A Quote

[emartins]

This is very black and white. I think the trick is to find the gray.

" You can tough it out, ignoring symptoms at the risk of getting worse, or you can trust one doctor's judgment at the risk of selecting unwisely.

" You can keep your ailment secret at he risk of deception, or you can talk openly about it, at the risk of self-pity.

" You can ask friends for help, at the risk of becoming a burden, or you can hold fast to your independence, at the risk of isolation.

" You can strain your body to its limit, at the risk of harming yourself, or you can play it safe, at the risk of becoming an invalid..

" You can be angry about your fate, at the risk of bitterness, or you can focus only on your blessings, at the risk of self-delusion."

-Cheri Register, The Chronic Illness Experience

[Katybug]

Just one gal's opinion, but this seems like a very dark way to view chronic illness....as though there's no way of finding happiness or balance in your life because you are sick and I don't believe that's true. Thanks for posting though. I think it's a good and therapeutic discussion point. :-)

[MomtoGiuliana]

Thanks for sharing. Without seeing this in the larger context of her writing/book maybe it could be misinterpreted. It seems on the surface to be saying--to use two idioms, you're "****** if you do, ****** if you don't" or being chronically ill leaves you "between a rock and a hard place". Maybe what she is saying is that you have to find a third way on either end of this spectrum...as you say, find the "gray area".

[Nymph]

Yes, I agree that there is a third way. There are times to tough it out, and there are times to ask for a treatment review. There are times to push through and times to rest. There are times (and people) to ask for help and times to figure out how to do it yourself. There are times to be angry, but many more times to be thankful. I think it's very important not to become isolated, but one has to experiment and choose wisely as to who those people are who are truly friends.

[Tuesday]

So much of Dysautonomia has us bouncing between extremes - high or low BP, heart rate, extreme reactions to temperature or other stimuli - why should we take an extreme in our philosophy of coping?

I'd argue that it's far more important to foster a balanced approach to coping and seeking treatment.

[emartins]

Tuesday, I think that's point. From reading this forum, I would think a lot of people relate to this difficulty of making decisions like this because there are risks no matter what. Particularly with straining yourself or playing it safe. The only way to cope is to learn how to balance.