
Learn about yourself and how to walk two roads
Learn about perspective and illness trajectories - when it might be most beneficial to zoom in to the finer details or to zoom out for an overall picture
Learn to recognise your own coping style so that you feel more in control
Reflect on what is most important to you. Identify the areas of your life where you want to spend your precious time, energy and resources and what you will or won’t compromise to help you in your decision making
Consider who is on your team, who you want on your team, what their strengths are and how to recruit them (and keep them). You will also understand how your illness journey might affect your loved ones
Understand a little more about your health care system. In an ideal world information is shared between teams, but often it isn’t. Who might help you?
Learn how to ask great questions to get the information you need so that you can make decisions that suit your particular values, beliefs and unique context.
From The Waiting Room Revolution also check out their book Hope for the Best, Plan for the Rest
