Kubler-Ross's five stages of grief upon learning of one's imminent demise might also be relevant in acceptance of severe chronic disease.
I've gone through the first two, and will no doubt cycle back now and then:
1) Denial - That stage didn't last long for me. It was hard to argue with my symptoms, hard to deny that my body was failing me.
2) Anger - This, on the other hand, is still pretty fresh. I'm not so angry at the gods--I've been blessed in so many ways in my life, and why should I be immune to pain or "injustice," if that's what illness is, when others on this planet suffer so greatly?
I have often, however, been angry at the health care system and at individual health care providers for a variety of valid reasons, many of which have been described here on The Mary Dell Show.
And although I get upset when I start thinking about how a fragmented system has betrayed me, and how individual physicians and practices have made me feel marginalized, I'm moving beyond anger now.
Why get angry? That's just more energy to expend, when I have so little energy anymore at all.
And so I'm moving into that third stage, bargaining.
I've gone through the first two, and will no doubt cycle back now and then:
1) Denial - That stage didn't last long for me. It was hard to argue with my symptoms, hard to deny that my body was failing me.
2) Anger - This, on the other hand, is still pretty fresh. I'm not so angry at the gods--I've been blessed in so many ways in my life, and why should I be immune to pain or "injustice," if that's what illness is, when others on this planet suffer so greatly?
I have often, however, been angry at the health care system and at individual health care providers for a variety of valid reasons, many of which have been described here on The Mary Dell Show.
And although I get upset when I start thinking about how a fragmented system has betrayed me, and how individual physicians and practices have made me feel marginalized, I'm moving beyond anger now.
Why get angry? That's just more energy to expend, when I have so little energy anymore at all.
And so I'm moving into that third stage, bargaining.
