After living with chronic illness for years, it's come to my attention that it's not about you.
In fact, it's about every single person you have ever met except for you.
Forget about grieving your own life and start figuring out how you're going to handle everyone else's meltdowns.
You better decide how you are going to delicately break the news to your grandma about the fact that you just started life long chemotherapy. Figure out how to tell your closest friends that you are considering hospice, without breaking their hearts.
When facing a decision about your health, forget about you and think about your parents. And your pastor. And your damn pets.
No matter how hard you try to focus on you, you will still be faced with people asking "how am I going to live without you?" Or "please don't stop trying, I can't lose you."
It's ridiculously exhausting trying to worry about how your treatment decisions will effect everyone else. If ever there was a perfect time to be selfish, it's now. But somehow, you are expected to carry everyone else's burdens.
In fact, it's about every single person you have ever met except for you.
Forget about grieving your own life and start figuring out how you're going to handle everyone else's meltdowns.
You better decide how you are going to delicately break the news to your grandma about the fact that you just started life long chemotherapy. Figure out how to tell your closest friends that you are considering hospice, without breaking their hearts.
When facing a decision about your health, forget about you and think about your parents. And your pastor. And your damn pets.
No matter how hard you try to focus on you, you will still be faced with people asking "how am I going to live without you?" Or "please don't stop trying, I can't lose you."
It's ridiculously exhausting trying to worry about how your treatment decisions will effect everyone else. If ever there was a perfect time to be selfish, it's now. But somehow, you are expected to carry everyone else's burdens.