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This blog is another opportunity to feel grateful. Thank you, dear Universe, you continue to bless me with recovery and health.
So, it’s a Rare Disease accompanied by a couple of Chronic ailments… It was this statement that changed me in no time from ordinary to rare.
This article explores, the significance of resilience in overcoming health crises. Many a time, it is of utmost importance to stumble across tales of the extraordinary who created history in different geographies. The article reflects my steps towards reframing the problems to win by battle with a rare disease,
Every time I looked at myself, I felt empty with nothing left. I poured out all my despair and hurt feelings at God. He chose my life from being normal to rare. Everything turned in a fraction of a second.
I was diagnosed with a rare disease called Isaacs’ Syndrome. Isaacs’ is a neuromuscular health condition that stems from muscle hyperactivity. In the process, I also discovered that I had Lyme disease. Lyme is a bacterial illness that gets transmitted through ticks. Glaucoma also accompanied me. Glaucoma is an eye-related disease that damages the optic nerves. And Membranous Glomerulonephritis is a progressive kidney disease. I faced tremendous issues with my gut, stomach acid, and digestive enzymes. I also developed Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Diabetes, and Blood Pressure.
Having a normal life may sound like a granted goal but I did experience it turning into a complex concept.
Surprisingly my story starts from here!
Patients struggling with any disease, whether rare or ordinary, have one thing in common. They desire to regain their fitness at any cost.
My journey essentially became about understanding my limitations. I started to rediscover and find the fortitude to unravel the layers of mystery surrounding my condition. Being fearless of what I might discover. I knew I had to reconfigure the programming of my life, and I had to tune out a lot of the chatter inside my head to do so. Again, and again, I had to make room for newer perceptions and further acceptance, without losing the zest to recover.
More often Bollywood tries to tell us otherwise, in reality, the ‘little guy’ rarely wins. However, I sought inspiration and guidance from those who had faced and conquered challenging times.
It was over a weekend when I had a life-altering conversation with my doctor. He asked me to read some inspiring stories that could foster a sense of positivity. He firmly reminded me that I was not alone, many persevered through similar challenges and conquered. One such example was Dr. Wernher Von Braun, a German and American aerospace engineer.
Understanding the Power of Resilience:
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from a crisis or a setback. This ability helps us possess better-coping mechanisms when we face adversity. It has a positive influence on our emotions and leads to our well-being.
The discussion on this topic with my doctor was very affirming. I decided to refer to some real-time stories of people who bounced back from their lows. It was inspiring and appealing how some demonstrated herculean spirits to change their status quo.
I decided to successfully fight back with some practical tips from them!
Ramona Pierson:
She had one of the most compelling comebacks.
A math genius, working for the Marine Corps. She had a fatal accident when a drunk driver tore through a red light and hit her. She was in a coma for almost a year and a half and lost her vision for 10 years. She had 50+ reconstructive surgeries. Her motor functions had severe damage meaning she had to re-learn to walk.
And when she finally came back:
She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology even though she couldn’t see. She attained her doctorate in neuro-clinical psychology. She laid the foundation for Pierson. She sold her company for $10 million. Then, she repeated the same with Declara.
I had a lot that I learned from Ramona.
Michael Jordan:
I wouldn’t consider myself a basketball fan. But, Michael’s courage and wisdom made me watch some of his matches.
He was not born with a special talent. He encountered many failures from the early days of life but showed the fire in his belly to turntables.
In his words ”I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life’‘.
He showed the courage to manage setbacks with extraordinary skills. Not being vulnerable to wither instead he had the sportsman metal.
Finally, he became one of the greatest sportspeople of all time.
Derek Redmond:
The British athlete moved a million hearts in the 1992 Olympics.
The event was a 400-meter sprint where there were participants from seven other nations. He got up, despite a fall.
Derek had a hamstring pull midway which disabled the movement of his leg. He reached the finishing line with the help of his father.
He managed his crisis with the perseverance to honestly finish what he started.
Charlie Chaplin:
His impact needs no introduction. A character known for his iconic mustache and hat.
We all have admired his hilarious acts while growing up. One of the greatest silent film actors who ever lived. experienced hardships from his toddler days partly growing up with no parental support. He struggled with his mother’s illness and didn’t have a stable place to live. He performed on stage which brought him popularity.
He proved that despite all the hardships one can rise from the dust of poverty and make dreams come true. His legendary work spoke to the world and received a 12-minute standing ovation in Oscar history.
Rocky Balboa:
The iconic character was played by Sylvester Stallone. It states and restates that a breakdown does not necessarily mean that one is out of the game. This series became a symbol of determination, and triumph in the face of adversity.
Rocky belonged to the ordinary world, endured tests, and came face-to-face with his fears. Like many of us, he faces real-time hurdles, multiple setbacks, and obstacles. But he never gives up the idea of being a champ. He trains hard to keep up with his rivals.
The Rocky Series had some amazing tips on managing crises. We are all underdogs in our respective ways and that’s why it’s important to keep moving come what may. It is important to believe in yourself, be true to relevant actions, and visualize success.
Embracing the Magic of Positivity, knowledge and adaptability:
The power of positive thinking extends beyond mental health. Science proves its significance in promoting overall healing.
It was so inspiring to touch base with the stories of these extraordinary people. The strong characters and lessons these individuals exhibit influenced my recovery graph. They maintained a positive mindset despite their life challenges.
My cumulative practical learning as a patient from them was:
- It’s how we approach life that says it all.
- Education is never complete:
I acquired whatever information I could about my health to get answers to my questions.
- Adapt to the required lifestyle:
I utilized the gained information to adapt to the required lifestyle that could help me manage my health.
- It’s life and it happens to everybody, not even the most extraordinary are spared. It is the ordinary who turns to the extraordinary after effectively managing his situation.
- Managing certain situations and health crises need that extra effort:
I focused a lot on preparing myself to repair the broken pieces of my life. I began with small steps and took a chance with my treatments.
- Learned to be patient:
I was convinced that time was inevitable and that my situation would change with patience. Right effort in the right direction changed a lot.
- There is a lot on anyone’s plate to be grateful for.
- I started to believe in the Ordained power.
- Each one of us including the Heroes has weaknesses.
- There is a lot of power in teamwork:
Isaacs’ Syndrome isn’t something that can be managed alone. I was never hesitant to ask for help from my family, professionals, and doctors as and when needed.
To Conclude:
Inspiring stories are universal and have a lot to say. Life heroes make a difference and live on through that difference. They set examples by their path.
The zest to recover made me immune to the challenges and find newer ways to regain my health. I took relentless action for where I stand today in my recovery path.
I encourage my readers to take references from the experiences of wizards and apply them to their health crises. It is important to embrace resilience, knowledge, adaptability, and support as you face health challenges.
I am sure we all have the required strength within us to overcome any health crisis.
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed above in this article are the author’s own and do not represent any kind of medical advice.
