Finding a New Normal: Living Your Best Life with Chronic Illness

by Suzan L Jackson

Overview

From Sue Jackson, the author of the popular and award-winning blog Live with ME/CFS, comes a book to help you live your best life with chronic illness. Based on Sue's almost 20 years living with chronic illnesses in her own family, writing her blog, writing articles on chronic illness, and leading multiple support groups, she provides support and practical advice you can use.Whether you are in the early days of living with chronic illness or have been at it for years (or decades), there are always challenges in living a life framed by limitations and restrictions, where isolation is a common issue. This guide provides inspiration, advice on emotional coping, and guidance on living your best life with chronic illness from someone who's been there. Though it seems impossible at first, your life will eventually settle into a new normal, and while that life may be different than the one you had planned, it can still be a vibrant, fulfilling life based on strong relationships, a healthy emotional state, and finding joy in every day. The emphasis in this book is on LIVING your life, not just enduring it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781734299014
Publisher:	Suzan L. Jackson
Publication date:	02/06/2020
Pages:	182
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.42(d)

About the Author

Suzan Jackson is a freelance writer whose work focuses on topics related to health, family, travel, and media reviews and has appeared in many magazines, websites, and anthologies. She has had ME/CFS, an immune disorder, since 2002, and also has Lyme disease. Both of her sons also became ill with ME/CFS in 2004. Her younger son is now fully recovered, after 10 years of mild illness. Her elder son, who recently graduated from college, still has ME/CFS as well as three tick-borne infections. Sue and her sons managed to improve their conditions with a number of treatments. She runs several support groups, both online and locally, to help others. Sue writes two blogs: Live with ME/CFS at www.livewithcfs.blogspot.com and Book By Book at www.suebookbybook.blogspot.com. You can see Sue's other published work at her writer's website, www.suzanjackson.com, and follow her on Twitter at @livewithmecfs.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Emotional Coping

· Riding the Chronic Illness Rollercoaster

· One Day At a Time

· Balancing Hope and Acceptance

· What Are You Looking Forward To?

· Roll With the Punches

· You're Right Where You Need To Be

· Coming of Age with Chronic Illness

· How Chronic Illness Has Changed Me...And How I've Stayed the Same

· Spring Cleaning for Your Spirit

Daily Life

· Finding Joy in Every Day

· A Plan B Day

· The Restorative Power of Nature

· What Makes You Forget?

· The Joy of Reading

· The Importance of Play

· The Joy of Celebrations

· Summertime...And the Livin' Is Easy (Or Is It?)

· Travel Tips for the Chronically Ill

Relationships

· Who Do You Tell and What Do You Say?

· Staying Connected with Friends While Ill

· The Hidden World of Invisible Suffering

· Has Chronic Illness Turned Me Into an Introvert?

· The Challenges of Being a Sick Parent

· When Your Kids Are Chronically Ill

· Living in a World Apart

· Managing Family Relationships - Holidays and Beyond

· Birds of a Feather: The Joys of Community

Improving Your Life

· Where Is Your Journey Taking You?

· Setting Goals When You Are Chronically Ill

· Keep Learning, Even from Bed!

· Strategies and Tools for Changing Habits

Acknowledgements

About the Author