When someone in this community or elsewhere has the same issue I have (eg @Melsamm and I both suffer from insomnia), I go between feeling reassured that I am not alone, yet sad for the person since I know how hard it is!
Same @Karin . It helps me stay calm when I know what I am experiencing is "normal" for us in our community. And then I go into a mode of wanting to figure out a way to fix it for everyone so they do not have to go through the same thing.
I haven’t slept well in the last 6 years, from when I was diagnosed til now. I just thought it was how things were supposed to be post menopause and with so much on my mind. I did ask my doctors about it after my transplant and they would only allow me to take 5 mg of Melatonin and it did nothing for me so I just deal with it. A good night for me is 4 to 5 hours. But it does make me wonder if it is yet another side effect to our meds.
I find great comfort in knowing I am not alone and have someone I can confide in, but as someone who is grossly independent I also have a hard time confiding in someone else because I know their struggle is the same as mine, and its HARD. There is great success to having friends in your space, and I try and reassure myself that what they offer to me, I also offer to them; making it a great friendship. But, yes. Chronic Illness is more than just dealing with the illness, there are so many different ways it impacts every part of us.
A lot of my best friends have gone through similar life situations (like transplant) and I think having that common ground facilitates closeness in a lot of ways. I've also met remarkable people who can seemingly understand my experience without having lived it themselves, which I hope to also do for others.
While so many of us have gone through similar things, I think we all respond very differently. I'm perpetually fascinated by the common ground we all share, and the different ways that manifests for each of us.
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Same @Karin . It helps me stay calm when I know what I am experiencing is "normal" for us in our community. And then I go into a mode of wanting to figure out a way to fix it for everyone so they do not have to go through the same thing.
It amazes me how strong our bodies are.
I haven’t slept well in the last 6 years, from when I was diagnosed til now. I just thought it was how things were supposed to be post menopause and with so much on my mind. I did ask my doctors about it after my transplant and they would only allow me to take 5 mg of Melatonin and it did nothing for me so I just deal with it. A good night for me is 4 to 5 hours. But it does make me wonder if it is yet another side effect to our meds.
I find great comfort in knowing I am not alone and have someone I can confide in, but as someone who is grossly independent I also have a hard time confiding in someone else because I know their struggle is the same as mine, and its HARD. There is great success to having friends in your space, and I try and reassure myself that what they offer to me, I also offer to them; making it a great friendship. But, yes. Chronic Illness is more than just dealing with the illness, there are so many different ways it impacts every part of us.
Transplant Patient
A lot of my best friends have gone through similar life situations (like transplant) and I think having that common ground facilitates closeness in a lot of ways. I've also met remarkable people who can seemingly understand my experience without having lived it themselves, which I hope to also do for others.
While so many of us have gone through similar things, I think we all respond very differently. I'm perpetually fascinated by the common ground we all share, and the different ways that manifests for each of us.