We are stronger together in the face of illness!

Hello everyone,

How are you today?

Having a chronic illness can often be an isolating experience - you may not have the energy to socialize, others may not understand what you are going through, and you may feel alienated and alone.

I thought I would open this discussion as a place for us all to come together, regardless of our condition(s), to support one another and chat! Let's use this space to talk about anything and everything - share your mood, your story, your ups and downs and your support!

So, how are you doing today? Do you ever feel lonely in your illness? How do you cope? What has made you smile today? Do you have any hobbies or activities that bring you joy? Do you have anything you want to share with the community?

Feel free to share with us here!

Take care,
Courtney

@Courtney_J Wow I like this idea.I think I get to talk with others with breast or other cancers, but I don't talk often with others on this site with other conditions. 

Right now I'm in the middle of my second fight with breast cancer and I'm in chemo. My hair is gone, I feel yucky and tired all the time, i can't taste anything, and mentally I'm not in the best place. Having my family who I love is great, and then being able to come on here when I need to talk to people who just "get it" is so helpful too. I feel less alone.

The thing I look forward to the most right now is cuddling up on the couch in front of Netflix or HBO with my husband every night. It's our little moment of peace where we can just forget everything and be together and eat popcorn!

@Courtney_J‍ I am sorry you are going through the fight with cancer again. I can't imagine how you must feel. I am so glad you have a supportive husband who likes to cuddle! What a blessing! I will say a special prayer for you tonight that you will be healed and be strong again. I am sending much love to you from Minnesota!! Take Care!!!

Hi, I have a heart condition and had a heart attack a few years ago. I kind of live in a constant sort of fear that it's going to happen again and I often don't let me self participate in things because I'm worried it'll make me too excited and then I'll have another one. While it's not the worst thing in the world, it can be a little sad or lonely taking myself out of family events or other things I'd like to participate in. 

But what really cheers me up is watching baseball, especially with my nephews! I'm really excited for the season to start up and I'm interested to see how it'll be without the fans there. ⚾

I am bedridden with stage 4 bone cancer and find loneliness to be a problem.my wife and friends have their own lives and not much time for me. i have a caregiver 40 hours a week. but it would be nice to have online friends to chat with. in spite of my limitations I do have a life.as an investor I am helping a friend start a business. I don;t sit around feeling sorry for myself. I have plateaued and have managed to gain a little weight.

To all of you who are suffering from some kind of illness, you are in my thoughts and prayers. I cannot even imagine what you are going through. I have my own chronic illnesses, but not to the extent of some of you. Please know you are not alone in your battle. There are people on here that you don't even know who are supporting you from afar. In that vein, I send to you much love from Minnesota!!

This pandemic has taken a toll on me psychologically.  My only peace is when I attend church on Sunday and tho other evening services.  I do believe in prayer.  I keep a small journal of my thoughts, read books, color things to distract me.  It is not easy going through this as so many events besides the pandemic have occurred.  I suffer from depression as well as a few other medical issues, but I try my hardest to stay strong.

I've recently finished 6 months of chemo for Hodgkins lymphoma, it's been about 3 1/2 weeks now? Well, close to a month anyway. A few unanticipated problems, I had no idea that there can be a period of time after chemo when a person feels beat up and very fatigued. General muscle pains and cramps describes it best. I've been assured that this is ok and common, I'd thought I'd comment here because I didn't know what was wrong and felt I was going backwards in my recovery.. My doc. and team couldn't tell me in advance because everyone responds differently to treatment. I was actually frightened and hesitated to call them but now glad I did. But it's becoming tough to be patient, I'd like to get on with things!  A minor complaint I know, but genuine. Anyway, it's been hot here in southern MA, I've spent a lot of time reading online the last month, mostly about technical things that interest me. Battery tech. is fascinating, we'll all be driving electrics soon with 500-600 mi. range and 10 min. recharging times... I've put together a shopping list for an upcoming ebike trip and I'll order the rest of what I'll need and having this to look forward to helps a lot. Best wishes to everybody here......