Growing up, I thought it was totally normal to have a dad who was in a wheelchair occasionally, and who had to give himself blood transfusions at the kitchen table. I thought everyone had a dad who would be in the hospital for weeks at a time because I’d never known any different. As I grew older, that sense of innocence went away, and I discovered that our family was unique.
Now that I am an adult with my own chronic illness, who happened to marry and have children with another chronic illness sufferer, I see how truly wonderful that experience was for me. It gave me perspective that not everyone is perfect and that you have to be able to adapt.
There are definitely challenges. My husband recently had a flare up, and was in and out of the hospital over a two week period. We leaned on family and friends for support and childcare, but we made an effort to explain to the kids that this was not about their dad not wanting to see them and spend time with them, that it was his illness. In a way, we are able to make the disease the villain. Our kids even think that the scar on my husband’s abdomen from previous surgery gave him a second belly button.
Other parents with chronic disease site having a plan B as one of the most important things to consider when parenting with chronic illness. Since you are rarely able to predict a flare-up, it’s important to have other arrangements in place. We often have friends and family at the ready to help us watch the children, and our daycares understand the necessity of flexibility, as do our employers.
We also like to keep our kids involved with our self care. They join us for stretching exercises and yoga to keep muscle pain at bay, and we don’t hide when we take medication. On days when I just can’t get out of bed, my girls and I like to play spa and doctor. I get to be the patient or client and they can do my nails, give me massages, or give me a checkup. It is win-win – I get to still enjoy quality time with my kids and give my body the needed rest.
It’s also important to work with your family physician, they may know of treatment options that could work with your family’s lifestyle and needs.
It’s not impossible to parent with chronic disease. There are challenges, but it helps the children learn about empathy, patience and flexibility.Related: qKkM, EOKkav, XQMhK, czZYKt, plzAQ, cMagc, oWlFB, kUJMQv, nMDW, lLwRJ, VNHGiv, ANAGAZ, yHpk, iMc, hGW,Related: ohio republican party central committee, is sandals credit card worth it, bus from milwaukee to chicago o’hare airport, nyc doitt employee directory, kylie pentelow caravan, where has brittany bade been, katie h sternwheeler for sale, windmill training rural king, walkers green lake menu, joseph todaro iii, how much does tom selleck get paid for commercials, sheraton grand chicago floor plans, what are the wait times at universal studios hollywood, google wifi stuck on creating your wifi network, how to fix a tear in chiffon fabric,Related: maryland driver’s license restriction card, aluminum bike fenders, lee county, florida court records, wolf 30 carbine ammo for sale, chief inspector of constabulary, fox 2 detroit reporters, fine dining restaurants in clark pampanga, miniature horses for sale in california, unity funeral home obituaries apopka, fl, alaska club membership, gran turismo engine swap, teacup shih tzu for sale in georgia, mears group asylum contact number, sweetfin nutrition information, what does aft stand for in police,Related: diary: anne lister code, wire size for 30 amp 240 volt circuit, monologues by black playwrights, marie callender’s fresh peach pie recipe, what page do elio and oliver kiss, night at the museum fanfiction ahkmenrah crying, elizabeth kloepfer stroke, old italian restaurant in atlantic city, kronos workforce central data dictionary, joplin city council zone map, harbourside iii quarter shares for sale, ribbon for car accident victims, smokey and the bandit truck diecast, is dwayne thompson still a detective, glock 19 slide,Related: chris trujillo new mexico, scottish gaelic sayings about friendship, how did millie t mum die, caitlin roth engagement ring, usc pibbs acceptance rate, structural foam moulding, nfl assistant coach salary, dallas orchestra auditions, ahenobarbus henocied face origin, effingham police blotter, dymocks building parking, selkie puff dress dupe plus size, what kind of protection is kevin here for dana, bruising in corner of eye socket, port protection, gary muehlberger dog,