Bouncing back from being sick is huge. Once you get your mind in the most positive place it can be, you can start to rebuild what you had to walk away from when you started feeling really crappy. Sometimes that can take months, but I am excited for my new start.
I've lost out on a handful of pretty great opportunities, but the one thing that I can always tell myself when I pick myself back up again is that I get a clean slate- every time. Sure, it takes a bit to get yourself where you were, and sometimes you even have to start in a completely new direction, but if you think about it, how many people can say that they get a new start in life? I consider myself to be one of the luckiest sickies around. My family and friends are the greatest support net I have ever known, I live with the most amazing, caring, and generous person in the Universe, and I am healing from the inside out everyday in a cozy, sunlight-drenched apartment in one of the greatest cities ever.
Not everyone who faces sickness is given breaks. For a long time, I fought Crohn's alone. I was broke, confused, lost my apartment and gave up friendships because a lot of younger people don't understand what it's like to be around someone with a serious disease. It hurt, but I learned more about myself than I would have had I not been sick. I consider my sickness a blessing, and a curse. There are things in life that we take for granted, and if I hadn't gotten sick in 2001, I might not appreciate the things that I do now.
The Social Security Administration denies a great number of Crohn's patients when it comes to your Disability Benefits. It's your job to file an appeal and start the process again. If my insurance didn't help, I would be doing the same. I may even do so in the next few years. The more you know, the further you can go. There are steps to take to make sure that you are using your energy in smart ways when you're flaring, and lots of places to go to talk to people who understand what you're going through. I am waiting until I know that my treatment will get me close enough to remission, but I am planning my attack on the life that I want for myself. Back to school? Back to my drawing table? The Aquarium, or maybe a a dive into Visual Merchandising again? I don't know yet, because as I move along and regain strength, I have to realize that I may get sick again. Not every treatment works.
What I do know, and can tell anyone who has had to rebuild at any point in their lives, is that I plan to stack each brick to a bad ass sound track, and you'd be wise to do the same.
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