It's easy to fall into the trap of pitying ourselves and focusing on what is going wrong in our lives. Instead, spend your time looking for all the good things that are happening too.
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It's difficult to manage cystic fibrosis self-care when you have a child with a disability. Don't pressure yourself to be like other moms. Just do the best you can. Your kids will value your efforts.
I'm glad I finally got diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It doesn't mean I'm “crazy.” Sometimes, your brain gets sick just like your lungs do.
As a social worker, my career has been primarily focused on crisis intervention and psychiatric hospitalizations for those with mental illness. It wasn't until I received a double-lung transplant that I learned firsthand just how important mental health and trauma management can be.
Cystic fibrosis has brought countless treatments, hospitalizations, and hardships, leaving me with an overwhelming amount of emotions. When I found painting, not only did I find a new hobby, but I learned a way to escape by turning my emotions into artwork.
My life after a 2011 lung transplant was going along smoothly -- until chronic rejection and the wait for new lungs while hospitalized took me to my physical and emotional limits.
Although I'm self-reliant, after I experienced a trauma, I realized that it was okay to ask for help.
I have found that using simple techniques help me cope much more effectively with cystic fibrosis -- and all that can go along with it.
When you are waiting to be listed for a lung transplant, it can feel like you're in limbo. Through the many frustrations and uncertainties, I've learned that it's important to get support -- not only for my physical health, but for my emotional health as well.
My pulmonary function test results are important in telling me about my cystic fibrosis, but it's only one measure of my overall health.