When your body speaks
Illness frightens me
My friend, a diagnosis, a result that's late, a pain that won't go away, and suddenly the future seems shorter and less certain. This fear is natural. Your body has reminded you that it isn't made of iron. But you are not only the patient of an illness. You are still the person who loves, laughs, gets annoyed, makes small plans. Ask your doctors questions until you understand. Don't read the worst stories on the internet at night. And don't carry this fear alone: the people who love you want to know what you feel, not only what the tests say.
If symptoms are new, very strong or unlike before, don't wait: call your doctor or 112.
Questions for you
What didn't I understand from what the doctors told me?
A possible answerWrite your questions before the appointment and bring someone with you. You have a right to understand. “What does this mean for my daily life?” is a good question.
What can I control, today, in this story?
A possible answerTaking treatment on time, sleep, who goes with you, what you read. You can't control the illness, but you can control a lot of how you go through it.
Whom do I tell how I really feel?
A possible answerSomeone who can listen without rushing you toward optimism. Many ill people hide their fear to spare others. They need to be held too.
What brings me joy, even on treatment days?
A possible answerA film, a short walk, a visit, a message sent. Small joys don't deny the illness. They remind you that life is still yours.
Tonight's practice
Write three questions for your next appointment, and one pleasant thing you'll do that same day, afterwards.
A thought to keep
“Even a small fire warms a whole room.”
Open this moment in the interactive guide